And she had on a lot of makeup—I’m talking every shade of eyeshadow and enough red lipstick to paint a particularly gory crime scene—and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and you’ll get the train wreck.
Trinity’s friend was an informer.
Shocker.
Wyatt snickered and clapped my back as Gabriella’s eyes zeroed in on me. She sliced through the throng of bar-goers like Moses parting the sea.
“My, my. It sure ain’t easy being Cruz fucking Costello.”
“Cruzy,” Gabriella pouted, squeezing between Wyatt and me, parking her ass on my knee. Barely.
Most of her weight was still propped over the bar, which was why I couldn’t exactly push her away. Also, she called me by my mother’s nickname, which sent my already-soft dick shriveling into the rest of my body.
At this point, I was cracking so deep and wide, I didn’t have it in me to be perfect Cruz anymore.
“Gabriella. Fancy seeing you here after your shift at Hooters.”
“I figured that’s the type of girl you like, considering your recent plaything.” Gabriella flipped her hair, which barely moved, it had so much hairspray in it.
“She is not a plaything. She’s a pain in the ass, and most days, I wonder why the hell I bother with the relationship.”
“Relationship?” Gabriella sucked in a breath. I spun myself on the stool to get her off of my knee. “Cruz, really. Aren’t you getting a little carried away here?”
“I’m not the one who missed a rehearsal dinner to throw a fit.”
Damn, it felt good to be bad.
“I had a headache.”
“Not anything that a few Tylenols couldn’t solve, seeing as you’re here now.”
Just then, Tennessee walked into the bar, her head twisting here and there. My heart almost fucking screamed at the appearance of her face. She was looking for me.
Wyatt must’ve texted Trinity where we were. I couldn’t fault him for being truthful to his future wife. No one wanted to start their marriage in the courthouse, obtaining divorce papers.
Her chest rose and fell.
Tennessee was panting, out of breath. Looking for me frantically.
I waited for her to find me. When she did, she began making her way toward me, and my heart leaped inside my chest.
But then she saw Gabriella standing next to me, and instead of proceeding, instead of claiming what was hers, showing me she was all in, she stopped, looking uncertainly across the darkened room.
Goddammit. Just make a move. One move. I’ll do the rest.
But she obstinately waited by the entrance, crossing her arms, expecting me to take the first step.
Like always.
It shouldn’t matter that it looked bad right now. She owed me the first move to show she got it.
Gabriella noticed Tennessee standing by the door. A scarlet smile bursting with venom touched her lips. She pressed her hand against my chest.
I let her.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“Nessy just needs a little courage to approach her boyfriend.” Wyatt laughed, signaling for the bartender to get us another round of drinks without asking Gabriella what she wanted.
“Maybe she doesn’t want you enough,” Gabriella murmured into my ear. “I know someone who does.”
She was all over me without really being all over me, her hands on my shoulders, arms, face.
I watched Tennessee with a lazy, whatcha-gonna-do-about-it smirk and hoped to hell she had a bit more balls than what I’d given her credit for.
Do it.
Come to me.
Tell the world that it’s not just a fling.
My eyes begged her to come closer, my entire body hot with anticipation.
She was on the verge of something. I could tell.
She took a step forward, toward me…then three steps back.
Then turned around and ran away, leaving me at the bar with Wyatt and Gabriella.
I would say I was a fucking mess, but that would be an insult to messes all over the world. I finally understood the idea behind the word ‘gutted’。 I felt like a fish, my insides hooked, ripped, and thrown into a frying pan.
Great, now I was disappointed and hungry.
A minute later, I stood, letting Gabriella slide off of my knee again. She went down with a loud bang when her bony ass met the floor. I slapped a twenty onto the counter.
“I’m heading home.”
I gave my brother a fist bump.
Then proceeded to go back home and lick my Tennessee-shaped wounds.
Three days had passed since the rehearsal dinner.
I’d made sure Bear didn’t see me cry. He was already going through so many changes in his life.