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“’Fraid I don’t.” He steps closer to me, his body heat warming me where her words had left me cold.
Her smile wilts slightly before she forces it to be even brighter and refocuses on me. “Well, anyway. Frederic is flying us out to the Maldives for at least a week, maybe longer. I’ll try to reach out when we’re back in town. Alright, sweetie?”
So she really does live in LA now, at least until things with Frederic die down. Then again, maybe it’s a permanent move since she’s probably gone through all the available bachelors in Idaho. “Sure thing, Mom.”
She sweeps out of my apartment as quickly as she arrived, and it amazes me that she can eviscerate me in such a short amount of time.
Twenty-Six
I’ve always hated Laney’s mom, but I hate her even more for that hollow look she’s left on Laney’s otherwise gorgeous face.
What a bitch.
I’d chase after her and give her a piece of my mind, but Cynthie thrives on the drama and attention. The best way to punish her is to pretend she doesn’t exist.
So I do just that and place a warm hand on Alayna’s back, rubbing a gentle circle until her stiff body relaxes and she leans against me. But that only lasts for a second before she stiffens again and moves swiftly away from me.
“Everything okay?” I ask softly, knowing it’s not but hoping she won’t shut me out. I know her mom always fucks with her head, but she doesn’t usually pull away from me when that happens. Instead, I’m typically the one she runs to.
She clears her throat, but doesn’t look at me. “Yeah, it’s fine. Let me just grab my coat and we can go.”
She’s lying, but I’ll let her. For now.
She’s quiet for the entire drive to the restaurant where we’re meeting several of our friends. I assume she’ll put on her game face when we get there; she hates for anyone to know she’s ever negatively affected by things.
But her smile is brittle and her eyes are distant when we greet our friends. Jack Fuller, our star quarterback, is here with his pregnant wife, Paige. Will Edmonson, one of our wide receivers, stands next to his fiancée, Gina, a protective arm around her waist. They’re planning a big wedding later this summer. Matt Fischer, a tight end, is chatting up Luke Carter, one of our fullbacks, while their fiancées, Nikki Denton and Emma Delaney, stand nearby laughing about something. Nikki’s hand rests protectively over her small baby bump, and Matt has his arm wrapped around her back. Right next to them is the rest of the Fierce Four, Gabe with Danae, Tyler, and Romel.
We all order appetizers and beverages—most of us noticeably avoiding alcohol. Everyone seems in good spirits, but the longer the night goes on, the more tense I become. I’m about to lean over and ask Laney to step outside with me so we can talk about whatever happened with her mom when Luke stands up and taps his glass, getting everyone’s attention from the various side conversations happening.
He’s got a shit-eating grin on his face as he glances down at Emma who’s mirroring his smile before he turns back to us. “Emma and I have an announcement. We eloped in Hawaii!”
Emma holds up her left hand, and it’s only now I notice the thin wedding band that’s joined her engagement ring.
The table breaks out in chaos. Shouts of congratulations and laughter abound. In the midst of all the excitement, I glance over at Laney and notice the vibrant smile that’s taken over her face. I suck in a sharp breath as I stare at her in awe. She’s always been beautiful, but right now, she’s goddamn stunning. She leans forward, reaching out to hold Emma’s outstretched hand and gushes over her. The excitement is only slightly tempered when the waiter delivers our appetizers and takes our meal orders.
When Matt starts hassling Luke about not being invited to the wedding, Luke speaks loudly enough to be heard over everyone else. “Well, we thought of that actually. We’re holding a reception in two weeks and would love for you all to be there. I know it’s kind of short notice—”
“We’ll be there,” several people say over him, Laney and me included.
We both glance at each other, smiling, but that smile slowly drops from her face as her eyes become more worried and distant. My gut clenches.
I wish she’d tell me what her mom said to her. I know it couldn’t have been good, and I can’t help thinking it had to do with me. The last thing I need is her mom planting doubts in her head.
I’ve done that enough myself, and I thought we were finally moving past that.
Emma gives everyone the details, and Laney pulls out her phone to add it to her calendar.
Our food arrives and I quickly separate the mushrooms out of my meal, putting each individual one I find on a small side plate. I hate mushrooms, but I like the flavor they add to the sauce on this dish, and instead of asking for them to be removed, I always save them for Laney because she loves mushrooms. I pick up the plate and pass it to her at the same time that she hands me a similar plate with the tomatoes from her salad—something she hates that I love.
“Thanks,” I say.
“Uh-huh,” she murmurs, licking a bit of dressing off her thumb and ensnaring my gaze. Her pink lips are tantalizing, but nowhere near as provocative as the way her tongue slides out to lick the rest off. She’s completely unaware of how sexy she is and it’s a goddamn shame.
Once again, I’m angry at myself for all the time I’ve wasted. All the time I could’ve spent worshipping her, building her up, telling her every day how beautiful, smart, and incredible she is. She’s right that I’ve been a lousy friend, but by not noticing her for what she’s truly always been, I’m a lousy man.
She’s everything, but more importantly, she’s my everything.
Swallowing thickly, I tear my gaze away from her lips. When I look up, Emma’s staring at me with a smile on her face and her eyes bright with happiness.
