Alec choked on his water next to me.
I gave Demetri the evil eye.
He didn’t notice.
He was too busy goading Will while Will stared into his beer.
“You know…” Zane leaned in, “Now that I’ve… eaten…” He licked his lips. “And eaten…” He received a smack from Will when he said eaten one more time. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to be without food… you know… for a long period of time… I bet just about anything would set me off, don’t you agree Dem?”
“Hell yeah, I mean, one time, back in the day I was on a type of… diet before my wedding, and let me tell you, it nearly sucked,” he emphasized sucked, “the life out of me… can’t imagine, man, can’t imagine.” He pulled a fry from my plate and chomped down. “Right, Will?”
Will wiped his face with his hand then threw his napkin onto the table, stood, and walked off. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“They got food in there?” Zane burst out laughing.
I felt my face heat even though it’s not like I was innocent in any way, I just got their reference and hated how irrationally angry I got thinking about Will with anyone but me.
The first time I’d read about it online I’d slammed my phone against the wall.
I went through a lot of phones that year.
And then I went numb again.
“What about you Ang?” Zane leaned in. “Oh, and eating’s code word for sex just in case you’re really slow like Alec over here.”
Alec glowered.
“This isn’t proper dinner talk,” I mumbled.
“Holy shit did you just say proper?” Demetri observed with an amused smirk, “Say it again.”
Alec threw a napkin at Demetri’s head.
Zane leaned in and rubbed his hands together. “Come on sister, give us the goods, we’re all old and married.”
“The hell you are!” Demetri laughed, “You’re engaged, and I’m still waiting for her to dump you on your ass! You aren’t even house trained People wear pants, that’s all I’m saying.”
“I’ll be sure to remind myself that next time I get all the sex because of lack of pants, I mean come on, easy access man, why have them on, at all?”
By Demetri’s sudden silence, I could only assume he was suddenly wondering if Zane wasn’t a genius.
I dug back into my food and stilled mid-chew when Demetri elbowed me and asked again, “So?”
I rolled my eyes. And held up two fingers.
“Days?” Zane.
I shook my head.
“Months?” Alec.
Maybe I’d choke on my burger and die? Yeah that sounded nice.
Another shake of the head.
Demetri’s voice was hopeful. “Dog years?”
I dropped my burger onto my plate and scooted my chair out, “I think, I may just, use the bathroom too.”
“Cool,” Zane nodded, “If you run into Will maybe give him some of your food.”
“I don’t think I need any more brothers!” I yelled over my shoulder.
“Too late!” Zane yelled back.
I smiled all the way to the bathroom, rounded the corner, and ran directly into Will’s muscled chest.
My mouth was still half filled with hamburger.
And I had visions of sharing my hamburger.
But not the one I was chewing.
How were the guys suddenly the bad influence while I was left blushing and gaping, mouth half open, at the only person who had the power to continually hurt me in a merciless cycle of pain?
I jerked away.
His stare always did me in — he knew it, I knew it, America knew it. Maybe it was the way his eyes searched yours like he was prying tiny bits of information from your soul; or in my case, prying bits away so he could use them against me later. He really did have the best eyes, they made you think you mattered, his eyes. They made girls believe that every single time he opened that mouth of his, that his words, his pretty poetic words were just for them.
At one time, I believed they’d been for me.
It was a short-lived fantasy.
There’s a reason that they called his smile the Sutherland Sunset, it made you feel warm, protected, sexy.
But he wasn’t smiling now.
No he just looked — like he always did. Contemplative, angry, reserved, and too damn sexy for his own good, and mine if I was being truly honest.
“I was just going to use the bathroom.” I blurted then tried to sidestep him, his hand pressed against the wall, his arm blocked me. “Something wrong?”
“No.” He bit down on his lip, his lazy sexy eyes focused on my mouth. My feet rooted to the floor even though I wanted to bolt. “It’s just, you have… ketchup.” He rubbed his thumb across my lower lip. “There, all better.”