Blake glanced around the house, taking in the handful of people hanging out. “Where’s Hannah?”
The air hissed from his friend’s mouth. “Not here.”
Premonition itched.
“What happened?’
James’s expression grew more pinched. He shook his head and stayed quiet for a moment.
“I fucked up. The other night, after we all had coffee and I drove Tori back to the bar…”
Blake waited for him to finish but had a pretty good idea where this was going.
“I lost my damn mind, and I kissed her.”
Damn.
“Before you ask, no, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. We were arguing all night, and then suddenly I had my tongue in her mouth.”
“You sleep with her, too?”
“No.” He cleared his throat and sighed. “I came to my senses pretty quick.”
James was all but engaged to Hannah. This couldn’t be good. “So, what are you going to do?”
James took a swig of beer and shrugged. “It’s already done. I tried to forget about it. Pretend it didn’t happen. But the guilt ate me alive.”
“So, you told Hannah?”
“I met her for lunch Wednesday and confessed.”
“How’d she react?”
The laugh that followed was bitter. “We broke up. Or, I should say, she broke up with me.”
Whatever he’d expected his friend to say, it wasn’t that. Shock had him fumbling for words.
The two had been together since middle school. Blake had figured Hannah would be pissed and hurt, but to end the relationship immediately?
“I’m sorry, man. I hope you guys can work it out over time.”
“Thanks. It’s why I showed up at your apartment. I was in pretty bad shape. Then seeing you with Kris made me snap.” He grimaced. “I won’t apologize for hitting you because the bottom line is she’s still my sister. But if you really like her, and she feels the same, I hope things turn out okay.”
James grunted, his gaze empty as he glanced at the handful of people inside the house.
If she wasn’t here yet, she wasn’t coming. He knew it in his gut. “I’m going to head to Tori’s and see if she’s there.”
“Tori.” James’s lips twisted in a bitter smile. “You’ll understand if I don’t go with you.”
“I wouldn’t want you to.”
“Get out of here, and go win over my sister.”
*
After Blake buzzedher apartment for five minutes, Tori finally unlocked the door to the building.
Blake took the stairs at record pace, reading the numbers on each door before arriving at Tori’s.