Chapter Thirty
Royce
I leave Marina on the dance floor because if I don’t, I’m liable to do something stupid.
It takes everything I have to walk away.
Dammit, that woman is driving me insane.
I scrub a hand over my face as I make my way to the bar, needing something to take the edge off. Unfortunately, being the designated driver means I’m stuck with beer. I could use something a hell of a lot stronger right now, but a rule is a rule.
Two-beer minimum for the DD.
After that, I’m cut off.
I lean against the bar and wait for the bartender when a warm body presses into my side.
A grin tugs at my mouth.
Finally.
I slowly turn, expecting to find Marina has followed me, looking up at me with those green eyes and that wicked little smile.
Instead, I find Charli’s friend Elise. A girl I’ve hooked up with before.
She smiles up at me, and for half a second, I consider playing along. Elise is a nice girl. She’s attractive, fun, and usually exactly the kind of distraction I’d welcome.
Except I don’t want a distraction. Not tonight. Not when Rina has been taking up way too much space in my head for weeks. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.
“Hey,” Elise says, leaning closer.
“Hey.” I give her a polite smile. “Good to see you.”
Her fingers skim my arm. “You disappeared after the wedding.”
“Yeah, well …”
I glance toward the dance floor. Marina is still out there somewhere.
“I’m taking it easy this summer.”
Elise studies me for a second, probably sensing the brush-off. I hate that I’m disappointing her, but I’m not going to lead her on.
“All summer?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say gently, “I think so.”
She straightens and gives me a small, understanding smile. “Got it.”
She slips away, and I let out a breath.
“Damn.” Micah sidles up beside me, chuckling.
“What?”
He shakes his head. “That was hard to watch.”
The bartender sets a beer in front of me and a whiskey in front of Micah. I pick the bottle up and take a long swallow.
The cold beer does absolutely nothing to cool the heat still crawling under my skin.
Then Harleigh barrels into me. “I need another drink.”
She wedges herself between us and plants both elbows on the bar.
I glance down at her. “You sure about that?”
She ignores that completely. “Where’s Marina?”
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
Harleigh slowly turns toward me, one hip jutting out as she plants a hand on it, and her expression sharpens into the unmistakable look of a woman who already suspects you’re guilty of something. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You were so in when I left you two on the dance floor.”
I take another drink. “I have no fucking clue,” I admit.
Harleigh narrows her eyes at me like she doesn’t believe a word coming out of my mouth.
I flag down the bartender. “Whatever she’s having. On my tab.”
The bartender gets to work while Harleigh scans the room.
“We need to go sit with Jovie,” she says.
I look around, just realizing I haven’t seen Jovie in a minute. “Where’d she go?”
“She’s been saving us a table close to the bar. Good view of all the television screens, and she’s sitting all alone.”
“Fuck,” I say. “Axle would have my ass.”
I glance around the crowded bar. “Where the hell is Cabe?”
Harleigh points toward the corner. I follow her finger. And stop.
Cabe is sprawled on a couch beside the dartboards with a scantily clad redhead straddling his lap.
Her hands are tangled in his hair, her mouth firmly attached to his, and her hips are rocking against him. The two of them look like they’ve completely forgotten there’s a whole bar full of people surrounding them.
“What the fuck?” I breathe.
Harleigh sighs. “Oh, no one told you?”
I drag my gaze from Cabe back to her. “Told me what?”
She takes the drink the bartender sets down and gives it a stir with her straw. “Your baby brother has turned into quite the drunken slut over the past year.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
Micah takes a slow sip of his whiskey. “It’s true.”
I look back at Cabe. That’s not the kid I know. He’s always been the steady one. The responsible one. The guy who knows when to call it a night and make sure everyone else gets home.
Micah leans closer. “Ever since he found out about Axle and Jovie, his dick has apparently gone on tour.”
I stare at him. “That’s not good.”
Micah shrugs. “Let him get it out of his system.”
I look back at Cabe just as the redhead runs her mouth down his throat.
Geezus.
Harleigh grabs her drink. “I’m going to find Marina.” She starts to walk away, then glances back at me. “Axle’s turn should be up soon.”
Then she disappears into the crowd.
I take another drink of my beer and look toward the dance floor.
Where the hell did Rina go?