takes the open seat to her left. “My father is your
father’s lawyer.” He scratches the back of his longish brown hair, his skin a
golden tan, probably half-Italian. “I’m Matthew Collins.”
“Nice to meet you, Matthew,” Rose says, motioning for the
server to bring her another glass of champagne.
Daisy’s date sits to her right. I don’t catch his name, but
he’s too distracted by his phone to even acknowledge my sister. She doesn’t
look like she cares either, refolding her napkin into a rose.
The food starts parading around the room, sea bass and
winter squash making rounds on each circular table.
My appetite is gone. Especially as Aaron leans his forearms
on the table, practically hunched over to force my attention to him.
“What have you been up to, Lily?”
I shrug and then spit out, “Why would you want to even come
here?” It’s almost been three whole years since I’ve seen him. Why now?
“I heard your boy was out of town. I thought I’d check up on
you, make sure you were safe and doing okay.”
I glare. “I’m fine.”
He nods, his eyes skimming the length of me. Thank God, my
body stops at the edge of the table.
“Did my mother really call you?” I ask tensely.
“She called my friend first. She seemed a little desperate
to get you hooked up, and I told her I was available.” He flashes an ugly
smile. “I have nothing better to do.” And so the truth comes out.
“That’s why you’re here? You’re bored?”
He shrugs. “Now that I’m almost graduated, Loren has nothingon me. And I think me and you—we have
unfinished business.”
I go cold and look to Rose for backup, but she’s in a heated
discussion with her younger date. Well…she seems to be educating him about the
stock market, as though he said something inane and she has to correct him.
Daisy is watching me carefully, but I don’t have the heart
to explain my history to her. Not now anyway. Plates of sea bass slide onto our
placemats, and I stiffly pick up my fork. I can’t eat, not until I let some
words loose.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I immediately blurt.
His eyebrow quirks and I realize that might not have been
the “unfinished business” he had in mind. And then he says, “We’ll see.” Okay,
maybe it was. Or maybe he’s just planning on cornering me, putting me in some
provocative situation and then snapping a few pictures, taking a video, and
then sending them to Lo.
Oh God.
Daisy butts in. “Hey, back off. She has a boyfriend.”
Aaron snorts and says to Daisy, “Do I look like I give a
shit?”
“I do,” a new voice enters. And this time, I internally
cheer at the sound of Ryke’s deep, threatening tone. He slides into the seat
between Daisy’s date and Aaron, closing the circle. He wears a fitted charcoal
suit with a skinny black tie. His brown hair is styled, but he’s not
clean-shaven. How did he get invited to a Fizzle event? Better yet, why would
he accept it and come here?
I don’t really care. I’m just glad he is.
“Who the fuck are you?” Aaron spits.
Ryke motions to a server and points to his
placemat, silently asking for food. Then he faces Aaron with narrowed
eyes. If Lo were here, I think he’d appreciate the backup. We’ve never had it
before, and I have to say, it’s kind of nice.
“Loren Hale’s brother,” Ryke tells him.
Aaron chokes on a laugh. “Bullshit. Lo’s an only child.”
“Then don’t believe me. I don’t really fucking care. But you
start messing with his girlfriend, and then I will care.” A server places his
plate in front of him, and Ryke digs into the mashed potatoes, not giving Aaron
any more attention.
Aaron looks back to me, and his eyebrows jump up, but he
mouths, later. No, I don’t like
later. He even winks .
Shivers run down my arms.
Daisy squints at Ryke. “Why are you here?” she asks over her
oblivious date, still texting. “Did my mom call you?”
Ryke cuts into his fish. “Nope. My father
father’s lawyer.” He scratches the back of his longish brown hair, his skin a
golden tan, probably half-Italian. “I’m Matthew Collins.”
“Nice to meet you, Matthew,” Rose says, motioning for the
server to bring her another glass of champagne.
Daisy’s date sits to her right. I don’t catch his name, but
he’s too distracted by his phone to even acknowledge my sister. She doesn’t
look like she cares either, refolding her napkin into a rose.
The food starts parading around the room, sea bass and
winter squash making rounds on each circular table.
My appetite is gone. Especially as Aaron leans his forearms
on the table, practically hunched over to force my attention to him.
“What have you been up to, Lily?”
I shrug and then spit out, “Why would you want to even come
here?” It’s almost been three whole years since I’ve seen him. Why now?
“I heard your boy was out of town. I thought I’d check up on
you, make sure you were safe and doing okay.”
I glare. “I’m fine.”
He nods, his eyes skimming the length of me. Thank God, my
body stops at the edge of the table.
“Did my mother really call you?” I ask tensely.
“She called my friend first. She seemed a little desperate
to get you hooked up, and I told her I was available.” He flashes an ugly
smile. “I have nothing better to do.” And so the truth comes out.
“That’s why you’re here? You’re bored?”
He shrugs. “Now that I’m almost graduated, Loren has nothingon me. And I think me and you—we have
unfinished business.”
I go cold and look to Rose for backup, but she’s in a heated
discussion with her younger date. Well…she seems to be educating him about the
stock market, as though he said something inane and she has to correct him.
Daisy is watching me carefully, but I don’t have the heart
to explain my history to her. Not now anyway. Plates of sea bass slide onto our
placemats, and I stiffly pick up my fork. I can’t eat, not until I let some
words loose.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I immediately blurt.
His eyebrow quirks and I realize that might not have been
the “unfinished business” he had in mind. And then he says, “We’ll see.” Okay,
maybe it was. Or maybe he’s just planning on cornering me, putting me in some
provocative situation and then snapping a few pictures, taking a video, and
then sending them to Lo.
Oh God.
Daisy butts in. “Hey, back off. She has a boyfriend.”
Aaron snorts and says to Daisy, “Do I look like I give a
shit?”
“I do,” a new voice enters. And this time, I internally
cheer at the sound of Ryke’s deep, threatening tone. He slides into the seat
between Daisy’s date and Aaron, closing the circle. He wears a fitted charcoal
suit with a skinny black tie. His brown hair is styled, but he’s not
clean-shaven. How did he get invited to a Fizzle event? Better yet, why would
he accept it and come here?
I don’t really care. I’m just glad he is.
“Who the fuck are you?” Aaron spits.
Ryke motions to a server and points to his
placemat, silently asking for food. Then he faces Aaron with narrowed
eyes. If Lo were here, I think he’d appreciate the backup. We’ve never had it
before, and I have to say, it’s kind of nice.
“Loren Hale’s brother,” Ryke tells him.
Aaron chokes on a laugh. “Bullshit. Lo’s an only child.”
“Then don’t believe me. I don’t really fucking care. But you
start messing with his girlfriend, and then I will care.” A server places his
plate in front of him, and Ryke digs into the mashed potatoes, not giving Aaron
any more attention.
Aaron looks back to me, and his eyebrows jump up, but he
mouths, later. No, I don’t like
later. He even winks .
Shivers run down my arms.
Daisy squints at Ryke. “Why are you here?” she asks over her
oblivious date, still texting. “Did my mom call you?”
Ryke cuts into his fish. “Nope. My father
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