Chapter Seventeen – Cullen
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CULLEN
“ T his is so bad. Cullen. Cullen? Hello?” Bridget snaps her fingers in my face, the shiny rings on her fingers blinding me.
I tear my eyes away from where Verity just disappeared with Celine.
“Sorry, B. I have to…” I step around her, heading in that same direction.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Her hand wraps around my bicep, pointy nails digging in. “You are not going after her.”
“I’m not going after Celine.” I try to shake her off.
“Doesn’t look that way to me, mister.”
“I’m serious. I—”
“What are you two doing?” Rafe’s bored tone slices into our bickering.
“Nice of you to finally show up,” Bridget mocks. “Be useful and help me stop this idiot from causing a tabloid meltdown.”
“Isn’t that your forte?”
“Not funny, Rafe.”
Rafe gives her a quick once over before ignoring her and addressing me. “I saw Celine.”
“Did you know she would be here?”
The accusation slips out, but Rafe just drawls, “Really?”
“Her company was on the invitation.”
“You think I read the invitation?”
“Oh my God, what is with you men? You don’t pay attention to anything,” Bridget huffs.
Her grip on my bicep loosens, and I use the opportunity to tug myself from her grip before she realizes.
“We can leave. I’ve seen enough and I’d rather not run into that woman either.” Rafe inclines his head to the entrance.
“I can’t.” I glance back at the balcony briefly. “Verity’s here.”
“You invited her?”
“No, she—I’m not sure. She was with Celine.”
A hint of emotion shows as Rafe’s thick brows lift slightly. “Your girlfriend was hanging with your ex?”
“You have a girlfriend?” Bridget’s voice rises, pulling the attention of people nearby. Rafe gives her a look, and she purses her lips, leaning forward, repeating but this time in a loud whisper, “A girlfriend?”
“Does she work with Celine?” Rafe questions.
I shrug. “I have no clue. I never asked where she worked.”
It’s never come up. Verity and I have talked about a bunch of things during our dates and phone calls, but we’ve still only known each other for less than three weeks.
I know she has a sweet tooth and that mint chocolate is her favorite ice cream flavor, unless she goes to the place on Houston.
Then she gets the pistachio chip (she seems to have a thing for green ice cream).
But I’d only just learned what college she went to and that she’d initially been an econ major before switching to graphic design her sophomore year.
She’d had to take community college classes during the summer to catch up on credits to graduate on time.
But I’ve never asked what company she specifically worked for, and I don’t think she’s asked me either.
“My guess is they work together—she called her Ms. Delute.” Bridget nudges me. “Look her up.”
That’s not a bad idea. There is just one tiny issue.
“I don’t know her last name.”
Bridget’s lips part and she blinks at me three times before her face screws up and she whisper yells, “Are you serious? How do you not know your own girlfriend’s last name? What is wrong with you?”
“We only officially started dating last night,” I whisper yell back, getting defensive.
“Oh my God. Men.” She raises her hands and curls her fingers inward like she wants to squish my skull. “Do you even have her socials?”
“No...”
“I swear. Do I have to do everything for you two?” She huffs, swinging her phone from where it dangles on her wrist, so it lands perfectly in her palm. “What was her name? Veronica?”
“Verity.”
She messes around with something on her screen for a few seconds before turning her phone toward me. “This look like her?”
There’s a circle image of my girl smiling, with a coffee mug raised to her lips.
“That’s her. How’d you do that?”
“I looked up Delute Designs and checked who they were following. She was the only person with a V username.” She clicks out of the image and points to the bio written next to it. “Looks like she does work there. She has the company tagged next to a little briefcase emoji.”
Fuck. I had a feeling that was the case ever since Jace mentioned she was here—I just didn’t want to believe it. What are the odds my new girlfriend works at my ex’s company?
What are the odds?
Is there a chance Verity knew who I was but hadn’t said anything? Celine hates me enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if she has one of those “do not serve” posters in her office with my face on it.
“Bridgey! I thought that was you.” A redhead cuts into our conversation. “What’re you doing over here? Come, the guys are playing pool and Quinton is losing horribly.”
“Oh, sorry, I’m—”
“Go, play with your friends,” Rafe dismisses. “We need to leave.”
She gives him a glare before switching on and threading a glittering smile across her face. “Of course, totally.” She takes her friend’s hand and melds back into the crowd—but not before turning back and sticking her tongue out at Rafe.
They are like oil and water, these two.
“Seriously. We should leave. While I’m not opposed to a public fighting match ruining Kelton’s event, I’d rather not deal with you running into that woman, again.”
He is right, but it feels wrong to leave without finding Verity. If she works for Celine, though, the last thing I want is for Celine to see Verity and me together.
Fuck, this is a mess.
The two of us work our way back through the crowd, trying not to get stopped by too many people as we attempt to break back into the foyer. It occurs to me, as we are in the elevator heading back down, that I probably should’ve said goodbye to Jace, but I also don’t really care.
What I care about is what the hell I am going to do about this situation.
“Cull.” Rafe stops short in the lobby, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yeah?”
“There isn’t a chance Verity got close to you for Celine, is there?”
His question lances through my heart.
“No, there’s no way.”
“You sure? The timing of her meeting you with the contract ending…”
Rafe always sees the worst in people; he believes that there is always something they want from you. It’s what feeds his social avoidance.
I understand where he’s coming from. The real estate world is full of snakes poised to strike whenever you are weak. Even I’ve done one or two shady things before, stealing clients and listings; that’s just how the world works.
But a woman I met at a bar who seemed clearly distraught over a shit date? There’s no way that was planned.
The issue is, while I believe Verity is too good for that, I also know that Celine isn’t. The years had twisted her heart until she became a woman so different from the one I had fallen in love with at fifteen.
Could Celine have done something?
Fuck, this is a nightmare.
I need to see Verity. I need to talk to her.
“Rafe, you head home. I’m going to wait.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I won’t be able to sleep till I see her.”
“Suit yourself. Don’t get arrested. I won’t bail you out.”
“Wow. Thanks.”
I sit down in one of the lobby chairs and prepare to wait for however long it will take.