Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
THEO
It’s the night of the gala.
Blake’s gonna be there. Frank and Michael are gonna be there.
So yeah, I’m dreading it. The only plus side is that James, Caleb, and Noah will be there too.
I was freaking out so much I ended up sending them an SOS text for drinks beforehand.
I not only needed them but copious amounts of alcohol to numb everything before we arrived.
Walking into a room full of people and having all eyes on you is daunting, but when you have three good-looking dudes on either side of you, you feel a little bit more confident.
Especially when we’re all looking like fucking fire tonight.
I swear we didn’t color-match on purpose, we just all have a thing for black suits.
James made a joke comparing us to a bunch of Mafia men, and he’s not wrong.
I glance around the room, taking it all in.
I’m not unused to galas; I’m usually James’s plus one to these sorts of things, but Emma, Raven’s stepmom, has definitely outdone herself tonight.
The place screams ‘money.’ Tables are placed strategically around the room for better conversational flow with only a low hum of music in the background—just enough for you to hear it but not enough to stop the many conversations about how to spend money.
And then there’s my favorite part of all—the food.
I spy Raven with Drew. She looks gorgeous in her red cocktail dress, and I don’t miss the look of lust James sends her way. Those two are gonna get caught if they keep this up. I’d eye roll if I weren’t so jealous.
Anyhoo.
At least I have Caleb and Noah with me. Well, Caleb, anyway. Noah will do his usual runner the second our backs are turned, not to be heard from until the next morning when he will ignore all our questions about where he went.
Heading for the bar, I order another drink, dying for more liquid courage. Apparently, all the shots from the previous bar wore off on the way over. I need something to take the edge off the anxious feeling that’s overtaking my body. If I could numb myself to feeling anything, I would.
James and I mingle with Caleb close by, a look of boredom on his face. He’s had to muffle several yawns, and we’ve only been here for an hour.
A slap to my chest makes me jump.
“Wanna tell me what the fuck Blake Adams is doing here?” James spits, his voice laced with venom.
“Easy, bro,” I warn, not liking his tone. “If anyone’s gonna make her life hell, it’s me.”
“Theo—” he starts, but I cut him off.
“I know what I’m doing, James,” I snap, tired of his lectures. “I’m gonna make sure Blake wishes she’d never come back.” My jaw tenses, and my hand clenches around my beer bottle.
I lock eyes with the woman in question. It’s the first time I’ve seen her tonight, and the breath gets knocked out of me.
Her long dark hair cascades down her shoulders in waves, one half pinned back off her face.
The makeup she wears is subtle, very much like the Blake of old.
Her black dress is tight around her bust, giving her—I’m reluctant to admit—the best cleavage I’ve ever seen.
It’s elegant, understated, and exactly like Blake.
I detest that even though my mind hates her, my heart and body react to her like they’ve always done. I hate how I’m so confused when she’s around.
Turning away, I go back to the conversation with James, hoping to avoid her at all costs.