Before me and Elijah head to King’s Tavern, he presents me with a gift.
“Figured I’d give this to you now,” he says, handing over a gift bag. “You may be wasted before the night’s over.”
“Hopefully,” I say with a grin. “Thanks, man.”
I take the bag from his hand and reach inside, pulling out sketch paper, charcoal pencils, oil paints, brushes, and everything else an artist could need.
“I know you use the sketchpad Mom bought you, but I noticed the last time you were at the house with it that it was running low on paper. Bought everything else I could think of. I’m sure you’ll put it to use.”
I smile and give him a hug. “You know I will. Thanks, E. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. You ready to go?”
I place the gift bag on the kitchen counter, and grab my keys, wallet, and phone. “Yep. Let’s go.”
We hop into his Audi and start the drive to the bar.
“So, how are things going?” E asks, and I don’t even have to ask for clarification, because based on his tone, I know he’s talking about me and Midge.
“Well, I don’t know.” He’s silent, waiting for me to say more. “Okay, I like her. That’s what you want to hear, right?”
He doesn’t grin or laugh or say I told you so, he just keeps looking out at the road. “That was never a question. We all like her.”
“Right. But yeah, I like her more than you should like a friend. I tucked those feelings away for many years, but now that we’re doing what we’re doing, it’s been hard to keep them from bubbling to the surface.”
“She likes you, too.”
“I mean, yeah, sure. You’re not gonna sleep with someone you don’t like.”
“Maybe you should tell her how you feel. How you always felt. It might make her change her mind about it being a short-term thing.”
“She scares easy,” I say, looking out the passenger window. “She thought London might have found out and looked terrified. I told her we should stop for a little while, but then she got sick and I went over to make sure she was okay. We didn’t really get to talk about what’s happening with us, but we’re definitely not on the same page.”
“I’m sorry, man. I really hope it works out for you. Give her some time. It hasn’t been too long.”
“Yeah, I know. Thanks, bro.”
When we pull up to the bar, I can tell it’s going to be packed, because both the parking lot and street side parking is full.
“What the hell did Royce say to get all these people to come here?”
Elijah shrugs. “Who knows?”
As soon as we walk through the doors, nearly everyone yells out happy birthday. I spot Royce behind the bar with his arms in the air and a huge smile on his face. He’s clearly proud of himself.
As we maneuver through the crowd, I see a lot of familiar faces and get plenty of birthday wishes, handshakes, and hugs. My eyes instantly find the stage area, because Royce has a white backdrop hanging over the red brick wall, and black balloons spelling out happy birthday, surrounded by LED lights. A variety of white, black, and silver balloons float throughout the room, and I can’t imagine Royce going through all this trouble. London must’ve helped him.
“Happy birthday, bro,” he says, handing me a shot and a beer. “No time to waste.”
“Thanks, man. Place looks good.”
London pops up next to me, giving me a hug. “Happy birthday. Like the balloons?”
“Your doing?”
She grins. “Mostly, but Royce did help.”
“I love it. Thanks.”
Royce pours two more shots and hands one to Elijah. “Come on, guys.”
The three of us take our first shots of the night, then I chase it down with a gulp of beer. I try not to make it too obvious that I’m looking for Midge, but my eyes definitely roam around the room a few times.
Jon and Daniel push their way to the bar. “Happy birthday! Feelin’ old yet?” Jon asks.
“Not yet,” I reply with a chuckle. “Maybe in a few more years.”
Daniel nods. “Yep. It’ll happen before you know it. One day you’re fine, the next day you wake up to aches and pains in your knees and back.”
Jon laughs. “Oh, please. You’re not old.”
Daniel levels a look at me, and I laugh. “Well, then I’ll live up these next few years, I guess.”
Me, London, Elijah, Jon, and Daniel all hang out near the bar, talking and drinking, with Royce coming by every chance he can.
“Dude, are you really gonna be working this whole night?” I ask.
“Nah, I’m just helping out. I’ll be drinking soon, and then when I’m too drunk to work, I’ll be on the other side of the bar with you guys,” he says with a laugh.
London playfully rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “I’m surprised he doesn’t have a bar in his house. It’s where he’s most comfortable.”
“Good idea, babe,” Royce says.
“Look what you did,” I joke. “Giving him ideas.”
London makes a face. “Anyway, Midge will be here soon.”
“Okay,” I say, pretending like I haven’t been wondering where she’s at this whole time.
A tiny smile plays on her lips. “Yeah, she texted me a little bit ago.”
“Cool,” I reply, nodding my head.
Two more drinks later, I’m approached by Jenny again. London is up at the bar with Royce. Jon and Daniel are dancing, and Elijah left me at the booth to go to the bathroom.
“Hey, birthday boy,” Jenny flirts, giving me a wide smile. “Twenty-seven looks good on you.”
I chuckle. “But twenty-six didn’t?”
She takes a seat next to me. “You’ve always looked good. What about me?” she questions with another smile.
She’s wearing a black, deep-cut top, showcasing her cleavage, and I’m pretty sure a pair of skin-tight blue jeans, but I honestly wasn’t paying that much attention when she walked up. Her red hair is pulled up into a high ponytail, and a pair of long, dangling black earrings swing from her ears.
“You look great,” I tell her. “Who you here with?”
She doesn’t look anywhere but at me. “Just me. I heard about your party, so I figured I’d stop by and say hello.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
She scoots closer and trails her red-painted fingernail over the ink on my forearm. “I’ve always loved your tattoos. What’s the story behind them?”
I try to move away without being too obvious about it. The fact that I’m almost up against the wall as it is, doesn’t give me much space. She’s being very direct and coming onto me hard, and if I wasn’t into Midge, I’d probably be all for this, but unease coils in my stomach. I haven’t seen Midge yet, but she could very well come in at any time. And where the fuck is Elijah?
“Well,” I reply, gazing down at my arm. “Each one means something different. Some don’t mean anything,” I say with a short chuckle.
She giggles, placing her hand on my thigh as she leans forward. My head snaps up like someone called my name. Except nobody said anything, I just knew she was here. I could feel it. And sure enough, Midge stands just a few feet away, looking drop-dead gorgeous. Only, she’s fuming.
To make matters worse, as my gaze is stuck on Midge, Jenny leans into me, her hand gently resting on my chest, and whispers into my ear, “Why don’t you come home with me tonight?”
40
Midge
When I see Cillian sitting with Jenny, my feet falter, leaving me standing nearby, unable to pull my gaze away from them. My face flushes with anger, and my jaw clenches tightly.
I’m late to the party because I changed my goddamn outfit six thousand times in an effort to make Cillian’s jaw drop. I wanted to drive him crazy all night long until he couldn’t take it any longer, and needed to steal me away to a private spot.
Yet, here he is, cozied up in a booth with Jenny. At least he has it in him to look scared. More like b
usted.
Before I fly over there in a rage and make a scene, I rein in my emotions and turn away, telling myself this is why I don’t do relationships. This is why I don’t allow myself to get close to people. Everyone will disappoint you.
“Midge!”
I turn my head to the right, seeking out the female voice who called my name. It’s London.
I give her a forced grin, and as soon as she meets my gaze, recognition flares in her eyes and she rushes over.
“What’s wrong?”
It takes me a few seconds, because I’m afraid my stupid emotions are going to make me cry as soon as I open my mouth and explain what I just saw.
This! This is another reason why I don’t fuck with relationships. Crying? I don’t cry. I’m not a weepy, little girl. Yet, here I am, on the verge of tears, because the night I was going to tell a man I was ready for more, I catch him cuddling with another woman. I guess he didn’t need much time to move on.
Instead of speaking, I turn around and look in the direction of the booth they’re sharing. London’s eyes find the table, only now, Cillian is fighting to get past Jenny, his gaze trained on me.
“Cillian and Jenny,” I state simply.
London gasps softly, and I take off toward the bathroom, not wanting to talk to Cill right now.
As soon as I’m in the comfort and silence of the room, I lock the main door so he can’t get in, because I know he’ll try.
A woman exits one of the stalls and washes her hands before heading to the door. I quickly unlock it and give her a lopsided grin.
“Men.”
She smiles like she’s been there before. “Gotcha. Good luck.”
Once she’s gone, I lock it again and lean my back against the door. Sure enough, less than a minute later, Cillian’s at the door.
He jiggles the doorknob, but when he realizes it’s locked, he slaps his hand against the wood.
“Midge, let me in.”
I ignore him.
“I get that what you walked in on looked bad, but you have to believe me, nothing happened.”
I roll my eyes. Typical.
“Midge!” He hits the door again. “Jenny came to me. Flirting and trying to touch me, but I haven’t laid a finger on her. I swear.”
I squeeze my eyes closed. Cill’s always been honest, and I’d have no reason to doubt that he’s telling the truth now, plus, it is Jenny, and I know how she is.
I sigh, then turn around and open the door.
Growth. That’s what this is.
Cillian’s hands are braced against the door jam, his back hunched over, and gaze trained on the floor.
He lifts his head when the door opens, then straightens up, breathing a sigh of relief.
I keep my stance on the other side of the threshold, watching him.
“I am not messing around with Jenny,” he states simply.
I sigh, trying my best to not let my past issues come into play now. “It looked like you two were pretty friendly.”
“I know. I’m sorry. She’s very pushy, and I didn’t want to be an asshole. I was hoping Elijah would be back soon, and she’d leave.”
“Jenny’s the one who my boyfriend cheated on me with,” I admit.
He tilts his head and frowns. “I’m sorry, Midge.”
I wave my hand through the air like it doesn’t bother me, but I guess I’m still holding a grudge. “She’s always hated me. We worked together, and my boyfriend at the time, Matthew, would come to the bank to get me for lunch or just stop in, so she knew we were together. She’s always been a flirt, and she would flirt with him, but he would always pay it no mind. At least at first. He convinced me he wasn’t interested in her, but then they started sleeping together. I’m not even sure how long it lasted. I got two different answers from them, and I’m not inclined to believe either one, so I’m assuming it was a few months.” I take a breath. “Anyway, I guess I just figured maybe she got to you, too.”
Cillian steps forward and gently grabs my arms. “I’m not interested in Jenny. I’m not interested in anyone but you.”
I peer up at him with a small grin. “I’m sorry I overreacted.”
“I don’t think you did. Maybe if you didn’t take the time to hear me out, but you did. I get it. I’d be pissed if I saw you with some guy like that.”
“We’re not together, though. Maybe I don’t have any right to be mad.”
Cillian runs his hands from my shoulders down to my wrists. “Whether you know it or not, whether you admit it to people or keep it to yourself, I’m yours. You can be mad if you want to be.”
My lips curl into a smile. I’m surprised he said he was mine and not I was his. Most alpha males are all about claiming you, but he’s presenting himself to me.
“If you’re mine, then what am I to you?”
“I’m waiting on you to tell me.”
We stay locked in on each other for several seconds, his fingers threading through mine. My lips part as I suck in a breath, ready to tell him that I’m his. That I’m willing to give him my heart and trust, and hope for the best.
“Excuse me, I have to pee. Are y’all gonna be here a while or what?” a woman asks, shifting back and forth on her feet.
“Oh, sorry,” Cillian says, pulling me out of the doorway. “All yours.”
The woman blows by us with a quick, “Thanks.”
“Guess we should head out here and have some fun, huh?” Cill asks.
“Sounds good.” I grab his hand and tug him back before he leaves the hallway. “Happy birthday.”
He grins. “Thank you.”
Once at the bar, he gets Royce’s attention. “Hey, let’s get another round of shots.”
Royce nods and grabs a bottle from the glass shelf behind him, and then lines up seven shot glasses.
Me, Cill, Royce, London, Jon, Daniel, and Elijah clink our glasses together and offer cheers to Cillian’s birthday. After that, Royce makes me a margarita on the rocks, and we all cluster around the bar to drink and talk.
London gives me a questioning look, so I make sure to give her a smile and whisper that everything’s okay. We’ll definitely talk more about it later, but for now, I’m going to enjoy myself.
Cill casually rests his arm on my shoulder. “Hey, you’re not so short tonight.”
I lift up my foot, showing him my six inch heels. “Now I’m only half a foot shorter than you.”
He eyes the heels then whispers, “I’d like to see you in nothing but those.”
A smile stretches across my face as my stomach clenches. “Oh really?”
“Mm.” His gaze moves from my lips to my eyes, like he wants to say so much more, but is restraining himself.
After I went through my six thousand outfit changes, I settled on a form-fitting white skirt that hugs every curve I have and comes to a stop just above my knee. It has red flowers on green stems with black accents, and my snug, red shirt is tucked into it.
“I’ll drop your present off tomorrow,” Royce tells Cillian. “I have to load it into the truck.”
Cillian raises his brows. “Big, huh?”
“Yeah, and you better fucking appreciate it,” he says with a laugh.
London told me Royce handmade Cillian a custom cabinet for his art supplies and canvases. He most definitely will appreciate it.
After a while, London pulls Royce from behind the bar, and we all go over to the backdrop they had set up for the party and take a few group shots. Me and London, of course, take several selfies, and then Cillian pops up behind us to get in the picture. When the rest of the group is preoccupied, London offers to take one of me and Cill. Nothing out of the ordinary, but my heart picks up speed anyway.
Cillian wraps his arm around my lower back, his hand coming to a rest on my hip, so I wrap my arm around his waist and smile a cheesy smile for the picture.
“That better make it to your collage in that table,” Cill says.
“What do you mean? I’m blowing it up a
nd framing it for my living room,” I joke.
“Even better.”
I playfully roll my eyes and turn to look for London. Her and the rest of the group have moved a little farther away, talking to some other people. When I spin back to look at Cill, I spot Jenny making her way over.
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter under my breath.
“What’s that?” Cill asks, but then he notices her, too. “Oh.”
“Hey, Cill. I see there’s a photo session going on over here. What do you say you and me take one together? Midge, you wouldn’t mind taking a picture of us, would you?”
I want to take the phone from her outstretched hand and slam it over her fucking head to wipe that smug smile off her face. The bitch has balls. Granted, she doesn’t know me and Cill have been fucking around, but good God, she knows me and her are not friends.
Cillian drapes his arm over my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. “Sorry, Jenny. Midge is my girl, and I’ve been made aware of y’all’s history. I’m not about to do anything to piss her off. Thanks for coming out, though.”
Then he guides us around her body, seemingly frozen in place, shocked expression on her face, and toward the bar. My lips stretch into a wide smile as my stomach flip-flops and my heart skips a beat. God, he’s the best.
I peek up at him, smile still plastered in place, and he glances down at me. “What?”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wasn’t about to have you take a picture of us together. She was clearly just trying to piss you off.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Plus, what she did to you before, that’s not cool. I’m on your side, Midge.”
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “You also said I was your girl.”
At the bar, we wait for Chad, another bartender, to head our way. Cillian stares into my eyes before responding. “Well, you are.”
Truth or Dare (Kingston Brothers Book 2) Page 20
