Chapter 16 Izzy
Chapter sixteen
Izzy
“No, no, no,” I say as I back away from the driving range, almost tripping as I move toward the path back to the restaurant and hotel at Wild Bluffs Country Club. “I can’t do another round. Bryn, you can’t possibly want to do another round of the drunk driving game.”
We’ve been on the driving range playing for almost two hours, and even with a group this size, there have been a lot of shots consumed.
My sister laughs. “I’m game for another round if Jameo is,” Bryn says, blatantly staring at her soon-to-be husband’s ass as he hits a driver off the tee a few spaces down from ours. “Still feeling pretty good since I haven’t had to drink very much. Turns out, I’m a lot better than you, Iz.”
Yeah, no surprise there. With basically everything in life, from school to sports to work, if one of my sisters isn’t better than I am at it, the other one surely is. Bryn doesn’t have to be so open about it, though.
“You also didn’t start drinking hard seltzers like water this afternoon out on the course,” Jameo replies, giving me a sympathetic smile.
“Yeah, well, all you assholes wouldn’t shut up about a certain someone and how he’s actually a great guy. And how maybe I should consider forgiving him.”
And I don’t know what to do about that. I also don’t want to make Bryn and Jameson’s joint bachelor/bachelorette party about me, so I’m choosing to ignore everything—with the help of some alcohol.
Now though, I can confidently say I’m past tipsy and well into the drunk phase of my evening.
Unfortunately, instead of helping me tune out all the happy couples around me, drunk Izzy can’t seem to focus on anything but the sweet looks Carter sends Kelsey or the way Jameson ogles Bryn anytime she does anything golf related.
It’d be gross if it wasn’t so freaking adorable.
Tears have threatened to fall multiple times today, but I’ve shoved those feelings aside for my sister. I love Bryn, and I’m not going to ruin her fun to have a pity party for myself.
Particularly when I realize my two biggest problems are that I’m single and that a famous musician wants to be my friend. Which are only problems if you’re me.
“We’ll do teams of two this time,” Bryn says. “Everyone can just pair up with their significant other.” She looks around. “And we’ll do a group of three for our singles.”
I grit my teeth, trying not to be annoyed with the way she said it.
“I think this might be my sign to call it a night,” Sam, JT’s assistant, says, walking down the hill. “I saw a cute bartender that I’m going to go chat up.”
I shoot Becca a look, and she nods. “We’re out too,” I say. “You all have fun.”
It’s a quiet walk back, and I’ve never been more thankful for my best friend.
She rescheduled a visit to her grandma so she could be here with me, and I can’t imagine what I’d be doing right now if she’d decided not to come.
Probably playing on my own team up there, trying to be a good sport while secretly pretending each golf ball I hit was one of the couples doing lovey-dovey, cute things.
Not that I’m jealous or anything.
“Let’s hang out by the firepit for a bit,” Becca suggests.
I nod. “But not the one by the bar. I can’t explain to Sam one more time why I can’t become best friends with Jaxon again and start flying him around to all the famous people’s parties.”
“To be fair to him,” Becca starts, and I shoot her a glare—we’re not being fair to Sam.
“You never explained anything about your past to Sam. You just said Jaxon’s gross.
Which is pretty ridiculous when you think about it.
Jaxon’s not only tall, dark, and handsome, but he has a voice like whiskey.
He’s the kind of guy everyone with a pulse wants at their dinner party. ”
I can feel my left nostril twitching. “A voice like whiskey? Are you kidding me?”
“Don’t give me that look, Iz. You know it’s true. The whole world knows it’s true. The man is objectively a good singer. And good-looking.”
I drop into one of the chairs surrounding the fire, the weight of everything pulling me down. “Gross. You know I never felt that way about him. We were just friends. I barely noticed he was a guy. More like my brother than anything.”
“I do know that. I always believed that you two really were just friends—even if half the school was convinced differently,” Becca says, and I feel a swell of appreciation for my friend who stuck with me. The one who didn’t ever walk away.
I shrug. “So, there you go.”
Becca raises her eyebrow. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t find him attractive now? Because I’ve seen you check him out multiple times—don’t even try to deny it.”
Staring at the dancing flames in the fire, I consider the question. Do I find him attractive?
“I mean, yeah,” I finally concede. “The friend veil is gone, so I guess I can see how good-looking he is. But, that’s neither here nor there.”
“Because you’re still avoiding him at every turn?”
“Truly hoping he’ll just give up at this point and fly his fancy private jet back to wherever he came from.”
Becca stares at me, the flames dancing in her eyes. “He told you last week he’s still home-basing out of Nashville.”
“Did he? Weird. I’m trying to forget every single word I’ve ever said to him.”
“You’ve got to stop,” Becca says. “That man is not giving up. He’s brought me coffee every day this week just to see if I’d be willing to take him to you. I almost did. You should be glad I like you.”
“My firstborn child is yours,” I say.
Becca picks up a piece of grass and throws it at me. “Hard pass.”
I stare into the fire, questioning all my life decisions. Becca’s right. I do need to talk to Jaxon. I need to…tell him I was joking? And then had an emergency that caused me to have to leave for a few weeks? It’s not the most solid lie, but it’s…believable. Maybe.
Becca tilts her head to one side, reaching one hand toward the fire. “You want to know what I think?”
“Not really,” I say glumly.
“I think you’re using this as an excuse not to be his friend again. You hung out for a week, and your hatred started to crumble. Which is scary. Because you’re worried he’ll leave again.”
“I’m not afraid of that, I know that. He’s a world-famous musician. He’ll leave.”
“But that doesn’t mean your friendship would have to end.”
“It just feels like the risks outweigh the rewards for me.”
Becca’s eyes light up, the excitement in them highlighted by the fire. “Except if you even the scales…by fake dating him like he suggested.”
“I don’t even want a date,” I lie.
“You’ve complained about twenty times the last two weeks about being the only single Harper sister, and about how many times your mom has suggested you find someone as a date for the wedding.”
“That’s because she’s being relentless about it.”
Becca crosses her legs, leaning back in the large wooden chair. “She just wants you to be happy.”
“Going with Jaxon won’t make me happy.”
“Oh really? Is that why you’re always trying to hold back your smiles when he’s around? Is that why you stare at his ass every time he leaves the office?”
She’s not…wrong. And, fuck, I do want a date for Bryn’s wedding. Even if Jaxon and I know it’s not a long-term thing, my mom wouldn’t. And that alone would likely make the next few weeks better.
“What if he leaves and doesn’t talk to me again?”
“What if he doesn’t?” Becca says with complete confidence. “What if you two become friends again and your life gets just a little brighter.”
“He destroyed me last time. We were best friends, and he just dropped me. No goodbye. No contact. No nothing. Like I was nothing to him.”
Becca nods. “True. But you’ve decided to forgive him for that. Maybe you should try working on the ‘forget’ part of forgive and forget. Maybe this is a sign that it’s time for you to let go of the hurt and move forward.”
She’s right. Maybe Jaxon is back in my life for a reason. Maybe this is a sign from God, or Karma, or some other force out there telling me it’s time to let go of the past…and maybe get a date out of it.
“Fine,” I finally say, and Becca’s smile pulls higher at her victory. “But I’m agreeing to fake date Jaxon Steele, not Jaxon Reid. And I’m not taking him up on his other offer.”
“I mean, that seems like the more boring of the two options. But yeah, Jaxon Steele is a much more impressive wedding date, anyway.” She nods at my phone resting on the arm of my chair. “Text him now.”
I stare down at my phone, contemplating what I’m going to say.
“Do it,” Becca goads me. “You know you want to.”
I scrunch my eyes as realization dawns on me. “I don’t have his number.”
“I may have asked Carter for it earlier and put it in your phone. I was going to share your location with him if this hiding nonsense went on too much longer.”
Scowling at her, I say, “I take back anything nice I said about you.” I consider the rest of what she told me.
“Carter just willingly gave you one of his famous clients’ phone numbers?
” I ask. “He should consider a different career. Definitely not going to make it in the security industry if this is the nonsense he pulls.”
“Apparently, Jaxon asked both him and Kelsey to give you his number a few times now, but they’ve refused.”
“That was…nice of them,” I say. “Not of you, though. This feels like you’ve been planning this.”
“Maybe,” Becca says. “But shouldn’t your best friend being in support of this plan make you feel more certain about it?”
“Maybe. Fine.” Shooting a glare at my current best friend, I type out a single text.
Me
I accept your offer, but I have terms of my own.
Just the one. Not the…other one.
The message has barely been sent when my phone vibrates with a reply.
Jaxon
I accept.
Becca looks over my shoulder and laughs. “Wow, I’m so surprised.”
“Your sarcasm is not needed here. I’m already regretting this and fully blame you.”
Becca shrugs as she tosses a piece of grass into the fire. “I stand by the fact that this is a good idea.”
Huffing, I send another message.
Me
You can’t accept until you know the offer.
Jaxon
Fine. Tell me your offer.
But just know, whatever it is, I accept.