by S. M. Soto
“Bethany doesn’t know what she’s talking about. If I could, I’d take you home with me because you, Ava, are a gem. A diamond in the rough.” Her mouth quirks at my Aladdin reference. “And like I said, the family who gets to keep you will be the luckiest family in the world.”
She sniffles. “I wish it was you.”
“I wish it was that easy, sweetheart. If I could, if that was an option for me, I’d choose you in a heartbeat, Ava. Because we’re one and the same.”
“You would?” she asks, surprised.
I laugh. “Of course, I would. You remind me of someone I knew. Of two people I knew, actually.”
“Who were they?”
A tear slips free without my permission, and as if she can’t stand the sight of it, Ava brushes it away with her little hand. “My sister. You look just like her. But you know what else? You remind me of me. I was just like you.”
“Where is your sister now?”
“She died,” I choke out, trying to pull it together. “But that was a long time ago, sweetheart.”
“Do you miss her?” She inquires in that sweet little voice.
“Every single day,” I whisper, twisting one of her curls.
We’re silent for a beat. Finally, Ava brings those sad eyes back to me. “Do you think I’ll ever see you again?”
I hope so. God, I hope so.
“Well …” I clear my throat. “I hope we do. Maybe one day. Promise you won’t forget me?” I tease, and she smiles, eyes lighting with happiness.
She squeezes my hand in hers and whispers, “Never.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat behind me has us both looking toward the source, and my mouth suddenly goes dry when I see who it is. My belly warms. That tugging in my gut is back with a vengeance.
As Baz stands there, his hands stuffed in his pockets, his eyes flit from me to Ava, but they linger on me. Something is different in his expression. It’s not as soft and open as it was back at his penthouse, but there’s a gentleness to him that I haven’t noticed before tonight. Before right now.
He looks back down at Ava, and much to my surprise, he walks toward us. I push upright, the muscles in my legs screaming as I move from squatting in that position for so long.
When I glance at Ava, she’s watching Baz with a wide-eyed gaze, much like she was with me at first, but there’s also a wariness there. She doesn’t know this man. I smile at her, trying to put her at ease.
“Ava, this is Baz. He’s—”
Her eyes light up, bouncing between the two of us. “Is he your boyfriend?”
I laugh, shooting a quick glance at Baz, hoping he’s not getting spooked. Imagine my surprise when he lowers himself down to a leveled gaze with Ava. There’s a soft smile on his face. Once again, it’s a look, an expression, I’ve never seen on him before, and I find that I’m quite fond of it. I’m quite fond of him.
“I’m Scarlett’s date.” He leans forward, cupping one hand over his mouth. “Don’t tell her I said this, but you’re giving her a run for her money tonight.”
Ava giggles, blushing profusely. She glances up at me, and my smile cannot be contained. Watching Baz get down on his knee to indulge this little girl is making my ovaries explode.
“Uh-oh,” Ava says slyly. “You must not be cool if she doesn’t let you call her Mackenzie.”
Baz’s lips twitch, and he shoots me a look, slowly raising his brows. I can read the “Oh, really?” clear as day.
“I call her many things. My girlfriend is one of them.”
My eyes grow large and round, and my breath catches. What?
Baz must like that reaction because he grins, eyes lighting with amusement, as he turns back to Ava. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Ava nods enthusiastically. “She looks like a princess. Better than a princess.”
“I agree. I’m a lucky guy, aren’t I?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s the prettiest ever. I wish she was my mom.”
The lightness suddenly dims, and the air surrounding us grows heavy. I quickly shoot Baz a look, trying to hide how sad her comment makes me. Because if I’m being honest, I wish I could be this little girl’s mom. But there’s too much going on in my life. I wish I was at a point where I could care for a child, but I’m not. Hell, I’m in so much debt, I can’t even take care of myself.
As if Baz understands how close I am to losing it, he doesn’t miss a beat. “What are your plans for the rest of dinner, Ava? Would you like to eat with us?”
Her mouth drops open in shock and so does mine.
What is he doing?
She nods her head frantically as though she can’t say yes fast enough. “Good,” he says, pushing to his feet. He reaches his hand out for her to take, and the second I see her little hand slide into his, engulfed by his, everything inside me fills with that damn glitter. It’s bursting, spilling throughout my organs.
We walk back into the banquet hall and take our seat at the table. The attendant glances over at us and Ava but doesn’t say anything. Our food has already been served, but Baz calls over for another plate for Ava, and as she takes the empty seat beside me, I lean into Baz, keeping my voice low.
“What are you doing?”
He looks at me, shrugging. “I have no fucking idea. I just couldn’t see that look on either of your faces anymore.”
“You’re something else, Baz King,” I whisper, resting my shoulder against him.
“So are you.” Our lips softly graze each other at first, but then the kiss becomes firmer. Hotter. Rougher. His tongue slides with mine, and I moan into his mouth, almost forgetting there’s a child right next to us. When we pull back, my lips feel swollen, and I can feel several sets of eyes on us, but at this moment, I couldn’t really care less.
For the rest of dinner, I eat with a smile on my face as Baz engages Ava in conversation. She’s shy at first, just as she was with me, but with each question he asks, she starts to warm up to him. I learn a lot about her. Her favorite color. Her favorite food. I also learn a lot about him at that moment, too. As well as myself.
It’s abundantly clear to me that I’m falling for Baz. I’m falling for every part of him. And I’m scared to death of what this means. Not only for me and what the future holds, but if he ever found out what I’ve been up to, there will be no coming back from something like that. For either of us.
When we finish dinner, the child attendant stands, grabbing our attention, silently telling us that they’re rounding up the kids for them to leave, and my heart shrivels. Pain slices through my chest, and when I look down at my side toward Ava, I know she realizes it, too.
The truth is, I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again, but I want to.
“You be a good girl now, okay? And remember what I said about the bullies.”
She nods, that light in her eyes now dimming. “Will you visit me?”
I smile a watery smile. “I’ll do my best. That family is going to be the luckiest family in the world.”
“Okay.” She doesn’t smile. And unable to help myself, I pull Ava into a hug. Her little arms band around me, and she squeezes. She squeezes so hard, I fear she won’t let go, but then her grip on me loosens, and when I look into her blue eyes, they’re swimming with tears. I brush the curls off her face and smile down at her. It’s like smiling down at the younger version of Madison. It has me drowning with emotion.
“You’re my favorite little person, Ava. Please don’t forget it.”
She surprises both Baz and me when she moves past me and throws her arms around him, too. At first, he’s frozen. His hands are stuck in the air as if he’s unsure what to do with them. But then he looks at me and slowly places his hands on her back and pats, hugging her back.
I try to hold it together as she’s escorted out with the other kids by the attendants. When I came here tonight, I had no idea I’d meet a little girl who would touch my heart. A little girl I connected with so easily. A little girl I hope I can see
again.
Blowing out a harsh breath, I reach for my clutch. “I’ll be back. I’m heading to the ladies’ room.”
Baz nods and wisely remains silent, likely knowing I need a moment to myself. The whole way there, I think about Ava. I think of Madison. I think of my younger self. I go through the motions, lifting my dress to use the restroom and washing my hands. I’m so stuck in my own head that when I walk out and bump into someone, I barely utter a response.
“Excuse me.”
When I try to move again, I bump into something else, and when I look up, I know why. A ball of dread tightens in my stomach when I meet Marcus’ eyes. I’m taken back to the day at his house, and I forget to breathe for a second. Everything about him is still the same. It’s eerie.
With bright honey eyes and brown shaggy hair that curls around his ears, he looks harmless. But I know better.
“Scarlett, right?” he asks, blocking my path. There’s no way around him. I glance warily over my shoulder, hoping someone else will come out of the women’s or the men’s restroom, but it doesn’t happen. It’s just the two of us.
When I look over Marcus’s shoulder that pit in my stomach deepens when I spot Trent. What are the odds of me running into all of them at this event?
It’s too good to be true, right?
Remembering that he asked me about my name, I swallow thickly and nod.
“Yeah. I don’t think I remember your name, though. You’ll have to forgive me.”
His brows rise, and he grins. It’s devilish. Wolfish. Fucking scary as hell.
“You don’t?”
He’s taunting me, I realize. And the way he’s staring at me, as if he can see through me, it’s like he knows who I really am, and I hate it.
“I should probably head back to our table. Baz will start to—”
Marcus takes a step into me, blocking my path, and I take a step back. We do this a few more times up until my sweaty back collides with the wall of the hallway.
“Baz will start to what? Wonder where you are?” Marcus tosses his head back and laughs at me. The sound bounces off the walls, spearing nails down my back. “You’re awfully sure of yourself, Scarlett. Baz isn’t what you’re looking for. He’s not the man you’ll marry and sure as hell isn’t going to play dad to any piss-poor little girl.”
My eyes narrow into thin slits as I glare up at him. I press my lips together in a grim line, trying to hold in the curse. How dare he talk about Ava. She’s just a child.
“I don’t expect anything from him, Marcus. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must go.”
I try to shoulder past him, but he roughly slams his hand above my head, caging me in. Marcus leans his head down, leveling our gazes, and I’m suddenly taken back in time. Everything falls away, the dimly lit, cream walls of the hall, the sound of lively voices and conversation. Instead, I’m back in Ferndale. I’m outside of Marcus’ house with his hand around my throat. His handsome face twisted with rage.
“You’re nothing,” he grits. I can feel his anger radiating off him in waves. It’s practically flaying my skin off.
“If all you came down here for is to belittle me, I get it. Now,” I say, trying to tame the tremble in my voice, “if you don’t step back and remove yourself, I am going to make a scene.”
There’s a chuckle behind him, and I know without looking it’s Trent. He’s still standing there, watching it all unfold.
“Would you look at that,” Marcus breathes out, taking a much-needed step back. “She has claws.”
I glare at him, and just as I brush past him, his next words have me tripping over my own feet.
“It’s funny, Scarlett. You appear into Baz’s life out of thin air. Get him to bed you at his resort. Show up to the club opening. And now you’re suddenly his arm candy.” He tsks. “It’s a bit fishy. A little too coincidental, if you ask me. But hey, what do I know? I don’t believe in fate or coincidences.”
I grind my teeth together, steeling myself as I spare him a glance over my shoulder. “Have a good night, Marcus.” My dismissal can’t be misinterpreted. I’m done with these games. All their games. They’re obviously trying to trip me up. They’re either threatened by my presence in Baz’s life, or worse, they have an inkling of who I am. We’re not in high school anymore, and I’m done with this bully mentality.
“Oh, I will, Scarlett. And by the way, I thought you didn’t know my name?” The smile that spreads across his face is bone-chilling. I replay our conversation frantically in my head.
“You told me—”
He shakes his head, tutting at me. “You and I both know I never told you my name, sweetheart. Been doing your due diligence, eh? I bet all that research on each of us has really paid off, hasn’t it?”
My heart jumps into my throat, and the contents of my stomach almost expel at my feet. I whirl back around, resuming my stride. I peek up at Trent, who’s leaning against the wall, watching me, but I quickly look away.
Where’s Baz? I need to find Baz.
Just as I exit the alcove of the hall, I pause, looking out at all the people, trying to find our table. I stiffen when I feel Trent lace his arm with mine.
“Come on. Let’s get you a drink,” he says, already steering us toward the bar.
Run now, Mack. Leave it all behind and run before it’s too late. I can hear Madison chanting in my head on a boisterous repeat.
I dig my heels in, trying to stop him from leading me there. “I should go find Baz. I don’t really need a drink.”
“He’s talking business. You’re not missed. Trust me.”
Obviously not taking no for an answer, Trent’s grip on my arm tightens, and I give in, following in step toward the bar.
He helps me onto one of the open barstools, his bright green eyes lingering on the exposed flesh of my thigh from the slit in the dress. His blonde hair is styled effortlessly, making him look debonnaire. He takes the open stool next to me and turns to me with a grin. It’s a punch to the gut. I’m back to that night when he shot me that same grin. Back then, it was easy to fall for it. I couldn’t see past my stupid crush on him, but now? He disgusts me. That fucking smile disgusts me.
He waves the bartender over, leaning closer to me. I inch away, uncomfortable with his proximity.
“What’s your poison, beautiful?”
I blow out a worried breath, glancing back over my shoulder, trying to spot Baz. “I really should get back.”
If I weren’t paying attention, I would’ve missed the anger flaring in his eyes, the tightening of his features, and the tic of his jaw.
“Humor me. It’s the very least you can do.” I raise my brows in question. “I did pick you first, after all.”
Before I can reply, telling him technically Baz found me first, the bartender takes our orders. Trent gets a simple bourbon on the rocks, and I opt for a glass of champagne.
Our drinks are slid across to us, but I keep my gaze fixed on Trent, taking in every detail about him. Much like the rest of the guys, he looks the same, just a little more mature with his features. His green eyes appraise me. They catch me watching him, and I glance down, worried he’ll see something too familiar in them.
Why didn’t I think to wear contacts before starting all this?
“So,” I say, clearing my throat before getting down to business. “Are you also upset that Baz has brought a woman around? It seems I’ve struck a nerve with the rest of your friends.”
Trent smirks, leaning into me. “Oh, I’m very upset, Scarlett. But not for the reasons you think. Baz has something that I want.”
I stiffen when his hand settles just above my knee. His grip is firm, not painful, but it’s there, sending unpleasant shockwaves through my body.
“And what would that be?”
His hand slowly starts to make its ascent, and I slap my other hand on top, halting its progression.
“I think you know,” he says, voice tight.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t have a pr
oblem finding someone else.”
Trent takes a dark lock of my hair and rubs it through his fingers. “Anyone ever tell you you’d make an amazing blonde?” he muses, and my heart stops beating. The alarm bells are going off, and Madison is still screaming for me to get out.
“N-No,” I croak.
He drops the wave, but his fingers find my bare shoulder, and he begins tracing my skin, leaning into me slowly, as if I don’t notice.
“I don’t want anyone else. That’s my issue. Though I wouldn’t mind sharing. Have you ever been shared before, Scarlett? Have you ever been ridden by two cocks at once?”
Heat rises to my cheeks, and I fidget uncomfortably. What the fuck is happening?
When I was younger, I would’ve jumped at this opportunity. Any opportunity to be with him, but things have changed. I’ve changed.
“I’d rather no—”
I don’t have a chance to finish that sentence because Trent’s mouth is suddenly on mine, silencing me. My eyes widen, and I try to jerk back away from him once I feel his tongue enter my mouth, but his grip on my thigh tightens, making me whimper, giving him full access to my mouth.
Trying another tactic, I settle my hands on his chest and try to push back, but he doesn’t budge. When I try again, he goes flying back, and I realize much too late why.
There’s a loud commotion. It takes me a second to process what’s happening, and when I do, I stumble to my feet, my free hand slapping over my mouth to suppress the whimper.
Baz has Trent by the front of his tux and has him pinned to the bar top with his other hand around his neck. He’s growling in his face, saying something I can’t make out. The veins in his neck are straining, and his skin is brightening with the force of his rage. Everyone is staring at us. Some are already whispering, others are laughing, and most look on in disapproval.
I eat up the distance between the guys, trying to get to Baz before he makes a bigger scene. I grip his bicep in my hand and tug on him.
