Chapter 20
brIELLE
My dress tugs at my stomach as I try and push past the behemoth that is Kellan Pike in the tight confines of the party bus. His giant knees create a walking hazard due to his rather inappropriate manspreading, so I do the only thing I can think of and reach down to shove them out of my way.
The right fielder doesn’t so much as grunt when I grip his shoulder and climb over the first leg, glaring daggers at his dopey smile. My dress isn’t long enough to be doing this, and I’m already in a bad enough mood. At this rate, I’m going to wind up stabbing someone with my heel.
“It’s very obvious why none of you have girlfriends, by the way,” I announce to no one in particular when I make it over Kellan’s legs.
Aubrey’s falling onto the leather bench between Finn and Asher, so I aim for the gap beside the broody, quiet one.
I won’t make the same mistake of sitting next to Beck this time and setting myself up for another few hours spent dodging his flirty comments and digs about my not-so-secret interest in his manager.
By the time the plane landed earlier today and we finally deboarded, I was contemplating whether I actually could last in prison.
I shared a ride to the hotel with Aubrey, Finn, and, unfortunately, Wes.
He wouldn’t let me go without him, and thus the start of my really terrible mood.
Not only did I just spend five hours dealing with Beck, but then another hour on the 401 with a driver who couldn’t pick a speed to save his life and a sulking older brother.
Even now, I can feel him staring at me with those innocent eyes and an annoying, dramatic pout. He’s too close for me to completely ignore, but too far to pick up a conversation with, at least. I’ll take a win, no matter how small.
“Manspreading is an epidemic,” Aubrey announces, pointing a finger at me.
I clap. “Thank you!”
“We’ve got goodies between our legs, ladies. It’s natural for us to want to create a bit of room for them,” Beck explains, sounding perfectly punchable.
Finn laughs while reaching for a bottle of champagne. I cock a brow at the group of alcoholic beverages stored in here for us, and for a second, wonder how much renting this giant bus cost. The thought bubble pops a beat later when I remember who I’m with.
Last year, Jett rented an entire movie theatre for his daughter Sara’s birthday party and had every player on the team invited to watch a special viewing of her favourite movie, Tangled. That included about twenty kids and extended family members, not to mention her classmates from school.
This bus is nothing.
“Goodies is generous,” Aubrey mutters.
My brother leans forward over his knees and grins. “Shit, Finn. Got anything to say for yourself?”
“Has he been disappointing you, Aubs? Because I, for one, would be happy to volunteer—fuck, Finn! Christ!”
Loud laughter breaks out when Finn reaches across the aisle and backhands the wide gap of space between Wes’ legs. My brother folds further forward with his hands between his legs, cupping his groin as he moans in pain.
“Yeah, goodies was generous,” Finn mutters, shooting a final glare at Wes before kissing Aubrey’s temple.
Beck claps Finn on the back and starts barking. “Woof woof. Good boy.”
I roll my eyes in his direction. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I’m not! You’re thinking the same thing, Elle. Don’t lie.”
“And what am I thinking? That Finn’s a good, loyal boyfriend? Because in that case, yes, I am thinking that.”
Beck pulls his lips back to expose his touching teeth, sucking through them. “I clearly hit a nerve.”
“Pass the champagne,” I grumble, shoving my hand out in front of Finn.
“I second that. Who knows how much fun we’ll have once Rome gets here.”
The loud, remixed song player throughout the bus suddenly quiets as I whip my head over to Kellan.
He’s staring past me, but that doesn’t stop me from taking a fistful of his shirt and tugging hard enough to get his attention, champagne abandoned.
Once he’s blinking down at me, I speak without thinking.
“What did you say?”
He lightly removes my hand from his shirt before smoothing the wrinkles I created. “Roman’s coming. Finn couldn’t seem to stop himself from inviting him.”
“Okay, don’t put all the blame on me!” Finn starts. “He was just sitting alone in the hotel bar, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have him tag along. It’s not like he ever does.”
“For good reason. I don’t want a chaperone tonight,” Beck complains.
Aubrey scoffs quietly enough I almost miss it. “Yeah, I bet you don’t.”
“I doubt he’ll even hang around us. Plus, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have someone close by who’ll keep an eye out for the cameras that always seem to find you, Beck,” Finn adds.
Listening to the back and forth does little to influence the helpless excitement that’s been sparking inside of me since the first mention of his name. I was fully convinced that Roman wouldn’t be coming with us and planned my entire night accordingly. But now?
This just got a whole lot more dangerous.
I smooth my hands down my thighs and find a rogue thread at the hem of my dress. Carefully, I rip it off before opening my clutch and grabbing my lipstick and bow-shaped compact mirror. Once I’ve opened the mirror and begun touching up my lipstick, there’s a clearing of a throat in front of me.
Flicking my eyes over to the person responsible, I still.
Wes’ gaze is a bit too suspicious for my liking. He’s suddenly paying attention to my interest in the current conversation and the lipstick I’m pinching. So, I do the only thing I can think of and cross the aisle to sit beside him.
There’s not a chance in hell that I’m going to risk him learning about my interest in Roman tonight. Not with the tension already too thick around us. So, I guess that leaves me no choice but to deal with our issues before it’s too late.
He turns toward me, cutting his involvement with the discussion happening around us. “Are you ready to talk now?”
“Are you going to apologize and mean it?”
“That’s what I’ve already been trying to do, Brielle.”
I twist my mouth and finally tuck away my mirror and lipstick. “And I wasn’t ready to listen yet. You really hurt my feelings.”
“That wasn’t my intention. I’ve got a big fucking mouth when I’m drinking.
And I know that’s not a good enough excuse,” he explains.
There’s an obvious pain that works across his face, almost like he’s unable to hide it anymore.
“I’m sorry, Elle. I shouldn’t have brought you up at all that night, let alone your dating history. ”
Warmth crawls through me as I nod. “I forgive you.”
“You should know that I’ve never blamed you for those guys. If I could get away with it, I’d find them all and knock their teeth out for you.”
“I know you would. I’m not sure that would stop the same thing from happening in the future, though.”
He frowns deeply enough that stress lines pull at his face. “I’m sorry about that, too. It’s not fair.”
“It comes with the territory, right?” I ask flippantly.
“That doesn’t make it right or piss me off any less.” Wes curls an arm around me and pulls me in for a tight hug. I immediately lean into him, letting my eyes close. “You’re my sister, and I love you.”
I nod into his shoulder. “Does that mean you’ll agree to go to Mom’s party?”
“Brielle,” he grumbles.
“What? If you really want to make it up to me, then just say you’ll come.” I lean back and force him to look me in the eyes. “We can go together, and if Dad starts on his shit again, I’ll leave with you. It would just mean a lot to Mom to see you there.”
There’s a war raging inside of him that I wish I could put an end to. It’s the same one that’s been there for most of our lives. And even still, I have no idea how to put an end to it without our family taking casualties.
“You have to actually mean it, Brielle. If he goes at me, I’m leaving, and you’re coming with,” he says, voice tight.
“I promise.”
His gaze lingers for a few moments longer before he nods and releases me completely. I force a confident, reassuring smile.
“Fine,” he says, readjusting his backward cap. “And just for the record, I knew you were going to give in.”
“Likewise, idiot.”
“Always a know-it-all.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I tease.
Wes reaches for my hair and gently tugs on a loose curl. “You dyed your hair back.”
“I did. The red got a bit too much for me.”
“I missed the blonde. It’s always been more you than the red.”
His words strike deeper than I know he intended them to. They’re confirmation that I made the right call.
“Okay, so we can all go back to being normal now?” Kellan interrupts.
I pin him beneath an exaggeratedly bored look. “As opposed to?”
“I think what he meant to ask was if you’ve worked your problems out,” Aubrey clarifies with a pointed push of her chin my way.
Wes rubs his hands together. “All’s good. Now, pass me something to drink. It is my birthday, after all.”
The group erupts in cheers that I don’t join in on.
With the music somehow growing louder and my brother distracted by the champagne bottle offered to him, I steal a glance at the front of the bus.
The disco ball spinning above us paints the walls and leather seats in a rainbow of colours.
All of which reflect off the black dress shirt and matching pants Roman’s wearing.
I swallow twice, then a third time.
He’s here, and he’s not moving. His hands are buried deep into his pockets as he stares right at me with those guarded, dark eyes that I can’t seem to stop thinking about.
They weigh me down, yet I don’t dare wish for them to lift.
I press my hand to the empty space beside me and struggle with my breathing, needing to keep it steady.
A deep blue light flashes across his jaw, illuminating the way it ticks. The rainbow reflects in his eyes as he shifts them just enough to scroll down my body. I dig my teeth into my tongue when the heat from his gaze lingers on my upper thighs, now exposed from the rising hem of my dress.
Suddenly, I’m contemplating pulling it higher just to see if he’ll follow it all the way up. Would he look away then or grab me and carry me right back off this bus?
A thick, veined hand rises to his styled hair and pushes the fallen strands back into place before he finally looks away from my thighs. This time, when I meet his eyes, the want inside of them is obvious. It sends sparks down to the damp space between my legs.
“Roman!” Finn cheers, forcing my attention away from the older man. “Come sit with us. We don’t bite, I promise.”
Speak for yourself.
I drop my eyes to Kellan’s shins across the aisle instead of lifting them back to the man who I know has to be approaching by now. Wes starts rambling about something to Finn, but I ignore him, too busy listening to my quick breaths.
My cheek begins to tingle, then my bare arm, almost like they’re trying to tell me something. By the time I pick up the sound of footsteps, there’s no escaping the draw I feel to look at him again. Even just once.
The seat beside me dips before I can give in. Heat blasts against my side, and a familiar cologne creeps up my nose. My fingers curl into my dress when I lean back and turn my head.
Roman’s not looking at me. He doesn’t need to be. Not when he chose the spot beside me instead of the open space next to Kellan. My pulse thrashes in my throat as I settle into my seat and stare at the lights on the ceiling, ignoring the twitch at the corner of my mouth.
It’s like I said.
This night just got dangerous.