Page 60 of Save You

I clear my throat.“I…”

Wren comes closer still.So close that I can feel his breath on my temple.Again, I feel the urge to look around, but I ignore it.

“Maybe we should find somewhere a little quieter so we can get to kn—”

“Wren.”A deep voice interrupts him, and I’m snapped out of my trance.I instantly take a step back and turn my head.

It’s James Beaufort.

The James who broke my big sister’s heart.

The James who kissed another girl, as a result of which, Ruby spent Christmas acting like a lovesick zombie.

A wave of fury washes over me as he speaks again.

“I see you’ve met Ruby’s sister,” he says, his voice free of any intonation.

A funny look crosses Wren’s eyes.“Ruby’s sister, huh?”

I nod slowly and look in confusion from one to the other.

“Evidently I have good taste,” he continues, his voice almost mocking and totally different from his tender tone just now.“If you still want to—”

“I don’t think Ember does want to.Whatever it was.Fuck off, Wren,” James says, cutting him off again.There’s an authority in his voice that won’t be contradicted.I ask myself if he always speaks to his friends like that, and if so, why the hell he still has so many of them.

The smile is wiped off Wren’s face and he’s looking pretty pissed off.He shakes his head and mutters something extremely rude.Then he looks at me again.“I wish we’d been able to continue our conversation, Ember.”

The next moment, he bends down and presses his lips to my cheek.As he pulls away, he’s looking at James, not me.

Before I can say a word, he turns and disappears into the crowd.I lift my hand to where he kissed my cheek while James glares after Wren.Why do I get the feeling that Wren only kissed me to annoy James?

“Sorry about that, Ember,” James murmurs.

Then he runs after Wren and I’m left on my own at the bar.

James

I find Wren out in the lobby with the lads.As I join their little circle, Cyril lifts his hand.

“Beaufort!To what do we owe this honor?”

I ignore him and give Wren a dirty look.

“What were you playing at?”I snap at him.

He doesn’t answer, just takes a long swig from a flask.

“Wren.”

He rolls his eyes.“We were just talking.Stop making such a big deal of it.”

“She’s Ruby’s sister, for God’s sake.Keep your hands off her.”

Wren snorts.“I’ve had it up to here with constantly making allowances for you.”

I raise a mocking eyebrow.“Allowances?What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You know what, Beaufort?Fuck you,” he retorts, draining the flask in one and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.