"Way to get one of my fruit servings." I watched the bartender flick the cap off. "What's with the accent?" I asked Drio.
"Just another good 'ol American boy," he drawled. "Makes more sense I'd know Ro if I'm from the US."
The bartender reached under the bar.
"Don't worry about a glass." I took the bottle, condensation dripping down its sides, savoring the first burst of fruity alcohol on my tongue.
"Who's that? She looks familiar," Drio said, nodding over at Lily and Rohan still talking in the lobby.
"Dr. Lily Prasad. Beautiful genius."
His face lit up with an interested gleam. I braced myself, expecting some comment on her body or stating that he wanted an introduction. "Lightning girl."
My beer hit the ground.
6
I jumped out of the way of the pooling liquid. "What?"
Drio, staring over at her and nodding, was oblivious to my shock. "Yeah. Her glasses threw me. She studies lightning or some shit. A physicist, right?"
"Geophysicist studying electrostatics," I parroted. Lily was the one that Rohan had written "Toccata and Fugue" for? The original lightning girl? The love of his life? I bent down to pick up the bottle shards, cutting my palm on one fat piece. Holding my bleeding hand up, I grabbed the towel that the bartender had brought to sop up the mess. "Sorry," I said.
"Leave it. You need a Band-Aid." The bartender jogged off.
Drio, still checking Lily out, whistled. "She's even better looking now." With that, he left to catch up with Samson.
I wrapped the towel around my hand. Sure, my Rasha healing would take care of this gash in a jiffy but I liked the tourniquet sensation this gave me. A sharp focused pain. I willed myself to move since I couldn't stand here by myself, emotionally exposed like this.
My chest twisted in self-loathing as I caught sight of my reflection in the shiny mirror behind the bar. What had seemed so clever when dealing with Samson seemed so tawdry when compared to Lily.
I forced my breaths to keep time with the steady gurgle of the coffee pot by the bar sink.
The chatter of voices from the lobby washed over me, while the warm air from the register in the ceiling above me ruffled my hair.
I wished I could turn back time. Erase that night in the park with Rohan singing a song neither of us wanted to hear. Maybe without it, our fuck buddy status would have stayed easy and fun. And why force me to witness his reunion with Lily? Some sort of payback for going off-book?
The bartender peeled the towel away, tossing it into the sink behind the bar. He caught my wounded hand, turning it palm up. Although the bleeding had stopped, he pressed the fat, square Band-Aid in place with a feather-light touch. "Are you sure you're fine?" He continued to hold my hand, a smile in his eyes.
I smiled back, my facial muscles on autopilot while my brain stuttered on Lily being lightning girl.
"She's good."
The bartender dropped my hand at Rohan's growl. He gave us a long assessing look, then shrugged. "Just checking." He disappeared into the back depths of the lounge.
I sorted through and discarded a million comments as Rohan stood there taking up far too much room and more than his fair share of oxygen. "Problem?"
He arched an eyebrow. "You tell me."
I ripped off the Band-Aid, tossing it in the trash. The wound would be fully healed in another minute. "Did I miss the memo where I wasn't supposed to talk to other men?"
"You're my groupie first."
That was technically true but to say it here? Now? I expected being made to feel second-best from my parents and from the Brotherhood, both of whom wanted, at least at some point, Ari as the bright shiny twin. No problem. I agreed with them. I was happy to be in his shadow, especially if it took the focus off my own path as Rasha.
But right now, second-best would have been a status upgrade because in the past fifteen minutes, Rohan had succeeded in making me feel like nothing.
No guy was allowed to do that to me.
Looping my fingers into his belt, I jerked his hips to mine. Rohan's breath caught and when I brushed my lips over the shell curves of his ear, his whole body went tense. "Prove you're worth it, baby." Then I pushed him away, stalking off without a look back, mostly sure that he followed.
The second we got inside the empty elevator, Rohan shoved me up against the wall. I groped for the third floor button, leaning into him. He ran his hands feverishly over my body, hot tingles shivering through my breasts like a sexed-up call and answer. The focused hunger in his expression had me craving more, except my rapid breathing wasn't all from arousal.