Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Drea
“So, let me get this straight. You want me to go out for a movie night. To the same place Skylar and I broke up three years ago? Not only that, you want me to sit through an entire movie with Cara and Blair?”
I could hear Fallon’s eyes rolling from the other end of my phone.
Surely I’d heard her wrong. Of course I had no issues with spending the night with Blair, although it would be torture not to touch her.
I would make up for it once we got home.
But I had no interest in going back to Pinstripes. Not after the last time I was there.
“First of all, that was a long time ago. You need to get over her—”
“I am over her, Fallon. I just don’t understand why you want to go out with both of them.”
“Kenzie and I thought it would be good for all of us to get together, and it’s where we reconnected.
It has sentimental value, and we want you guys to be there.
It’s only for a few hours. Surely you can manage.
Cara already agreed. She said she would talk to Blair, and Kaia even said she would go.
Roxxy has to work, Greyson is sick, and so is Pen.
Dre, you’re being so difficult right now.
It’s just a movie. Come on, babe, don’t make me pull the maid of honor card. ”
I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh, knowing I would cave. “You can really be a pain in my ass, you know that?”
“You know you love me, and you’ll have a good time. You and Blair are friends now, right? Since you’re bringing her to the wedding, this should be a piece of cake.”
I groaned. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re bringing her as your date. Is there something going on I should know about?”
Yes… no… I don’t know!
“I already told you I don’t want to go alone, and Kaia is an employee. Yes, she is also my friend, but it would be weird. Blair and I… tolerate each other and she likes you. Nothing is going on.”
“Okay, babe. I don’t understand, but I believe you. You know you can talk to me, right? I’m always here.”
Of course I knew, and that made this situation even harder. I wanted nothing more than to sit with my best friend and share all the details about what had been going on in my life and how happy I was with Blair. But I couldn’t, and I could feel the guilt slowly starting to eat away at me.
“I know, love. I appreciate you. If there is something to talk about, you’ll be the first person I call. Listen, I gotta go, okay?”
She sighed in defeat, and I wanted to spill everything. “Okay, Dre. Don’t forget tomorrow night. Bye.”
I hung up the phone with a loud sigh and lay back down on the bed. I guess I was spending a night with all my friends who were oblivious to what was going on in my love life.
“Is everything all right?” Blair had just gotten out of the shower and hadn’t bothered putting on pajamas… lucky me. She strode toward me, looking sexy and glistening from her shower. I had planned on joining her, but of course Fallon had decided that would be a perfect time to give me a ring.
I smiled as she crawled into bed beside me, resting her head on my chest. Those were my favorite moments with Blair. Aside from the mind-altering sex, nothing compared to having her with me and hearing her steady breathing as she rested on top of me.
It was in those moments, though, when I was the most scared, too, because the comfort and safety I felt with her should have terrified me, yet it never did.
I kept waiting and waiting for the feeling of needing to run to come, but instead, I pulled Blair closer, tethering me to the spot so the feeling couldn’t drag me away from her.
“Yeah, that was Fallon. Apparently we are all going to a rooftop movie night tomorrow. Expect to hear from Cara very soon. Fallon said she was going to ask you about it. She cheated and tried to play the wedding card, so I’m going too.”
As if she were spying on us, Blair’s phone chimed with a text notification.
Blair checked her phone and laughed. “Word travels fast, doesn’t it?
She said Fallon invited us to the movies tomorrow night and said Mackenzie is going…
and Kaia? She said it will be good for us to all spend more time together outside of work. ”
“She is always trying to get us to spend more time together. Maybe she’ll be happy when we tell her about us?” I hadn’t meant for it to come out as a question, but I wasn't so sure how Cara would react.
“Maybe if we would’ve told her from the beginning, but since we have been hiding it from her and basically lying to her, she might be upset at first. But I’m sure once she sees us together, she’ll understand. At least, I hope so.”
She shrugged and typed out a quick message and put her phone back on its charger. “I told her it sounded fun and sent a thumbs-up emoji. At least I didn’t have to lie to her. I've done that enough already.”
I heard the sadness and regret in her voice, and I wished I could take it away. I was counting down the days until the book signing was over.
“It should be quite an interesting night, to say the least, but in the meantime, maybe we should make up for the time I won’t be able to touch you tomorrow?” I smiled when I felt her shiver as I ran my fingers along her sides.
“You’re impossible.” There was no bite to her words, and I only smirked in response.
I grabbed her chin and kissed her sweetly before I pulled her on top of me and began making up for the time we would lose tomorrow.
Me: ETA ten minutes
Fallon: Yay! Miss you, babe!! We are five minutes out and Cara said they are stuck in traffic so twenty minutes. Figured we could all eat first?
Me: ??
Blair and I had made the smart decision not to ride together. For one thing, I was worried we would be late and we wouldn’t be able to hide the reason why. For another, it would have looked too suspicious.
I was looking forward to a night out with everyone even though I was sure it was going to be a little awkward.
I had picked up Kaia since her place was on the way. When we got to Pinstripes, Fallon and Mackenzie were just walking in. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
I stopped walking and turned to her. “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s just a movie, Kaia.”
She sent me a glare. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you two don’t exactly hide the way you look at each other.
You just better hope you don’t get stuck sitting next to her, or everyone is going to pick up on what’s going on between the two of you.
I honestly don’t know how they haven’t already.
” She shrugged before continuing to walk away, as if she didn’t just try to out me.
There was no way we were that noticeable, right? Surely Cara would’ve said something by now if so.
We waited up for Cara and Blair, who weren’t too far behind.
When they walked up to us, I had to clench my fists to my sides so I didn’t reach out and touch Blair.
I was now hyper aware of everything I said, of every movement of my eyes as they landed on Blair, every lick of my lips as I thought of relieving her of her sexy-as-hell dress.
How had I gotten so lucky to find a woman who always wore dresses?
She was wearing a brown babydoll summer dress that exposed her sexy legs and matching wedge shoes that made her long legs seem infinite. Her hair was down in curls, and I wanted to run my hands through the strands. Jesus! How did she always manage to take my breath away?
We all said our greetings, everyone hugging except for Blair and me, who just smiled politely at one another. Cara rolled her eyes in annoyance but didn’t bother commenting as we all headed inside.
After Fallon gave her name, the hostess led us to a table in the back. It was a perfect spot away from loud conversations. We ordered our drinks, and Fallon and Mackenzie put an order in for appetizers.
When the waitress brought our drinks over, I raised my whiskey glass to toast. “To Fallon and Mackenzie, who we all love and adore. I’m so grateful you found each other, and I can’t wait to see where the future takes you both!”
Mackenzie put her arm around Fallon’s shoulder and kissed the top of her head, which caused Fallon to blush slightly. I would never get bored of seeing my best friend so happy.
We chatted more about the wedding, and I was silently thanking Fallon and Mackenzie for not bringing up the fact I was bringing Blair to the wedding. Once our food came, all conversations stopped as we ate and drank.
Any chance I got, I snuck a glance at Blair, who was doing the same, and I couldn’t hide my smile.
I was glad we weren’t sitting next to each other, because I wouldn’t have been able to keep my greedy hands to myself.
When she’d smile at me and lick her lips, I wondered if she did it on purpose to mess with me. I had to shift in my seat every time.
“Are you okay over there, Drea?”
I stopped and turned to see Kaia looking at me with a concerned expression. To anyone else, that was what it would have looked like, but I barely caught the subtle raise of her eyebrow and the faintest lifting of her lip.
I cleared my throat and took a drink. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
“You’re just moving a lot in your seat, that’s all.”
“I’m fine,” I bit out, silently threatening her with my eyes.
What was her deal today? Suddenly she wasn’t so shy and was trying to test me? I knew she wouldn’t actually say anything to anyone, but it was still making me on edge.
Mackenzie was literally seconds away from catching on, I was convinced. If she knew, then Fallon would know, and eventually it would get back to Cara and—