Page 29

ROOMIES

Berk

Darby

Sounds good to me. Shay will be meeting us there… not sure about the rest of the team.

Me

I'm warming up my vocals as we speak.

Berk

I thought I heard something before… for a minute I assumed the pipes were getting rusty in the shower.

Me

Do I need to whip out my karaoke crown from last year? Let’s not forget who the champ is.

Darby

AHAHAHAH

Berk

Willow might give you a run for your money…

Me

I’m looking forward to having a new singing partner… y’all can't hang.

Darby

We hang… just not as hard as you.

Berk

I can't wait for you guys to meet her.

Me

Same babe… see you back at the apartment soon.

Darby

I’ll have the margaritas ready.

M y body buzzes with awareness. Cash’s proximity makes it hard for me to stay focused on anything other than his presence.

I was hoping our friends and the obnoxious singing filling the air would ease the tension I’ve been feeling about seeing him again tonight.

But I can’t look at him, not directly. I’m too afraid of what he might see.

How the hell did we get here?

Oh, yeah, I remember… After three years of pent-up tension, I finally had my ‘fuck it’ moment.

And now…now, I don’t know how to act. To top it off, my mind also won’t stop replaying the ride to Georgia when I found out he still has my birthday as his password.

It may be silly to some, but it feels very significant to me.

I have gone above and beyond to avoid him since the hotel. I know it’s a cowardly thing to do, but I needed to get my head on straight before facing him.

Last weekend changed everything, and the shitty part is, I still haven’t told him about my suspicions of Tori.

I don’t want him to think she’s the reason for our hotel rendezvous.

Or that I was trying to be vindictive in any way.

Because that’s not why our hookup happened.

It happened because I couldn’t resist the pull he has on me.

I was no longer able to deny myself what I truly want. A girl only has so much willpower.

His reassuring hand gently brushes my knee under the table, and I try my best to contain my body’s reaction. He’s been trying desperately to grab my attention tonight, but I’m too many drinks in to hide anything, especially from our friends.

So, instead, I focus on the makeshift karaoke stage, where Maverick and Shay, his coach’s daughter, are serenading the audience with the heart-wrenching melody of “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

I always look forward to our karaoke nights together, and tonight is no different, especially with Nate’s little sister, Willow, joining us.

She’s visiting for the weekend, and I’m thankful she and Berkley are getting the chance to rekindle their friendship after years apart.

I can already tell she’s going to fit in perfectly with our group when she comes to MRU next year.

That’s the thing; typically when someone breaks up, they’re able to distance themselves from the people and the reminders of their failed relationship. But in my case, I had to live day in and day out with Cash, along with our family and friends. Pure fucking torture.

My head swirls with all the words I'm not willing to say.

I need a minute to breathe.

“Hey, I’m going to grab a bucket of beer from Marie… You guys want anything else?” I ask the group as I push my chair from the table.

“I pre-ordered some munchies with her earlier. Can you have her send it through?” Berkley replies. I’m glad she thought ahead. Berkley works here at The Wolfpack several times a week, so she knows firsthand how crazy it can get on a karaoke night.

After grabbing everyone’s orders, I head toward the bar, and within moments, I feel Cash’s presence behind me.

I take a steadying breath and lean against the bar, waiting for Marie to notice me. But by the size of the crowd, I know I’m going to be waiting a while.

“This how you goin’ to be all night?” Cash’s gruff voice sends a thrill all the way to my toes.

“Not sure what you’re talking about,” I reply, trying my best not to sound like a petulant child.

“Bella,” he says, and my heart skips a beat. Cash’s hand cups my elbow as he takes a step closer to me. My breath hitches when I stare into his eyes, seeing all the things he’s dying to say.

I’m so screwed.

“Please, don’t do this… Don’t act like it was nothing,” he pleads.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to stall the tears threatening to make an appearance. It wasn’t nothing… It was everything—everything I want and crave. No matter how hard I’ve tried over the years, no amount of partying or guys will ever fill that void.

“Not here, Cash. Not now.”

He leans in closer, the scruff from his mustache scratching along the shell of my ear, sending goosebumps down my arms. “Then when? Because I have a lot to say, and you need to hear all of it without brushing me off or running away.”

I swallow roughly, pulse pounding harder. “Soon. Let’s enjoy our night.” I give him a hopeful smile.

Marie steps over, recognizing me immediately with a grin. “Hey, Bellamy. What can I get for you?”

After rattling off everyone’s orders and asking to send through our food, I turn back to Cash.

His closeness has me inhaling his intoxicating scent of cedar and leather and savoring every moment of it.

“Promise, we’ll talk,” he says, and I nod. He licks his lips as he stares at mine. Fuck me, he’s so damn hot.

We gather our order and head back to the table, just as Willow is stepping back onto the stage for another go around.

I guzzle down more than half my drink in one big swig. No amount of alcohol will help shield me from the tension radiating from Cash’s direction. But I sure as hell am going to try.

Cash

I hit the ignore button on my vibrating phone for what must be the fourth time tonight.

I'm not in the mood to deal with her right now.

Tori started blowing up my phone the second we got the girls loaded in the Tahoe to take their drunk asses home from karaoke.

Part of me wonders if someone saw me and told her who I was with.

“You good?” Mav asks as he puts his Tahoe in park in front of The Wolves Den.

“Yeah, I'm good.” My reply comes out as if on autopilot.

“Guess if you keep telling yourself that, maybe it’ll come true,” he says, and I roll my eyes.

I don’t need to hear his two cents. Mav sensed the change in my mood the minute after the girls stumbled out of the SUV.

Watching the girl who owns me, mind, body, and soul walk away like we’re nothing more than friends, when all I wanted to do was claim her as mine for everyone to see.

I just need a hot shower and to sleep the night off.

Thankfully, the main floor of the house is empty when I storm across the living room and head upstairs.

Swinging my bedroom door open, I freeze when I find Tori sprawled across my bed in nothing but lingerie.

Chest tightening, I take a deep breath. I’m so not prepared for this. “Who let you in here, Tori?”

“Really? That’s how you greet your girlfriend…? I showed up as Nola was leaving. He let me in,” she says as she gets up and places her hands on her hips defensively.

After not responding, I go to my dresser and grab clothes for my shower, afraid of what will come out of my mouth if I do.

“So you think it's okay to ignore me all night, and then act like I'm not here all dressed up for you?” she says as she approaches me.

“Just like you ignore me all week until it’s convenient for you?” I sneer, and she slows her steps. Not that I care, but I’m so tired of her bullshit games.

She grips my shoulder, and my insides recoil. “Baby, you know how busy my week is with school and all.”

Bull-fucking-shit.

“Tori, don’t play me for a fool. I know your games,” I say, not bothering to look in her direction. I feel like such a hypocrite, but there’s so much more to our story.

“So I'm the one playing games?” she shrills, and here we are, folks, the true Tori Bateman rearing her ugly head. “You’re so full of shit, trying to push this all on me. I don’t know why I even put up with you anymore. This is so exhausting,” she continues to yell at me, and I shrug my shoulders.

With a scoff, she scoops her clothes off the floor.

I don’t know why she puts up with me either, but if it were up to me, she wouldn't. Over time, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a game to her and she absolutely hates losing unless she’s the one controlling the board.

“You know, Cash, I deserve better. I deserve to be treated like the prize that I am, and not some second-place trophy.”

I close my eyes, placing my hands on my dresser, trying to center myself and not explode.

This chick is part of the reason I've been living in fucking misery for so long.

Once I hear the zipper of her hoodie close, I turn back around to her.

She spreads her arms wide. “What, you have nothing to say?”

I remain silent and just stare at her with disdain.

Please say it, please.

“You know what? I'm done. I’m so over this bullshit,” she sneers and throws her bag over her shoulder, heading toward my bedroom door. Freezing with her hand on the doorknob, she looks back at me with narrowed eyes.

“Just watch yourself, Cash. Wouldn’t want anything to scar that Leblanc reputation or hurt your precious stepsister, would you?”

Nostrils flaring, I watch as she walks out the door, and my body sags in both relief and trepidation.

Her threats have always been about me ending things . She wouldn’t do anything if she’s the one who called us quits… Right?