He beams at me and twirls me under his arm.
It’s so easy to lose track of everything at the party. People are getting drunker by the minute. I head to the bar to get some water, just so I can cool off and rest my legs for a minute and I find a couple making out. The girl is actually trying to crawl onto the guy’s lap, like she just can’t get close enough to him, like no amount of touching is enough if she’s not on him.
I laugh and ask for water, but feel a big body behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I find Nick. He rubs my shoulders, asks for a whiskey sour, and then corrects the bartender, making him pull from the top shelf.
My men love the best of everything, especially when it comes to liquor.
I rub Nick’s chest. “I didn’t see you on the dance floor.”
“I was doing a job.” He taps my nose. “Talking to Matthew.”
“Oh yeah?”
“He’s worried that he was blind to who Bella really is. He was asking if I felt that way with you.”
I feel a cold shiver spread down my spine. “Do you feel that way?”
“Sophie, you are the most genuine person in the world. I’ve always taken you at face value. The only thing I was blind to at the start was what a good mother you’d come to be.”
I take a slow breath, trying to keep myself under control. “Nick, that’s so sweet.”
He throws back half the drink in one swallow, tips my water to me, and makes a face. “I don’t know how he did with that comment, but each relationship is so different, it’s hard to give advice ... hence why I said he should talk to Valerie. She’s probably better than whoever they’ve been seeing.”
“Nick!”
“Dance with me!” He finishes his glass and drags me to the dance floor.
He gets wild, busting out moves like the sprinkler that make me laugh. He doesn’t care what anyone else thinks that’s for sure. I can imagine him doing these same dance moves at a father-daughter dance with Cora and I think I fall even more in love with him in that moment.
I lose him and run right into Matthew. Matthew takes me around to a quiet area, then points at me before setting his glass to the side and pointing at me again. “How did you get to be perfect?”
“Um ... I’m not perfect.”
“Ask your men.”
“Yeah, they have rose colored glasses. I’m me, Matthew. I’m good for Gunner, Roman, Nick, and Holden. You were good for Bella, right?”
“Was. Not enough.” He snorts, then pulls me closer. “This whole time, you’ve been right here, Sophie. How did I not see you? Was it because Bella pretended to be everything I wanted?”
“No one pretends that well, Matthew. I think you should have some water,” I say, patting his shoulders. “have some water, or head outside and let some of the cold air-”
He leans forward, like he’s going to kiss me, and I put my palm over his mouth. “Absolutely not.”
He mumbles something against my hand and I drop it while holding him back. “What?”
“Gunner kissed Bella. You’re allowed.”
“No.Bellakissed Gunner. Even if it was the other way around, no. I’m happily married.”
“If you weren’t married?”
“We’re close to friends, Matthew, but I don’t really know you that well. Even if I wasn’t married to the men of my dreams, I wouldn’t throw myself at you or let you kiss me while drunk. I need you to walk away now.”
He doesn’t look around, doesn’t do anything but stare at me. “What if I don’t want to walk away, Sophie? What if I need a woman like you? Someone genuine and real?”
“Bella is real and she has real emotions.”
“She broke my heart too!” He raises his voice.