Claiming Serenity(60)
“Yeah, well, I’ve never seen anyone so pig headed in all my bloody life and I’ll remind you that Joe was my stepda and Autumn is my woman. Those two, I thought were the worst of the stubborn lot, but bugger me if my own brother shames them.”
Quinn, the man in question, was at the bar, surprisingly nursing a pint and not trying to hit on the new McKinney’s bartender. She was a pretty blonde with a round face and soft curves. Just Donovan’s type, but her eyes were brown, not blue and her tits were fake. Even her hair was too dark, seemed over-dyed. She had a sweet smile and a raspy, sexy laugh, but even that didn’t attract him. Watching the girl, Donovan smiled, then instantly felt like an asshole for it when she winked at him. Get over yourself, Donley.
“She’s fit, mate. Why don’t you go chat her up?” Donovan could hear the laugh underneath Declan’s words and he shook his head, knowing that his best friend knew why he wouldn’t approach that bartender. Donovan hadn’t said a word to Declan about Layla, but his best friend had figured on his own that things had changed between them. There hadn’t been a prank in ages and when they were around each other, they either played dumb to the others’ presence or couldn’t keep their eyes off one another. Donovan knew their friends suspected something and he’d let Declan continue to assume, continue to laugh at him. But if he knew the truth, knew what Donovan had done, what a shitty asshole he’d been to Layla the last time he saw her, Declan’s laughter would turn nasty and he’d try beating Donovan’s head in.
“Not my type, man.” He ignored Declan’s sigh, the way the Irishman shook his head like he thought Donovan was a coward.
“If you say so.”
Donovan ignored him, deciding that he needed to have a piss and as he walked away from the table and headed back to the bathrooms, he stopped short when he noticed Mollie in the booth near the rear exit.
“Hey.” He looked to the empty seat across from Mollie and then realization hit. This booth, Donovan knew, was the inner sanctum. The girls only sat here when shit got real. Immediately, Layla jumped to Donovan’s thoughts and he hated the quick worry he felt tightening around his chest. Not waiting to be invited, he slipped across the booth from Mollie. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“What?” Mollie’s confused expression relaxed when Donovan waved his hand over the wooden table. “Oh. No, everything, well, it’s not… it’s nothing for you to freak out over.”
“So Layla’s okay?”
“Why?” Mollie lowered over the table top, motioning for Donovan to lean toward her. “You’re not shagging Layla anymore from what I hear or has my best friend on the face of the planet been lying to me?”
Donovan shook his head and sat up straight, looking out of the window to distract himself from the irritating amusement in Mollie’s tone. “No. She’s not lying. It’s been forever.”
He didn’t appreciate the small snort of a laugh she released and casually flipped her the bird when that laughter grew. “You’re pathetic. You don’t have your usual bed bunny and you’re all upset?” He deflected the crumpled napkin she threw at his face and sighed, her shoulders falling back against the cushion. “Lord, Donovan go find some other girl to fall on top of and leave Layla alone.”
He didn’t know why he said it. He hadn’t meant to say anything at all, but Mollie’s attitude stung and for some reason he felt the need to defend whatever it was he had with Layla. “I don’t want anyone else.”
The phone in Mollie’s hand clicked against the table top when she dropped it and her unrestrained shock left her in a small wheeze. “Are you… wait.” She took his hand, pulling his attention away from the window. “Donovan?”
He closed his eyes, tired of pretending. Tired of trying to act like Layla’s disappearing act didn’t bother him. He missed her. Admitting it felt good, it felt somehow right. “Laugh it up all you want, Mollie, but yeah. It’s true. I’m a huge asshole that freaked her out. I broke the rules.”
“How?”
Elbows on the table, Donovan cupped his face in his hands, releasing a muffled whine against his palms. “Emotion is a motherfucker.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, blondie.” She tapped his arm, making him move his head to stare at him through his parted fingers. “You like her?”
“Does it really matter now? She’ll be off to New York after graduation. She’s got plans and they don’t fucking include me. Besides, she told me she’d never like me, Mollie.”