Chapter 29 #5
Hours slipped by without any of us realizing it.
The music grew louder, the conversations became funnier, and the cocktails somehow kept refilling themselves.
Dollar bills floated through the air as everyone cheered on the performers, clapping, laughing, and living completely in the moment.
Mars pointed toward me from across the room.
"I thought I said just drinks!"
I shrugged my shoulders and tossed back another shot of tequila.
The room exploded with cheers as everyone else downed their shots right along with me.
Somewhere between another round of drinks and André leading an impromptu dance circle, I realized something: I hadn't thought about Cal once.
Not once.
For the first time in weeks, my mind wasn't replaying hotel rooms, arguments, or confessions.
I was just... happy.
I slipped away from the dance floor, giggling to myself as I wandered toward a quieter corner near one of the private lounges.
My phone was already in my hand before I fully realized what I was doing.
One contact: Cal.
I hit call.
He answered before the second ring.
"Nia."
His voice melted through the speaker over background music that sounded just as loud as ours.
"Caleb Sinclair," I slurred, pointing at the phone as if he could actually see me through the screen.
A quiet, familiar laugh escaped him.
"Oh, boy."
"Oh, boy is right."
"You've been drinking."
"I have been over-served."
"I can tell."
I glanced back toward the dance floor where Mars, Pepper, Becky, André, and the rest of the girls were dancing like tomorrow didn't exist.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No!" I shouted, loud enough that a couple of women nearby looked over at me.
"I'm not okay!"
"Nia..."
"You think you can tell me you love me..." I hiccupped, leaning my head against the wall. "...and then disappear to Los Angeles?"
His voice softened immediately, the casual noise on his end fading.
"Where are you?"
"Nope."
"Nia."
"Nope."
"Tell me where you are, Nia."
I pointed my finger at absolutely nothing in the empty corner.
"Captain Save-a-Hoe over here."
He laughed softly.
"You're not a hoe."
"Yeah, well..." I waved my hand dramatically.
"You heard me."
Silence settled between us for a brief beat, the gravity of the last month crashing down through the tequila haze.
"How in the hell do you think you can leave me..." My voice cracked, the raw vulnerability slipping through my defenses. "...knowing I'm madly in love with you?"
The words hung heavily in the air.
Even drunk, I didn't regret saying them.
Not for one single second.
Cal didn't speak right away.
When he finally did, his voice was entirely calm and completely certain.
"I'm coming to get you."
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone.
"...Whatever," I mumbled to myself.
Shrugging, I tucked it back into my purse and danced my way back toward the girls.
The music swallowed me all over again.
Pepper grabbed my hands and pulled me onto the elevated stage with her.
Mars climbed up right behind us, followed by Becky and Jalen's cousins, all of them laughing so hard they could barely stay upright.
About twenty minutes later, a deep, familiar voice cut straight through the bass.
"Nia."
I turned around on the stage.
There he stood.
Crisp white t-shirt, faded jeans, white sneakers—looking entirely too damn good for a man who was supposed to be miles away at a bachelor party.
He must have abandoned the guys the exact second I hung up the phone.
Mars spotted him first.
"Brother!"
She slurred, practically throwing herself off the stage and into his arms.
He laughed, catching her effortlessly and hugging her with one arm.
"Who got this one drunk?"
Pepper's eyes lit up.
"Cal!"
He immediately pulled her into a warm hug.
"Pep! How the hell are you?
It's been years."
She squeezed him back.
"Too long."
She pulled away slightly, leaning closer with a teasing, knowing grin.
"So... you two still pretending?"
Cal followed her gaze until it landed squarely on me.
I folded my arms, swaying slightly to the music from the edge of the stage.
He let out a slow sigh.
"Something like that."
Then, he walked straight toward me and held out his hand.
"Come on."
I pointed toward the crowd.
"Wooo!
Can somebody get this man out there?"
Stormy laughed from behind me.
"I don't know...
he might have a couple of moves left in him."
"I'm not dancing," Cal said, his dark eyes never taking their gaze off mine.
I grinned down at him.
"I think you'd look cute."
"Nia."
"I'm serious."
"Nia, let's go."
Before I could argue again, he stepped closer, slipped one arm around my waist, and effortlessly lifted me off the stage.
"Cal!" I squealed through a fit of laughter.
He threw me over his broad shoulder like I weighed absolutely nothing, my straight hair tumbling down his back as he turned and started straight toward the exit.
"Bye!" everyone yelled behind us, throwing their hands in the air between fits of laughter.
"Have her at the vineyard on time tomorrow!" Stormy called out after us, the only person left in the room sober enough to remember there was still a wedding to run in less than twenty-four hours.