32. Chapter 31
Leo
“Let’s get me a drink.” Ria’s soft voice pushes aside the red mist clouding my mind, the calmness of her tone settling the beast inside me that fights to cause chaos.
A lot of the time I can calm it by turning to humor, but Ezra’s smug face feeds the need to lash out.
“Leo.” She curls her hand around my neck, easing the tension crawling up my spine. “Come with me.”
Wordlessly, she leads me away from the group, and approaching the bar, she asks for Macallan neat for both of us.
“Certainly, Miss.” The bartender busies himself preparing our drinks, and she curls into my side. I let out a sigh and kiss the top of her head.
“Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Being my calm.”
“Anytime.” She bumps her hip against mine, and I hook my hand around her waist, keeping her close to me. The need to have her next to me is overwhelming.
The bartender passes us our drinks, and Ria untangles herself to reach inside her clutch to pay but I beat her to it, raising my brow at her while I hand him my card.
“Always the gentleman.” She shakes her head and huffs out a small laugh.
“Of course.”
“You okay now?” she says warily.
“Yeah, he just triggers something inside me when he acts like the prick he is.” Taking a sip of my drink, the warm liquid slips down my throat.
“Prick is too soft a word for him.” Grace appears at his side. “Twatwaffle is more like it.”
“Still too soft, Gracey baby, but good try,” Lily chips in, sliding in next to her. “Cunty fuckchops is more accurate.”
“Lily!” Jade smothers her laugh behind her hand, but the boys don’t do as well as they all burst out laughing.
“Petardo, you’re one of a kind.” Marcus cuddles her into his side.
“Just figuring that out?” She gives him a cocky grin.
“No, I always knew you were extraordinary.”
“How’s Beck?” Ria asks.
“He left with Deacon,” Grace says softly. “He will look after him.”
Nodding, Ria looks up at me with a kind smile.
I wrap my arm around her waist, and she rests her hand on my chest. The move is so natural my heart soars, but then I spot Hunter giving us a confused glance.
He tilts his head, sending unease rippling through me, but I couldn’t tear myself away from Ria even if I wanted.
Her touch is keeping the noise out. It isn’t even muffled—it’s just gone.
“Good. He needs someone right now,” Ria says. “I wish things were different for them.”
“We’ve thought this forever,” Lily says somberly. “They’re both fighting against it, but we don’t know why.” Her eyes move to where Trixie and Ezra are talking with Cole. “She’s always been a great actress, but she’s hiding something from us.”
“Like what?” Ria asks.
“I don’t know.” She sighs. “But whatever it is, it’s eating away at her.”
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Cole’s voice booms over the crowd, tearing our attention away.
“Tonight is the night for special moments and is exactly the feeling my mother wanted when she created her charity, Starlight. Starlight was essential to her healing process after she suffered a loss that no parent should have to endure. Cot death is cruel and affects far too many young babies and parents. All your donations this evening will go toward research in preventing cot death and also help the parents who have to live through such a horrific tragedy. And I can tell you that we have surpassed last year’s total by over a million pounds already and the night isn’t over.
” The crowd claps and cheers at his announcement.
“Now dig deep and enjoy the rest of the evening.”
The band strikes up and couples start to move to the dance floor. “Fancy a dance?” I whisper in Ria’s ear, and I don’t miss the slight shudder she gives.
“Why not.”
Guiding her to the dance floor, I spin her under my arm, and she giggles as she steadies herself into my hold. “Careful, I have two left feet, remember?”
“Perfect, since I have two right feet.” Swaying her to the music that is running through my body, I allow myself to relax, but when I catch Ezra’s smug face as he watches from his position at the bar, my muscles lock.
“Hey, relax,” she coaxes. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” I give her a false smile that she sees right through.
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Sorry. He’s watching you.”
“Who?” She looks over her shoulder quickly but then is quick to bring her eyes back to mine. “Ezra?”
“Yes.”
“Ignore him; I am.”
“It’s hard when he’s looking at you like he still wants you, but should be enraptured by his new fiancée.”
“If he is looking at me like he still wants me, that’s his problem. Because I don’t want him.” She cups my cheek, brushing her thumb tenderly across my jaw.
“No?”
“No.” Heat blazes in her eyes, and I lose myself as she slows so we are gently swaying to the music.
The couples around us are moving faster, but I don’t register any of them.
I only see her. My words get caught in my throat as she reaches up on her tiptoes to brush a soft kiss to the corner of my lips. “I don’t want him.”
“I love this song.” Hunter bumps into my side which knocks me from my trance and out of Ria’s hold.
“Jesus, Hunter, have you had too many?” Jade looks flustered next to him. “You didn’t need to spin us that fast. Sorry, guys,” she apologizes as she nudges Hunter’s shoulder.
“Nope, I’ve had the perfect amount, Tink.” He kisses her forehead. “Sorry, I didn't mean to knock into you; I just lost my balance. Leo, fancy grabbing another scotch? Marcus is dirty dancing with Lily again, and Jade said she doesn’t want to dance anymore.”
“I didn’t say that.” Jade’s brow creases.
“You said you were tired.”
“Well, yes.”
“Exactly, so come on, Leo.” He practically drags me away from Ria, and both the girls look as confused as I feel.
“I guess I’ll see you later then,” Jade shouts across the dance floor as I hurry to keep up with Hunter.
“Slow down, man; what’s the rush?” I ask as I pull him to a stop.
“Dale’s here,” he grits out.
“I’m sorry?” My head whips around looking for him, but I come up empty.
“He’s with Cole.” He motions with his head and I track his movements. And sure enough, there he is, laughing with Cole and Ezra. I must have been so wrapped up in Ria that I didn’t see him enter the ballroom.
“Shit. Why is he here?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He’s trying to help Ezra with his business.”
“I guess you’re right.”
He signals for the bartender to pour us both a drink and is silent. He often sits in silence next to me when he’s thinking, but this feels off. He’s twitchy, messing with his cufflinks. And when the server places his drink down, he practically downs the whole glass in one go.
“What else is up?”
“What do you mean?”
“No way you tasted that scotch; it didn’t even hit the sides.”
“I guess I didn’t.” He laughs, swirling the bottom edge of the glass in a circle along the bar top.
“You nervous about next weekend?”
“Nervous about marrying Jade? No, not in the slightest. I can't wait to officially call her mine.”
“So what is it?”
He lowers his voice. “Is there something going on with you and Ria?”
“What makes you say that?” I ask, hopefully keeping my voice steady.
“I’ve been watching you both tonight and you look very close, and then you’ve got this suite tonight. I guess you both look different.”
“Good.” I nod confidently.
“Good?”
“Yes, good. We’re playing a part, remember?” I widen my eyes and he nods. “Wouldn’t it look weird if the two newlyweds who couldn’t wait to marry each other stayed on opposite sides of the ballroom and didn’t dance together?”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Those four little words are quickly becoming my favorites coming from the Stone siblings. I just need to get Noah to agree and then I’ve got the set.”
“You’re so weird.”
“You love my brand of weird.”
“I do.” He huffs out a laugh. “So it’s all an act?”
“Yep, all an act.”
“And you both know that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, my sister isn’t used to one-night stands and fleeting relationships. Don’t lead her on. If it ever feels like there’s more on her side, this stops—you don’t hurt her.”
“Do you honestly think I would hurt Ria?”
“Not intentionally, no. But this isn’t a normal situation.”
“Don’t worry. We both know what we’re doing.”
“Good, because I’d hate to have to break my best friend’s nose for breaking my sister’s heart.” He claps me on the back before walking off into the crowd.
I think she is going to be the one to break a heart—mine.