Page 9

CHAPTER 9

FUCK, SHE’S BEAUTIFUL

XANDER

August

A zing of excitement works its way through me as I approach Miller’s front door. He played right into my hand with this dinner invitation. I may not have an end goal fleshed out, and I may not know how far I’m willing to go to make my plans a reality, but this dinner will only help me move in the right direction. For days, I’ve been trying to decide what I want more—to put everything behind me, or to put my college friend through the wringer.

The only thing I know for sure is that I can’t afford to damage the Warriors dynamic or my own reputation.

I joined the team to advance my career, and if I end up exposing Miller for who he really is in the process, I’ll be ecstatic.

For the most part, I’ve put the memories of college out of my mind. But since I arrived in Boston, they keep sneaking back in, especially flashbacks of the day I found her. The nightmares still haunt me from time to time, but I’m twenty fucking five now, and I was determined to let it go. Then I met Jake’s girlfriend, and all that changed. This woman is the key to his downfall.

The question is: Can she be an accomplice, or will she be collateral damage?

I knock on the door and take a step back. I’m twenty minutes early, and hopefully I’m the first to arrive.

“Xander?” Miller says when he appears, a broad smile on his face. “You’re early. Come on in.”

“I was bored. Figured I’d come hang with you.” I step inside wearing a lopsided grin.

His expression is genuine, while mine is anything but. Gotta love Jake Miller though. His ignorance is laughable, and the apology he gave me did nothing by way of mending things.

Or am I the issue? Maybe I’m just a hopeless idiot who refuses to bury the hatchet.

“Am I the first one here?” I ask as I step past him.

“Yeah.” With a shrug, he wanders to the living room.

I follow him, taking in a table set for six people with drinks and appetizers. “You caught me on my way to the kitchen. I’m headed to check on Isabella.”

Check on her? This dinner was his idea. He has done nothing but talk about it, yet he left his girlfriend to do all the work?

“Where you been?”

“At the gym. Got home about twenty minutes ago. Just got out of the shower.” He runs a hand through his damp hair. “Isabella is a big girl. She doesn’t need my help.”

“If you say so,” I mutter, making sure he hears me.

The tips of his ears go pink, but he doesn’t say anything.

When we step into the kitchen, Bella stands with her back to us, rummaging through a cupboard. Her long brown hair cascades down her back, ending right around her shoulder blades.

“Babe, Walker’s here.” Miller stalks over to her, his face split into a grin.

She’s in a white dress with an open back and thin straps, so when her shoulders tense, I see it. She’s visibly uncomfortable, but based on the way Miller places his hand on the naked skin of her back and slides it down to her ass, he’s oblivious.

With his hand splayed over her hip, he pulls her into his side and nuzzles her neck. “I’m here, so I can help.” He looks at me over his shoulder, a smile still playing on his lips. “Walker can help too.”

I keep quiet, propping myself up against the wall and folding my arms over my chest.

Bella closes the cupboard with a thud and takes a step away from him. She peers over at me quickly, then zeroes in on Jake. “If you really wanted to help, you would’ve come home sooner. Like four hours ago. Now? Everything is ready.”

A frisson of satisfaction zips through me as I watch her stand up for herself. The sight is not only entertaining, but delightful.

“Isabella.” Ignoring her cold stare, Miller steps into her, his arms winding around her waist. “You’re the best woman in the world. Everything you do is perfect. If I were here, I’d have gotten in the way.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” With her hands on his chest, she tries to push him away.

He doesn’t budge. He’s at least twice her size.

“You asked me to organize dinner then disappeared for the entire day. I don’t know why you think I’d want you loving up on me like this.”

His grip on her waist tightens, his fingers digging into her sides. I clench my jaw, and discomfort floods my system. My whole body goes rigid as he angles in so they’re nose-to-nose.

“I’ll make it up to you, babe. I promise.” He evens out his tone, trying to mask his irritation. “Anything you want.”

“Right now, I don’t want anything. In fact, I’m thinking about going to my aunt’s.” With a huff, she wriggles out of his embrace.

A groan of disapproval slips from Miller, but this time, he lets her go.

“Your guests will be here any minute.” She spins to her right and picks up a bowl of salad before heading out of the room. As she passes me, our eyes meet, and she nods, acknowledging my presence for the first time today.

Good girl . I keep the thought to myself. I can’t say it aloud, no matter how tempting it is.

“What’s gotten into her?” Miller mutters under his breath.

Eyes narrowed, I stare at him. Is this motherfucker really that stupid?

When he catches me watching him, he blanches. “Um, do you want something to drink?”

“No, I’ll wait for dinner. The food smells delicious.” I push off the wall. “Should we go to the living room?”

“Yeah, sure.” He threads his fingers through his hair, his gaze wandering over the kitchen. “Let’s?—”

The knock on the front door pulls him out of his thoughts, and he storms out of the room, muttering something about Isabella being difficult.

For a minute, all I can do is watch him go. This dinner promises to be way more interesting than I anticipated, and I’m here for it.

When I eventually make my way to the living room, I find Miller and Isabella talking to a petite blonde with a short bob. Her short green dress hugs her body, emphasizing her thin waist and round breasts. She’s gorgeous. Still, my thoughts stray to Miller’s girl.

As if she knows I’m thinking about her, Bella turns her head, and our gazes instantly lock. Her lips part slightly, and she sucks in a breath.

Hands stuffed into my pockets, I turn on the charm and head over.

“Izzy, your food smells absolutely mouthwatering.” The blonde’s gaze darts to me. “Oh, hey.”

“Hey.” I stop beside Bella, making sure to brush her arm with mine as I hold out a hand to her friend. “I’m Xander.”

“Meghan.” She takes my offered hand, her green eyes roaming over my face. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Pulling back, I peer at Miller on Bella’s other side, who’s urgently whispering something in her ear. “Are we waiting for someone else?”

Miller gives me a smug smile that makes me want to punch him in the teeth. “Garcia. He should be here in a few minutes. He’s bringing one of his recent conquests. Not sure what her name is.”

Meghan looks from Miller to Bella, her brow creased. “Izzy, do you need help in the kitchen?”

“I need to use the bathroom.” Bella stalks out of the living room, and her best friend follows.

When we’re alone, I squint at Miller, and his smile only gets bigger. “Women,” he says. “Gotta love ’em.”

If this is love…please, God, save me from it.

* * *

The more time I spend in Miller’s company, the less I understand what Bella is doing with him. I swear, there are no two people on Earth more different than they are, and fuck —she’s so much more than he deserves.

“Damn, this cheesecake is perfection.” Meghan slumps back in her chair, putting her palm on her stomach. “I’m full.”

“My girlfriend is an incredible cook.” Miller covers Bella’s hand with his, an arrogant smirk on his face. It’s not the first time tonight he’s acted as if the compliments on her delicious food belong to him too. It’s almost like she doesn’t exist separately from him, like any of her achievements instantly become his.

“Let’s make a toast.” Garcia holds up his rocks glass. “To Isabella. This dinner is a ten out of ten.”

“To Isabella.” We all raise our glasses, and as we sip our drinks, a pleasant silence lingers.

“That’s my girl.” Miller sets his glass down and plants a kiss on Bella’s cheek. Her face is an emotionless mask, her body rigid as he pulls away with his chest puffed out. “I knew this dinner would be a total success.”

I scoff. “You realize you’ve taken credit for everything your girlfriend did tonight, right? All you did was invite us.”

Miller’s jaw ticks, and he rolls his lips together, holding my gaze.

“Still, it was a great idea,” I add. The last thing I need is for him to think I have a problem with him.

“Thanks, Walker.” He forces a smile before he changes the subject. “Kennedy,” he says to the woman Garcia brought with him, “what do you do for a living?”

Wine glass in hand, she glances at Garcia. “I work in marketing.” Her red curls cascade down her shoulders as she tips her head back and downs the rest of her drink. When she straightens again, she scans the table, her eyebrows knitted together. “Is there more wine?”

“There should be a bottle in the kitchen.” Miller turns to Bella. “Can you refill Kennedy’s glass, baby?”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Kennedy pats at her lips with her napkin. “I can drink whiskey like everyone else.”

“Isabella doesn’t mind.” Miller drapes his hand over his girlfriend’s shoulder and pulls her to him. “Please, baby.”

Meghan and Garcia, who sit on either side of me, shift in their seats, and the tension in the room thickens.

Bella’s chest rises and falls rapidly, her cheeks flushed with annoyance. The question flashes in my head again: Why the hell does she stay with him?

“Sure.” Face blank, she pushes herself away from the table, dislodging Miller’s arm in the process.

When she returns with the bottle, we’re all silent.

“Thank you so much,” Kennedy mutters, looking down at the table as Bella refills her glass.

When she turns in her chair with an apologetic smile on her face, her elbow connects with Bella’s hand, causing the wine bottle to tilt, and its contents spill down the front of Bella’s white dress.

“Oh my God!” Kennedy jumps to her feet, her mouth open and her hand pressed to her breastbone. “Isabella, I’m so sorry. I didn’t?—”

“It’s fine,” Bella says in a shaky voice. She forces a wobbly smile onto her face as she sets the bottle on the table and bolts from the room.

Meghan stands and looks at Miller. I swear, if looks could kill, he would be bleeding out on the hardwood floor right now. “Where do you keep your mop?”

“Isabella made this mess; she?—”

“Jake. Let your girlfriend change her clothes. Please,” she hisses, her glare never leaving him.

“Should be in the laundry room.” With a grunt, he stands and follows Meghan to the kitchen.

Beside me, Garcia is talking to Kennedy in a soothing tone while she cries, distraught over the incident. They don’t even glance my way as I stride out of the room. I head toward the guest bathroom, since she didn’t dart up the stairs when she left. When I find the door slightly ajar and the light on, relief settles over me. Inside, Bella stands in front of the mirror, her hands on either side of the sink and the water running.

I meant what I said at my place—I want to be her friend. When she confronted me, it hit me that making her uncomfortable just for the sake of proving myself right isn’t worth it. Yes, she can stand up for herself. I don’t need to creep her out with my flirting to make a point. If I want her help, I need her to trust me.

I close the door behind me, and she meets my eye in the mirror. No tears, no trembling lips. She just stands there, breathing heavily.

“Miller was an asshole,” I say.

“Not the first time,” she grits out. “Won’t be the last.”

“His reputation is everything to him. When something goes wrong or doesn’t fit his idea of perfection?—”

“I’ve known him for a decade, Xander. This isn’t new.”

“Your boyfriend doesn’t respect you.”

Her jaw goes tense, and her eyes narrow in what looks like anger, but only for a heartbeat before all emotion seeps out of her again. “It’s not like that.”

One brow cocked, I take a step closer. “Where is he, Bella?”

“In the living room.”

“And why is he there? Why didn’t he come find you? Didn’t he notice how upset you were?”

“He knows I need a moment to myself.” Every word is sharp, cutting.

“You and I both know that’s not why. He’s not here because he doesn’t care.” My shoe squeaks on the tile as I take a step closer. “He said it was your fault. He was going to leave the mess for you to clean up once you came back.”

She presses her lips so tight they lose all color; a deep wrinkle forms on her forehead. “Whatever,” she says on an exhale.

Whatever? My blood rages, and my skin itches. Why is she so fucking calm about this?

“You don’t deserve to be treated like that.” I put my hands on the countertop on either side of her, caging her in. Warmth spreads over my body, and I swallow, suddenly nervous. “You’re gorgeous, kind, smart. He’s an idiot.”

Bella bites her bottom lip, trying to suppress a smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re most definitely welcome.” With every second I stand here, my heart beats more wildly. What’s going on with me? “Will you meet me tomorrow for coffee?”

“Coffee?” she asks, head tilting.

“Yeah, at my place.” With a step back, I push my hands into my pockets. “I looked at your suggestions. They’re fucking incredible. I want to discuss next steps.”

“Really?” She turns off the water and whirls around to face me, her lips turned up and her eyes suddenly bright. “Since the only response I got was a thumbs-up emoji, I was sure you hated it.”

“Sorry.” I shrug and give her a sheepish grin. “How does eleven sound?”

“Perfect.”

For a moment, she just smiles at me, and all I can do is smile back. Her puffy, cherry-red lips and impeccable makeup make it hard to look away. Fuck, she’s beautiful.

I step back first. “I better go. We don’t want your boyfriend to burst in and wonder what the hell we’re doing.”

“That would be awkward.” She smirks, but as she lowers her gaze and takes in her stained dress, her expression falls. “I need to go upstairs and change.”

“Sorry about that.” I ease open the door and step into the guest room. “You looked stunning in that dress. You still do.”

We walk down the hallway together, and when we get to the stairway, Bella pads up slowly.

“See you tomorrow, Bella,” I call out from the landing.

She looks at me over her shoulder. She knows I’m not leaving yet, but the understanding in her expression tells me she gets what I’m saying.

“See you tomorrow.”

Feeling lightheaded, I turn on my heel and return to the living room. Everyone at the table looks at me.

“Sorry, I needed to use the bathroom. Is there any chance I could get a cup of coffee?”

“Sure,” Miller says, brow wrinkled as he studies me. “It’s already brewing.”

“Great.” I slide back into my seat and smile, a new plan taking shape in my head.

The night of the welcome party, I had a rough idea of how I wanted things to go. Now, I’m certain I’m on the right track. Exposing him to Bella and making her leave him might be the perfect way to play this. Taking away the person he deems his would absolutely be the sweetest revenge.