“You’re drunk,” I said.
“And you’re very smart.” He shot me a sloppy wink. “I’m gonna dig in your head and find out everything. Just wait.”
My face scrunched. “That sounds painful.”
Roddy shook his head and ventured to the fridge. “Fucking gross, man.” He peered into it and started rummaging around even though we had loads of food already set out. He pulled out a log of pastrami, peeled back the wrapping, and took a bite out of the end. That was the moment I realized Roddy was just as under the influence as Adam.
There was a knock on the door, and Adam darted off to answer it. June patted my shoulder as soon as he left the room.
“This has to be the worst,” she murmured.
“Like bamboo under my fingernails.” I threw back the shot Adam had shoved in my hand a minute ago. “But I’ll get over it.”
I hooked my arm through June’s and convinced her to venture out into the party with me, but only after I swore I wouldn’t leave her side even once. Just as we left the kitchen, Adam was showing his newest guests in.
Natalie and her friend, Marissa, were squished to his sides, his arms around their waists.
Adam caught my eye. “Baddie, these girls need some drinks.”
My stomach fell to the floor with a violent crash. Bile rose in my throat. If he thought I’d serve Natalie a drink, he could go fuck himself. I didn’t know what she was doing here, and I didn’t want to know. All I felt was betrayal and mortification.
June spoke up, as loud and clear as I’d ever heard her. “You know where the drinks are. Serve them yourself.”
Then she pulled me away, keeping me close to her side. She swerved around groups of people in the living room until we’d crossed the space and made it to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
I put my hand on the glass, sucking in shallow breaths. “I really hate this.”
She put her hand beside mine. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
My chest was so tight, and my anger was so righteous, I found it hard to calm down. How could he invite her here? When the hell had he talked to her? He knew how I felt about her. If he was hooking up with her, I didn’t think I could stand it. No, I knew I couldn’t. I still had pride, and that was an uncrossable line for me.
No matter how much I loved him, needed him, didn’t want to live without him, even if it was just as a friend, I would. I couldn’t live with knowing he’d been with Natalie. And tossing her in my face? No, I wasn’t down with that.
“It’s fine. I’ll get over it.” That was my motto for tonight, or maybe my whole life. I’d get over all of it.
The party swirled around us. Iris brought us drinks, insisting we join her and Ronan and a few producer friends instead of being wallflowers. We got sucked into their group, June wedged between Iris and me, and it was easier. I’d always loved talking to new people, asking them a thousand questions, figuring them out. One of the guys, Pete, migrated to my side of our little circle so we could have more of a one-on-one chat.
Pete was cute. Hot even. Taller than me, skinny, but not unattractively so, with dark, messy hair, a ring in his nose, and two sleeves of tattoos. From the way he was leaning into me, he seemed to think I was cute too.
When he touched my arm, I let him. And when he asked me to show him where the drinks were, I made sure June was cool with sticking by Iris for a minute then led him to the kitchen.
I handed him the drink I concocted for him, then propped my butt on the marble counter.
He took a sip and made an appreciative sound. “You’re like the little hostess with the mostest.” Then he propped himself right beside me.
“Not the hostess. I just happen to know my way around since my apartment is right next door and the mirror image.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Oh, word? That’s cool. Same style?”
I giggled, although I didn’t feel it. “No. My decorating style is a lot more girly.”
His eyes traveled over me with what I recognized as appreciation. And damn, wasn’t it nice to be openly appreciated by a guy I found attractive? It was the wrong guy, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“That doesn’t surprise me, Adelaide.” He fingered the strap of my dress. “You have an ultrafeminine vibe without being childish. I like it. I really like it.”
Just as I was about to ask what that meant, Adam strolled in. His head jerked back at seeing Pete and me, side by side, his finger under my strap.
“Looks cozy in here,” he said dryly.