22. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
JULIAN
Eternity passes before I finally make it back to the table.
Guilt settles heavily in my chest, knowing Andrea had to sit alone with idiots I’ve somehow attained as friends.
I half-expected her to have vanished by the time I return, but there she is, laughing at something Noah said, with Ryder and Felix joining in.
Their eyes flit to her often and I can’t say I blame them. Her skin is flushed and glowing with radiant energy.
I spot the glass of red wine in her hand and an empty bottle next to her plate, a sign of her indulgence.
As I take a seat, everyone’s attention shifts to me, but I focus on the only person who matters. “I’m sorry. That took longer than I thought it would.”
Her face tilts toward me, beaming and bubbly. “I was missing you.”
I press my tongue into my cheek to stop myself from returning her goofy grin. “Yeah?”
She presses a finger to her lips, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Shh, it’s a secret.”
Chuckling at her drunkenness, I gently take the glass from her hand and set it down on the table.
Gripping the edge of her seat, I tug her closer.
She gasps, drawing attention to us, but I ignore the curious glances.
She grabs my arm, her big round eyes staring up at me.
“Your secret’s safe with me,” I murmur, dipping my chin toward her wine glass. “How many of those have you had?”
She hums, squinting at the ceiling as if counting. “A bunch, but only because I lost a bet,” she admits, turning to frown at the three grinning men.
“What bet?” I ask, eyeing each of them warily.
“We played the people game,” Noah says, his grin widening into a full smile.
The ‘people game’ is one of their boredom-busters.
Usually, it involves money, but tonight it seems to have cost Andrea an entire bottle of wine.
The objective of the game is to concoct absurd stories about strangers; the worst one wins.
“Your girl was a sore loser, but took her punishment like a champ.”
“It doesn’t feel like a punishment. I feel great!” Andrea declares, scrunching her nose adorably.
Ryder laughs. “Not yet anyway.”
I shoot him a glare while I casually drape my arm along the back of her chair, ready to catch her if she topples over. “It’s a stupid game.”
She nods enthusiastically. “Stuuuupid,” she agrees, flashing me a dopey smile.
“She kept painting pretty little pictures.” Felix chuckles, shaking his head. “We tried to tell her that’s not how the game works, but. . .” He glances at Andrea with a flirtatious smirk. “You loved it, sweetheart.”
He winks at her, and she rolls her eyes playfully before laying her head against my shoulder.
I press my hand to her neck, feeling her throat bob as she swallows. “You’re warm,” I murmur for her ears only, then hold up my fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up? ”
Delicately, she grabs my wrist and counts each finger one by one. “One. . .two. . .and. . .three!”
“Cheater.” I laugh.
I expect her to release my hand, but she doesn’t. Instead, she pulls it to her lap, tracing the patterns on my palm with her fingertips. “Did I tell you that my grams is a palm reader?”
“No,” I say, keeping my voice low as I focus on her movements.
“I always wondered how she did it. I thought it was the coolest thing ever when I was a kid—still do.” She presses her thumb into the center of my palm and the reflex has my fingers curling around it. “Maybe she can read yours when we go to Maine.”
I smile, squeezing her finger. “Maybe.”
“You’re going to Maine?” The question comes from Josephine as she appears at the table, her face scrunched in distaste. “Why?”
Keeping my tone calm, I tell her, “We’re visiting her family there.”
Her eyes dart to Andrea, who’s still staring down at my hand, but it’s Ryder who asks, “So it’s serious then, eh?”
Felix’s mouth turns down with an approved nod. “Meeting the family, Havord. It’s about time you settled down with that hopeless romantic heart of yours.”
I grimace. “Fuck off.”
With a huff, Josephine takes a seat and then frowns. “Did no one save any wine for me?”
“You can drink my wine any time you want,” Noah remarks slyly, also drunk.
Her lip curls. “As if, slut.”
Noah presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Bitch.”
“Toad,” she bites back, not missing a beat .
“Should we have sex now or later?” he asks, grinning. He’s a ruthless flirt, and it’s almost comical how he can’t help himself.
She pretends to feign disinterest, but we all know she enjoys the attention.
Andrea reaches for the empty bottle of wine in front of her and lifts it to show me. “Isn’t this the same wine at your place?”
Across the table, Josephine snorts a laugh. “It’s his sister’s husband’s business.” At Andrea’s confused look, she adds, “Did you not know that?”
Setting the bottle down, Andrea shakes her head subtly, her mouth tugging downward. “No,” she breathes, her tone softening. “I didn’t.”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” I say quickly, recognizing a flash of hurt in her eyes. Shit, was I supposed to tell her that? It feels like something a girlfriend should know. I shoot a quick glare at Josephine, who simply shrugs.
“Just seems like something a girlfriend should know,” she says nonchalantly.
I focus my attention back to Andrea, who’s staring blankly at the bottle of wine, her posture stiff. Leaning closer, I keep my voice low. “Hey, ignore her. Look at me.”
She nods, but still won’t meet my eyes. It’s irrevocably frustrating.
I need to know what’s going on in her head right now.
When I glance up at the guys, I see they’ve busied themselves with conversation.
Felix, though, throws Josephine a frown before looking at Andrea and finally meeting my eyes.
We both know she’s crossed a line, which isn’t far off the mark of who she is as a person.
“Andrea,” I say, trying to draw her attention to me.
“Excuse me for a moment; I need to use the ladies’ room,” she says, distancing herself from me. What other choice do I have but to let her?
My eyes follow her as she weaves through the crowd until she disappears from view. Turning to Josephine, I ask, “What did you say to her earlier when I saw you two talking?”
“I said nothing she wasn’t already thinking,” she responds casually.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I demand, my brows furrowing in irritation. “What the hell did you say, Josie?” Inside, I’m seething, doing my best to keep my composure but I’m about to fucking lose it.
“What is wrong with you?” Ryder interjects, echoing my own thoughts.
I stand, looking down at her, letting a sliver of my anger show. “Jealousy looks hideous on you.”
She sighs like my words are no more than an inconvenience. “Stop being dramatic and sit down so we can stop pretending this one’s any different from the others.”
My eyes narrow as the guys whistle, opting to look anywhere but at the unfolding train wreck. “Noah was right. You are a bitch.”
I almost miss the surprise flicker across her face as I turn sharply. The moment I see Andrea exiting the bathroom, I charge toward her. When I reach her, I grab her hand, and pull her into the hall until I find a door that I hope leads to a storage closet.
“Julian, where are we—” Her words come to a halt when I swing open the stiff door and pull us into the darkness. “Oh,” she breathes, surprise coloring her voice.
I fumble along the wall until I find a light switch. The dim light flickers like it might go out, casting shadows around us. When I look at her, she’s watching me closely, probably wondering what the hell I’m doing.
“Turn around,” I say firmly .
Her eyes widen. “Wh-what?”
Still reeling with aggravation, I step closer. “Fine.” In one swift motion, I reach behind her back and unzip her dress, catching her off guard. Before she can react, I tear the tag from the fabric and toss it over my shoulder.
She gasps, her voice rising an octave. “Julian!”
I zip her back up, carefully moving her hair aside to avoid getting it caught. “Did you forget to take it off, or did you keep it on purpose?” I take a step back to see her expression, which is ridden with both guilt and embarrassment.
“I was going to return it,” she admits quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor.
“Why would you do that?”
Her gaze lifts, brows furrowed. “I don’t want to spend your money, Julian.”
“Why not?” My voice is harsher than intended.
“Because!” she exclaims, her arms flailing out at her sides.
“Tell me why.”
“I don’t deserve it!” she blurts, then steps back as if shocked by her own outburst. I let the weight of her words hang in the air. “I’m trying to fit in here, but it’s hard. I’m really trying to be who you need me to be.”
“The only thing I need is for you to be yourself. Did you think I expected you to change who you are to please these people?” I ask, noticing her slight shrug that confirm my suspicion. I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Andrea.”
“I’m sorry.”
I give her a pointed look. “For what? ”
“I let it get to me.”
“Josephine?”
She nods. “It’s silly. I shouldn’t care what she thinks.
I should be able to brush it off, but I can’t because you’re my friend.
” Her eyes glass over. “I don’t like how she sees you.
Even if you’re a catch, that doesn’t make you prey.
” The last word cracks in her throat, and her mouth twists as she shakes her head.
Her concern for me stabs me in my chest, and I’m not sure why her caring hurts so much. Maybe it’s because I’m unaccustomed to this type of care and my body doesn’t know how to absorb its impact.
“I know who I am,” I say softly. “I also know how I am seen.”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“I know me better, so why should it?”
“I didn’t even know you had a sister.”