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Fuck. “That bad, huh?”
Raid sighed, shaking his head. “You’re not being rude, just quiet. What’s the problem?”
“You know what the problem is.”
“That girl ghosted you. How long are you going to pine after her? Look, Carlie knows this is just a friendly date, but you have to at least talk to her.”
Guilt filled him. He wasn’t being fair to Carlie. The four of them had been out to dinner and now they’d grabbed a table at Dirty Delights. It was pumping tonight.
Generally, he enjoyed being here.
“You’re right.” He made an effort to smile at Carlie as she reappeared. Getting up, he drew out her chair.
She laughed. “Such a gentleman. I think all those rumors about those Malone boys must have been exaggerated.”
“They weren’t,” Tanner said with a grin. “Tell me what you’ve been doing this week.”
Raid and Hannah were staring at each other with lovey-dovey eyes. It was kind of sickening, so he moved closer to Carlie as a distraction.
Reaching out, he tucked a piece of hair behind Carlie’s ear. She smiled up at him.
Someone jostled her and she slid into him as he turned to glower at the asshole who had already walked past. He helped her sit up.
“Are you all right?”
She smiled up at him, her hand still on his thigh where she’d put it to keep her balance. “I’m good. Thanks.”
“What a jerk. Must be from out of town.”
The sound of glass smashing had everyone’s attention turning. His gut instantly soured as he spotted the waitress who’d just dropped a glass on the floor.
It couldn’t be . . .
His breath caught as he studied the pale woman. She was thinner than his Lilac. In fact, she was way too thin—to the point of being unhealthy. Her skin was pale. Her hair, which she’d drawn back from her face into a ponytail, was lank and dull.
But still . . . it was his Lilac.
What the fuck was she doing here? How did she come to be working here?
He watched as she seemed to come back into her head and looked down with a gasp. Then she kneeled right in the fucking glass and started to pick up pieces.
What the hell was she doing?
Sliding from the booth, he stood.
“What’s going on? Tanner?” Carlie asked.
“Fuck, is that Lilac?” Raid said with shock as Tanner rushed toward her.
Around her, people were trying to talk to her, to convince her to put the glass down. She was going to fucking cut herself.
“Lilac?” Devon said, reaching her at the same time Tanner did.
Tanner shot the other guy a dirty look, not liking the way he said her name.
Yeah, he knew he was being irrational. But he couldn’t help it.
Lilac was his.
