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She smirks. “That’s actually kind of cute.”
The bell on the door jingles, and we both look up to see Brent walking in, his head down.
Fuck.
Over the weekend, I’d completely forgotten about him. He’d been so disappointed when Alexander had kissed me in front of him.
Brent orders quietly, his shoulders tense. He barely even looks at me.
Before I hand him his coffee, I hesitate. “Brent, look, I’m so-”
“Don’t worry about it. I had my chance, and I lost it.” He finally looks at me with a joyless smile. “I just hope he makes you happy.”
With that, he takes his coffee and leaves. And I’m left standing behind the counter, my heart squeezing in pain.
I watch as Brent’s figure disappears down the sidewalk.
Happy. Happy.
Is that how Alexander makes me feel? Is that how he will make me feel in the future if I stay with him?
I don’t know, but I need to figure it out soon.
THE NEXT FEW days are uneventful. My shifts are as long and exhausting as ever, and Brent stays tense whenever he comes in. Part of me wonders why he hasn’t just started going to a different coffee shop.
On Friday, Alexander picks me up for another night in his mansion before a Saturday morning brunch his mother is hosting. I’m not terribly excited about it, considering Everly’s words to me last weekend. But Alexander insists.
So Saturday morning, after Alexander wakes me up with his head in between my legs, we head out.
I’m wearing a black sundress, Alexander in shorts and a polo. It’s warm on the outdoor patio at the Hendricks mansion, and it takes me back to summers spent lounging by the pool with the boys.
“Oh, Alexander! I didn’t realize you were bringing a date.” Everly breaks off from the group of people she was chatting up. Giving me a tight smile, she embraces Alexander. “Still, I’m glad you’re here. Your sister should be down soon.”
“Perfect. How’s she holding up?”
Everly sighs, rolling her eyes. “Ridiculously emotional. I don’t understand why she isn’t over that boy yet. It’s been months! Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”
I shoot Xander a questioning look, but he annoyingly ignores it. Instead, he continues a shallow conversation with his mother. When I spot Blaze and Dominic walking down the stairs from the house, I slip away through the crowd of pastel-clad elites.
Dominic gives me a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek. Then with a wink, he heads straight for Alexander and Everly.
“Off to the rescue.” Blaze watches as his brother interrupts their conversation. “That woman can talk all day if you let her.”
“Oh, I remember.” I give Blaze a quick hug, relaxing as he reciprocates. He’s always been an amazing hugger.
“Hey, uh—I know this sounds dumb, but do I look okay?” Blaze wipes his hands on his pants. When he steps back, I realize he looks a bit nervous.
“As handsome as ever.” I beam up at him. And I mean it. His blue polo makes his eyes stand out, and his blond hair is pulled up into a bun. “You look classy.”
Blaze lets out a breath. “Okay, cool. Cool cool cool.” He cracks his knuckles, looking out over the patio.
People are milling about, enjoying mimosas and the warmth from the sun. There are tennis courts off to one side, and I smile when I look at them.
“Hey, remember when I’d beat your ass at tennis?” I elbow him, and I watch him relax a bit at the distraction.
“Yeah, until I had my growth spurt and started practicing consistently.” He snickers. “You always insisted on one more game, but you never won.”
“Hey! I won a couple times when we were older.”
