“What? I never know what’s going to make you black out and damned near put someone in a coma, so I played it safe,” Emmett said, looser-lipped than usual thanks to whatever the hell he was drinking. I knew he was making a rare reference to the Tim Lillard incident, and the fact that I never told him why it went down. The only people who knew about that shit were Iain and Tim himself. And I guess Pattie before she died.
“Man, you really know how to brighten my mood,” I muttered just as my eyes spotted something well across the room – the bounce of that honey-colored ponytail. Jesus. Apparently, just the swing of her hair from twenty yards away could make my dick twitch in my jeans.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better I want you over Julian for my best man.”
My head whipped over to Emmett.
“Fuck off,” I blurted. “Now he’s really gonna trade me.”
He laughed.
“Nah, he’s all lost in Dad-land right now. He’s so wrapped around Luna’s finger he’ll barely notice that I passed him up,” Emmett said. “So what do you say? Are you in or what?”
I didn’t have to think twice.
“Of course I am, fucknut,” I grinned, before pushing off the bar to rush toward Evie. She’d been on the phone since I spotted her a minute ago, but I could tell from the expression on her face that the conversation was taking a bad turn.
And that and me suspecting that she was talking to Mike.
“Who is it? Give me the phone,” I muttered to her as she hastily wiped the corner of her eye, mouthing hold on before walking away from me.
I followed, catching up with her just as she hissed, “And you don’t think you made me feel hurt and embarrassed?”
That was all I needed to hear.
“Drew!” Evie gasped as I grabbed the phone from her and held it to my ear.
“What’s up, Mike, do me a favor – unless it’s to apologize for all the shit you pulled on her, don’t call my girlfriend again. And while we’re at it, keep my name out of your mouth. Sound good?” I let him stammer a string of non-words before cutting him off. “Cool. ‘Night.”
“Drew!” Evie hissed the moment I hung up. She jumped in an attempt to grab her phone but I held it over her head. “What the hell, Drew!”
“What did he say to you?”
“Nothing! Give my phone back!”
“Look, we’ve both had more than a few drinks tonight, and the last person you need to be talking to is this asshole who’s going to get you so riled up you might say the wrong thing in front of him.”
“You think I’m going to spill to him about our whole deal? I’m not wasted, Drew, and I don’t need you to fight my battles!”
“I’m not trying to fight your battles. I just want to know what he said to get you this upset. You were crying – I can see that,” I said heatedly, my observation instantly stopping Evie mid-reach for her phone. She crossed her arms and puckered her lips with defiance.
“I wasn’t crying,” she lied with such insistence that I actually saw her tears dry up on the spot. Damn. Impressive.
“Fine then, you weren’t. But tell me what he said.” I waited two seconds and when she didn’t answer, I waded through all the noise in my head, which was mostly thoughts about how goddamned sexy she looked all mad at me. It took awhile, but I finally remembered what I heard her saying on the phone before I grabbed it. “He said I would hurt and embarrass you?” I asked, feeling my blood heat up again.
She chewed the corner of her mouth, making that plump bottom lip look even plumper.
“Yes.”
“Alright. What else?”
“That being with you would degrade me.”
“Degrade you?” Jesus. “What else?”
Evie heaved a sigh.
“That you don’t care about me. And you don’t know how to make me laugh.”