Chapter 15 #2
Bringing her body back up, her head meets my chest as she sways against me. My hands curl around her waist, then I think better of it. Doing what that other fucker wasn’t allowed to do, I slip my hand under her dress, feeling her bare stomach against my palm. And she lets me.
The smirk that hits my lips is just for me. Yeah, fuck you, dude.
I let Ellie grind her ass all over me for a whole three minutes until I physically can’t take it anymore. My dick is up and dripping in my pants, and I have to step away.
She doesn’t protest as I head toward the bar. She shoves me playfully, then struts ahead of me, grabbing Pacey and dragging her back out on the floor.
“I’m going to go. I need to find Katie,” Tanner says as I take the stool next to him.
“Where is she?”
Staring at his phone, he says, “Apparently another club.”
I let my eyes fall to his screen. He has one of those tracking apps pulled up. Jesus fuck.
“Let me take a leak, then we can grab the girls and go.”
He shakes his head. “No, I’ll go alone.”
“Nope. We’re sticking together tonight.” I slap his shoulder and head to the bathroom.
When I’m done, we follow Tanner outside while he watches his phone, leading the way. I feel like Scooby-Doo on a trail.
“Do we know where we’re going?” Pacey asks. Tanner ignores her and presses forward. “Ok, then,” she mumbles.
Tanner stops abruptly, causing us all to nearly crash into his back. He spins around, holding his phone, and from behind him, I see the dot flashing on the screen. Jesus, I hope I never date anyone I have to track on my goddamn phone. This is exactly why I don’t date. Tanner.
If he can’t keep his girl in line with his controlling alpha ways and his monster dick, there’s no hope for the rest of us.
“I’ll be right back. You guys wait out here,” he says, clicking his phone off and shoving it into his pocket. I wonder if she knows he can do that.
“Oh hell no, we’re going in,” I argue.
He growls. “No.”
I’m sensing he’s embarrassed about the situation, but I’m not letting him do this alone.
I’m worried about what we might find inside.
I know better than anyone what it feels like to find your girl with someone else.
It’s like a sledgehammer to the chest. Something I don’t ever want to feel again.
I hope that’s not what we’re about to find, for Tanner’s sake.
“Yes.” I push forward and step into the line outside the door. He huffs and puffs but follows me as the bouncer lets us inside. The club is way louder and more packed than the one we were just in.
He surveys the crowd. I don’t know how you’d find anyone in here with these flashing neon lights.
Pacey and Ellie come close, and I reach out and grab both their arms to keep from losing them.
Neither of them is bigger than a Pixie Stick.
The top of their heads barely reach my armpits.
If someone wanted to snatch them, it wouldn’t take much.
Tanner says nothing but moves through the crowd.
We trail behind him, squeezing through sweaty bodies.
We dodge and weave until we’re in the back, near a section of sleek black booths.
There’s a group of people gathered around, and in the mix, I spot Katie.
Some dude sits next to her, whispering in her ear.
My shoulders straighten, head whipping to Tanner.
He stands perfectly still, eyes sharp, jaw ticking as he watches them.
The rest of the table is a mix of guys and girls, chatting loudly.
Tanner edges closer, then braces his hands on the table, leaning forward.
Katie laughs at something the guy says, then turns, spotting Tanner.
Her eyes widen before she quickly attempts to recover.
“Babe!” she says, voice extremely loud, the high pitch giving her guilt away. It makes me sick. Her eyes slide past him, to me and the girls, and narrow before she tacks on a fake smile. “Isn’t this cute? You guys on a double date?”
In my arms, both girls tense. This bitch is crazy if she thinks Tanner would ever cheat on her. He’s obsessed with her. Though I’ve never seen the appeal, I’m sure there’s something there that’s kept him with her this long.
Tanner lets out a sarcastic laugh I didn’t know he had in him. “Don’t play with me right now, Katie. Let’s go.”
She leans back in the seat, arching her overplucked blonde brow. “I just got here. I’m having fun.”
Tanner’s chest rises and falls rapidly, like he’s trying to rein in his anger. It’s obvious she knows how to push his buttons. “We’re leaving,” he demands in the same tone he gives us when he doesn’t want us to argue.
“Bye.” She waves her witch fingers in his face.
Ellie sucks in a breath, body going rigid in my arms. I can practically feel the claws coming out of her.
Without another word, Tanner spins, heading right for the door. What the fuck? I step back, prepared to follow, when Katie’s shrill laughter stops me.
Ellie jerks out of my hold. “You’re a real bitch, you know?” she says to Katie. “You fly out here just to ditch your boyfriend’s show?”
“You don’t know me.”
Ellie laughs. “And I don’t want to. You don’t deserve Tanner. I hope he dumps your ass.”
Katie jumps up, bumping the table and shaking the glasses on top. Pacey flinches, trying to pull away, but I tighten my hold.
“You should mind your business, slut!” she screams, picking up a shot glass. Her hand rears back, and I can see it. She’s prepping to sling that shit right at Ellie.
My muscles tighten. I’m trying to keep Pacey from running off while simultaneously shielding Ellie from what’s coming.
Turning my body, I throw my hand out in an attempt to block the liquid that’s about to head this way, but to my goddamn surprise, the crazy bitch throws the whole fucking shot glass at Ellie.
It hits my hand as I swing, trying to protect Ellie, but it backfires and hits Pacey right across the face. She squeals as the glass bounces off her and shatters at her feet.
“You psycho!” Ellie yells, rushing forward, fists clenching at her sides.
Shit.
I yank her back by her overall strap, but she’s pretty strong for her size, and I only have one arm.
I’m using the other to hold onto Pacey. “Ellie,” I grunt, as she tries to wrestle out of my hold.
Pacey’s clutching her cheek, watching in horror as everything unfolds.
“You good?” I ask in her ear, and she nods, though her body is trembling against mine.
Ellie leans over my arms as far as she can, getting in Katie’s face as they scream at each other. The rest of the people have backed away, watching with shocked expressions. I curl my arm around Ellie’s waist, lifting her off the ground, when Tanner pops back up out of nowhere.
“What the fuck is going on!?” he roars.
“Ask your little whore!” Katie shrieks, pointing a finger at Ellie.
Ellie stares blankly at her. “Really?”
Katie glares, then turns to Tanner. “Are you sleeping with her? Or her?” Her eyes dart to Pacey, who is still holding her cheek.
“Jesus Christ, Katie, you cannot be serious. You ditch my show, and I find you at a bar with a bunch of strangers, and you question me?”
“I was waiting for you! But I didn’t know you were bringing these people.”
Tanner looks at us as if he forgot who was with him.
As if Katie doesn’t know exactly who we are.
Then his eyes lock on Pacey, his brow furrowing.
“Shit,” he mumbles, stepping forward and taking in her face.
“Are you ok?” She already has a fat lip from the pit, and now there’s a pop knot on her cheek, a bruise starting to form. Penn is going to kill me.
“I’m fine,” she says.
“Hello! Are you seriously concerned about her?” Katie cries.
Tanner inhales deeply, squeezing his eyes closed, no doubt trying to summon patience.
When they open again, they stay on Pacey a moment, softening like he’s apologizing or some shit.
He spins around, face hard when he points it at his girlfriend.
“I’m leaving, Katie. You either come with me or pay for your own flight home because I’m done.”
I grin. Hell yes.
She gasps. “You wouldn’t.”
He only stares at her a beat before striding through the crowd toward the exit. I don’t wait to see her decision, I haul the girls out. Ellie tries wiggling free, but I don’t let her down until we’re outside.
“Ordered us an Uber,” Tanner informs us.
I’m not sure what to say, so I keep quiet as Ellie fusses over Pacey.
“I’m sorry, Pacey,” Tanner says, his eye twitching as he inspects her face again. Looks a little worse in the glow of the streetlights.
“Shit, Pace, I’m sorry. I was trying to block it.” I pull her into my chest, but she laughs, shoving me off.
“I’m fine. This really brings the whole experience full circle.”
“Tanner!” Katie comes running from the club, mascara shit streaming down her face as she sobs.
I growl under my breath. Fuck, I thought we were done with her. Tanner meets her before she can make it over to us. I can’t hear their hushed argument, but Tanner gets into an Uber with her, and I climb in with Pacey and Ellie.
To avoid any more conflict, I lead them through the lobby and to their room, knowing this is also the same place Katie is staying.
Pacey promises to ice her face, and I tell them goodnight.
Everyone but Liam and I gets a cushy bed tonight.
Doesn’t matter. I’m not even a little bit tired.
The Adderall and adrenaline pumping through my veins are going to make sleep impossible.
Now that the girls are safely in their room, I could go back out and find some company for the night, but that doesn’t really sound appealing. I hit the button to summon the elevator when footsteps sound behind me.
“Travis, wait.” I spin around and see Ellie jogging toward me.
“It’s past your bedtime,” I tease, earning an eye roll from her.
“I can’t sleep.”
“It’s been three minutes. Have you even tried?”