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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

HADLEY

“ D id that guy just buy us a round of drinks?”

I look over at Riley, seeing where she’s pointing to a man in a suit over at the bar. Riley and Nova asked me to come out with them for a girls’ night and we’ve done a little bit of bar hopping. We ended up at the Lucky Frog to end our night with one more drink before the guys come pick us up.

Nova and I direct both of our gazes over to the man as he lifts his glass into the air in silent cheers. A smile dances across his face and Riley lifts her glass up at him. He looks to be in his early thirties and he’s quite handsome. Strong jawline, perfectly pressed suit, and styled, black hair.

“Ry, what are you doing?”

She takes a sip of her drink, looking at Nova with a shrug. “Being polite.” She giggles softly, a sheepish grin on her face. “Trust me, I have no intention of going home with anyone other than your brother. ”

Nova makes a fake gagging sound. “Okay, we can just leave it at that.”

“Drink up, girlies. The boys will be here soon to ruin our fun.” She laughs again, the sound carefree as she tips her head back. “It’s not every day that some random guy is offering to buy us drinks.”

“This is true,” I tell her, following suit as I lift my glass to the man and take a sip. “Let’s just hope no one slipped any drugs into it.”

“Oh, shit,” Nova says in a hushed voice as she stares at the drink. She contemplates her choices and drinks it anyway. “The bartender knows Lincoln, so he knows better than to slip anything into our drinks.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” I tell her with a laugh. “I already know I’m going to be hungover tomorrow morning, so that eliminates a worry I didn’t have until half a minute ago.” I take another sip, swallowing down the liquor before letting out a sigh. “Thank you, guys, for including me in your girls’ night tonight. I don’t know the last time I’ve had something like this and it’s been refreshing.”

Nova reaches for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she smiles at me. “You’re one of us now. Whether you’re still in Aston or another state, you’re part of the girl gang now.”

“And once you’re a member, there’s no out,” Riley says with a grin. Her words are a bit slurred from the alcohol, but I can still make out what she’s saying. “I know you don’t plan on staying, but I wish you would reconsider.”

“I’m sure Rowan wouldn’t object to it,” Nova adds, something unreadable passing through her expression. She sounds almost exactly like Riley does and that’s when I realize how drunk the three of us actually are.

“You guys know the engagement isn’t real,” I remind both of them, the words tasting bitter as they roll off my tongue. I wave my hand dismissively, the movement making my head momentarily feel like it’s spinning. “We’ve been playing house, knowing all along that this would eventually come to an end.”

“But it doesn’t have to,” Riley interjects, just before she’s cut off by the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

“I’m sorry for interrupting, ladies . . .”

The three of us whip our heads to the side, the man from the bar walking over to the circular table as he stops at the empty side that is across from me. He’s between Riley and Nova and they’re both looking at him with curiosity.

“Thank you for the drinks,” I tell him, a smile lifting my lips as Nova lifts her drink to her mouth, shaking her head at me in disapproval. She mutters something indistinguishable, her glazed eyes finding mine.

“It’s not every night an attractive man in a suit pays for our drinks,” Riley chimes in. Her speech is slurred, but she tries to hold it together.

“Well, that doesn’t sound right,” he says as he looks at the three of us, his dark eyes twinkling beneath the lights above. “I’m Tobias. The three of you are too beautiful to not have anyone buying drinks for you.”

“Aren’t you sweet?” Nova says, smiling at him before she makes a movement with her hand, her ring catching the light. “Our fiancés are usually the ones buying our drinks.”

His smile falters only for a second as he looks around the table. “Man, what an unlucky night for me. Are all three of you taken?”

“We are,” Riley tells him before glancing at me with a devious grin. “Well, she’s debatable.” She raises her eyebrows at me. “Isn’t that right, Hadley?”

Tobias looks at me, tilting his head to the side. “It sounds like you have a story to tell, pretty girl.”

I laugh, the sound unnatural as it’s laced with the alcohol we’ve consumed. The room tilts for a fraction of a second. “Not really. Just tied up in an engagement with a man who isn’t interested in settling down.”

“Well, excuse my language, but it sounds like he’s a fucking idiot.” Tobias stares at me, his dark brown eyes burning holes into mine. “A beautiful woman like you shouldn’t be playing games with a man who clearly doesn’t appreciate what is right in front of him.”

“What the fuck did you just say to my fiancée?”

The sound of his voice has my heart tumbling in my chest, and my breath catches in my throat. The room spins a bit as I glance over my shoulder, but the look on Rowan’s face is enough to make me feel sober enough, even if just for a fraction of a second.

“Rowan?”

“Hi, baby,” he says softly, his eyes looking at me before he looks back at the man standing on the other side of the table. “You have approximately three seconds to answer me or I will put my fist through your fucking face. ”

Nova and Riley look at one another, sharing a knowing look as amusement encapsulates their features. They both glance at me while Lincoln and Nash appear at the table and the four of them look like they should be sharing a bucket of popcorn as they watch the scene unfold in front of them.

“Ah,” Tobias drawls, a smirk pulling on his lips. He lifts his glass, taking a slow sip of his liquor before setting it back down. “Let me guess. You’re her fake fiancé?”

“What’s real and what’s fake between us is none of your fucking business.”

Tobias levels his gaze on Rowan. “I don’t know your situation, nor do I want to get involved in it.” He looks at me with an apologetic smile before directing his attention back to Rowan. “What I do know is that when a man fumbles a woman like her, there’s always someone there to catch her.”

There’s a rumbling sound in Rowan’s chest as I climb out of my chair and his arm locks around my waist possessively. “Listen, motherfucker,” he starts, his pulse bouncing in the side of his neck. “Remove yourself from this table or I will remove you myself.”

Tobias lifts his glass, smiling at all of us. “Have a good night, ladies.”

I watch him for a second as he turns around and begins to move back to the bar before I’m being pulled away from the table. My feet get hung up and the alcohol rushes through my system, causing me to trip over my own shoes. “Rowan, stop,” I slur, my hand reaching for his arm. “I can’t walk that fast. ”

Without a word, he sweeps me off my feet, half throwing me over his shoulder, but still gently holding me as he carries me out of the bar. Anger and irritation radiate from him and he shifts me in his arms, cradling me against his chest. The alcohol makes my vision blur and I let my head fall heavily against his collarbone.

“You’re always around to make a save, aren’t you?”

I don’t know where he’s parked or where we’re going, but it feels like an eternity until he’s lowering me down into the front seat of the car. I look up at him, inhaling the scent of his cologne as he grabs the seat belt, reaching across my body to strap me in.

“Rowan,” his name tumbles from my lips, my voice barely audible and partly slurred. I reach for his hand, stopping him before he pulls away. “Did I do something wrong?”

He stares at me, torment engulfing his expression, and I squint my eyes to try and focus on his face as my vision blurs further. “No, outlaw,” he murmurs, his free hand reaching to brush a hair away from my face. “You could never do anything wrong.”

“Okay,” I say, letting out a breath as my head feels like it’s about to spin again. “Thank you for coming and getting me. I know all of this is fake and we’re just playing house until I have to go, but you’re my safe place.”

His lips part, a shallow breath slipping from him as he watches me for a beat. He closes his mouth, rolling his lips between his teeth before releasing them. “Let’s get you home.”

“I like that.” I smile at him, lifting my hand to cradle the side of his cheek as my eyes begin to grow heavy. “I think I might like it too much.”

“Me too,” he whispers, his hand leaving the side of my face, my own falling away from his cheek as he stands upright. Sadness passes through his eyes and I let out a heavy breath, unable to fight against the drunken slumber that drags me under.

I don’t know how long it takes us to get home and my mind barely registers what is going on as he lifts me from his car and carries me into the house. Exhaustion and alcohol are not a good mix at all. Rowan doesn’t put me down until we get to his bedroom and after he lowers me down into the bed, he climbs in with me, pulling me flush against his chest.

Instinctively, I breathe in the scent of him, feeling myself being swept back asleep. The last thing I feel is his lips pressing against my forehead, the soft caress of his warm breath as he murmurs against the crown of my head. His words are barely audible and as I drift asleep, I carry them into my slumber with me, even though I know I must have misheard him.

“I wish you were mine.”