by Piper Rayne
“Seriously?”
She turns at the intersection. “What?”
“You know what, Sierra, I can’t. I just can’t anymore. I think we shouldn’t talk about Ethan. You’re clearly jealous.” I walk past her and through the crosswalk.
“Jealous? Why would I be jealous?” She follows me.
I whip back around. “Because you want to know why he likes me. Because anytime you don’t get something you want, you get jealous and spiteful and mean. I liked Ethan. A lot. But here I am trying to be a good friend to you.”
Hurt flashes across her face and for the first time I can remember she looks vulnerable. But it’s gone in a flash, replaced by anger. She raises her hands in the air. “Don’t do me any favors.”
“Fine, I won’t.”
“Fine.”
I leave her on the corner and walk in the opposite direction of Ink Envy and everything I’ve grown to love since moving here.
Opening the door to the first bar I find, I slide onto a stool and order a shot of whiskey.
The bartender gives me a strange look but pulls out a shot glass and pours me a shot.
I take a second to study the bar and see that almost every surface seems to be covered in red velvet fabric—the bar stools, the bench seats, even the walls look like the wallpaper is red velvet with some type of paisley decoration printed into it.
“Why is everything red velvet?”
The man next to me clears his throat. “Because red velvet is sexy.”
I turn to the right and sure enough Ethan’s nursing a beer. “You.”
He eyes my shot. “Rough night?”
I slide off the stool and approach him, nudging my way between his thighs. “Yes. Let’s go back to your place. I’m done being a good girl.” I smack my lips on his, but he pulls back with both of his hands on my shoulders.
“Good girl?”
“Yes. I don’t have to do everything right. I can be bad.”
“I’m sure you can,” another man nearby says.
Ethan glares in his direction. “Fuck off.”
My forehead falls to his chest and I mumble. His finger lands under my chin and he urges me up. “Mind telling me what’s going on?”
I take a sip of his beer because let’s face it, I’m not a whiskey drinker. It sounded good and I get the appeal in the dark moment of a movie when the hero asks for one, but I’m already throwing up thinking about swallowing it. “Sierra and I fought.”
He nods.
“I have good news for you.” I run my finger down his chest. “She gave me permission to date you.”
He stops my finger and holds my hand to his chest. “There we go with the permission thing again.”
“You know what I mean. I got the green light.”
“In the heat of a fight?” he asks as I try to get my hand free.
“Does it really matter?”
He takes his beer from my hand and downs the rest of it, stands up and puts some money on the bar. “This is for hers too.”
“Great. Are we going back to your place?” I turn around and head for the door.
Outside, my eyes have to adjust to the streetlights after being in such a dark bar. I circle on my heels to head to Ethan’s apartment, but he takes my hand and turns me around the other way.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re getting this cleared up right now. I’ve allowed this to be in everyone else’s hands for long enough.” He tugs and I fight at first but eventually realize he’s stronger than me.
“This isn’t a good idea.”
“Sorry babe, I’m in charge now.”
I laugh. “Can we use that in the bedroom? Like now. You take me home. I’ll move in with you. Forget Sierra and her rules.”
“You know very well that would never work.”
“Yes, it would.”
He stops me and backs me up to a light post, caging me in with his body. “Not long term. Maybe tonight but not long term and I don’t plan on things between us being short term, Blanca Mancini.”
My heartbeat races and my stomach flips. “Okay.”
Five minutes later, we walk into Ink Envy.
“Fuck,” Seth says, his propped up foot falling from the table.
Dylan stops the tattoo he’s working on, takes his gloves off, and heads into the waiting area. “Sig, this is not a good idea.”
Ethan doesn’t move, instead his eyes are on Sierra who’s pretending she has no clue what’s going on. “Sierra, we need to talk.”
“Hi Ethan,” Rian says, but you can tell she’s uncomfortable with the confrontation.
“I’m not talking to either one of you. I told her to date you. So go off and be merry.” She waves her hand, dismissing us but never once looking us in the eye.
Ethan releases my hand and weaves his way through the coffee table and chairs. Rian practically climbs the chairs to get out of his way. “Now Sierra. I’m not taking no for an answer. You ignored my text earlier, but I’m not letting this go. You’ve fucked with my life long enough. It’s over. Let’s clear the air.”
Dylan eyes me. “Where’s Knox when we need him?”
“Oh, the police will be called tonight,” Seth murmurs.
“No one is calling the police. This is ridiculous. Ethan, I will handle Sierra.” I step forward.
Ethan holds up his hands. “Nah, we’re going to talk.” He holds out his hand for Sierra.
She rolls her eyes and pretends like she’s not going to go, but she stands up without accepting his hand and leaves the shop.
Ethan follows her after squeezing my hand to tell me it will be fine.
Seth places his hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “At least they won’t destroy your place.”
I watch them walk across the street and disappear into our apartment and a nauseous feeling overtakes me.
Rian puts her arm around my shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. This will end well. I have a good feeling about it.”
I smile for her benefit because I know the two of them and this could end up making things worse.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ethan
*
Walking into my old apartment warps me back to a more difficult time in my life. A time where I didn’t feel like myself, what with the way we always fought.
Sierra sits down in the chair, so I take the couch.
“Listen, we need to clear the air. You obviously hate me—”
“You hate me too.” She pulls her legs up and crosses her legs.
“I don’t hate you, Sierra. Our relationship ended and you made it clear you wanted me out of your life. So I got out of your life.”
“Until you started dating my best friend.”
I sigh. “First of all, it’s not like I went and dated Rian. I had no idea who Blanca was when I met her. Nor did she know who I was. If we did, maybe nothing would’ve happened.” I’m lying because the pull between Blanca and me was there immediately, but Sierra doesn’t have to know that. “She’s trying to do the admirable thing here.”
“I’m saving her from you. You’ll hurt her just like you hurt me.”
And there’s never been a more true statement from Sierra Sanders than that. “You think you didn’t hurt me?”
She looks away. “But I know how you close off when it comes to your family. You met my dad, but I never met your parents. The only reason I met Kori was because you got your days mixed up and she showed up here before you could shoo me away. You were always so secretive and would never let me in. Why would I sign my best friend up for that kind of treatment? Blanca is all about family. It’s one of the things in her life she values most.”
“I get it.”
“And your constant competitive nature. How do I know you’re not pursuing her just because you want to stick it to me or something?”
“Really?”
She shrugs. “You could be.”
“I’m not.”
“I don’t know and honestly…” She clams up, standi
ng up and heading toward the window. She stares down at what I know is a great view of Ink Envy. “I just got her back. With you in the picture, I’ll lose her again.”
I meet her by the window and follow her line of sight. Sure enough, there’s Ink Envy but there’s no commotion. I’d wondered if Blanca would be standing outside.
“If we can handle being around each other, you don’t lose her.”
She looks to me and exhales a deep breath. “I’d have to hear all the icky details of your sex life. If you’re the man she’s with, we can’t bond the way girlfriends do.”
“Sierra, I don’t want to upset you, but she’s different.”
She wraps her arms around her chest, her eyes never leaving the window. “I know.” Then she turns to me. “Don’t you think I know that?”
“She met my mom today.”
Sierra guffaws. I hold up my hands. “Completely by accident but I wanted to introduce them. I wanted my mom to know the woman I…”
“You love her?” She heads to the chair and I follow suit and sit down on the couch again.
“I can’t tell you that because she deserves to hear it first, but I care deeply for her. And I think she feels the same for me. I get that this puts you in a shit position, but I’m asking you to please try and overcome this. Not for me, but for her.”
Her gaze strays anywhere but me. “You have no idea what you’re asking.”
“I do and I promise, I won’t hurt her. If I do, I give you permission to cut my balls off.”
“Seriously?” Sure, now she looks intrigued. Damn redheads and their tempers.
“Yes.”
“With a rusty pair of scissors?”
“Sure.”
She giggles but stops abruptly. “You really do care about her that much, huh?”
“I do.”
“I want to know the answer to one question.” She sits up straighter and looks me in the eye.
“Anything.”
“Why her and not me? It’s not like I’m still in love with you, but I can’t help but wonder what’s the difference?”
I lean my forearms on my thighs and stare down at my intertwined fingers. “I can’t answer that. I have no idea. It could be because we’re Aries and Sagittarius, or maybe our stars align, it could be that we’re not as similar as you and I are. Truth is, I wish I could give you a reason why we didn’t work out. Hell, I tried to figure that out for months after we broke up. But I can’t give you that answer, Sierra. I’m sorry.”
She nods. “I swear to God, I better not find you in your boxers slurping a bowl of Captain Crunch on my couch every morning.”
I stand up and open my arms. “I swear you won’t. So do we have a truce?”
“I’m not hugging you.”
I wave my hands. “Come on, I know you still find me hot, but try to control yourself.” She stands up and lightly places her arms around my waist. “Thank you, Sierra. Anytime you need anything, let me know.”
She nods. “Now go get her and you better be good to her. I’m going to leave a pair of scissors out on the balcony, so they get nice and rusty as a warning.”
I laugh and hug her one more time. “I’ve kind of missed you in a weird Stockholm syndrome kind of way.”
She hits me in the stomach.
“Ouch, you’re just like Blanca.”
“Except I’ll hit lower.”
I retract a step and cover my privates. “Do you mind if I call her up?”
She appears deflated and falls back into the chair. “No, come on, let’s go downstairs. I need to talk to her too.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Blanca
I sit in Ink Envy anxiously counting each second that goes by, waiting for either Sierra or Ethan to appear. Just when I feel like I can’t take it anymore and wonder if I should go make sure they’re both alive they walk through the door together. All our friends’ eyes are on us. Knox is there now standing guard in his police uniform.
“Did you really call Knox?” Sierra asks.
“You bet we did,” Dylan says from his table as he tattoos a customer. “You two cannot be trusted.”
I stand up and wait for one of them to say something.
“Can we chat for a minute outside?” Sierra asks.
“Yeah, of course.”
I can’t tell from the expression on either of their faces whether it went good or bad but I say a silent prayer as I step out onto the sidewalk that this is something Sierra is willing to try and get past.
“I need to apologize for the way I’ve been acting. I should’ve just come out and said how I was really feeling rather than being a passive aggressive bitch.” She’s staring down at her fidgeting hands in front of her.
“And how are you feeling?” I ask and hold my breath, waiting for her response.
Her chin lifts and her watery gaze meets mine. “I can tell that he really cares about you. More than he ever cared for me.”
I open my mouth to say something but she holds her hand up.
“It’s true. And that’s good. That’s great actually. It means you have a much better chance of making it than we did. When you first told me I was shocked. I mean, I didn’t see it coming and I wasn’t really sure how I felt. And the more I thought about it the more it made me feel like I did when I was a kid.” She swipes at her eyes and I take a step forward, reaching for her hands.
“When your mom died?” I ask.
She nods, her lips pressed together like she needs a minute to gain her composure. “I’ve never told anyone this but before my mom re-enlisted, I asked her not to. I saw the scared faces of the other children of soldiers who got deployed. I was old enough to realize how much she’d be gone, and I begged her.” A tear slips from her eye and lands on linked hands. “I’d cry myself to sleep in her arms night after night asking her why she couldn’t just be one of those moms who stays home with her child, like your mom.”
I drop her hands and wrap my arms around her, pulling her in for a hug.
“She didn’t choose me,” she whispers. “She didn’t choose me and then she died.”
I squeeze her tight until she pulls away, sniffling and wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I guess when it felt like Ethan chose you over me—even though I know that’s not how it went down—it brought up some old wounds.”
“I’m sorry, Sierra. I had no idea.”
“I’m not exactly an open book.” We both chuckle and meet one another’s gaze “I never should have taken it out on you or kept you away from Ethan. I’m sorry.”
“I’m here for you whenever you need to talk. I hope you know that.” I reach for her hand again and squeeze it.
“I do.” She squeezes my hand back. “I want you to be with Ethan. It might be weird for me at first but I’ll deal.”
“Are you sure?” I ask as hope unfurls in my chest like a blooming flower.
She nods. “But I’ll be on him if he doesn’t treat you right.”
I hug her tightly and sway back and forth. “Thank you, Sierra. I totally owe you. I know how huge this is. Do you want me to go to Sandsal and kidnap Prince Adrian Marx? I’ll totally do it for you.”
Sierra pulls away, rolling her eyes. “Not yet, but I’ll keep you posted. Now let’s go tell everyone so they can let Knox get back to work.”
We step back into Ink Envy and everyone stares between the two of us.
“Blanca and Ethan are going to date. I’ll deal.” Sierra shrugs like it’s no big deal, but I know how much it took for her to confess what she did out on the sidewalk.
“Thank God,” I hear Dylan mumble.
Ethan opens his arms to me but I stay where I am. I nod to Sierra at my side and give him a look. When he’s still looking at me expectantly I say, “No PDA.”
“Blanca?” Sierra calls out. “Just hug your boyfriend.”
“Are you sure?”
“DO IT!” Sierra yells and we all jump.
I step over to Ethan and he pulls me in, kissing
my temple.
“Now let’s talk about how I win dinner with Prince Adrian Marx. The two of you owe me some big favors.” Sierra makes her way over to the couch and takes a seat, now looking completely unaffected like she didn’t just pour her heart out to me.
We sit down on the chairs and link hands. Ethan’s arm hangs around the back of my seat as I talk to Rian and Sierra about the infamous prince she’s trying to snag a date with. Ethan talks with Seth about Fantasy Football and how my brothers offered him an in.
“I’m in.” Sierra raises her hand, obviously half listening to the guys.
“You don’t even watch football,” Seth says.
“Plus, remember all my brothers are taken and they aren’t princes.” I chuckle.
Sierra smiles and leans back. “Yeah, the Mancini men don’t have anything on Prince Adrian Marx.” She waves herself in a dramatic southern bell fashion.
Ethan’s hands slide along my back when I lean forward to grab a piece of pizza and I turn to find him staring at me.
For a moment, I let my mind wander about whether it would’ve been this way from the start had he not been my bestie’s ex. I guess it doesn’t matter because we’re here now and here is a great place.
When I lean back, he leans forward and takes a huge bite of my pizza. I screech and take it away from him which spurs a tickling episode and the piece of pizza falls to the floor.
“Hey! This isn’t the Ritz, but you’re buying me a new rug,” Dylan says from behind the front counter as he checks his latest customer out.
I pick up the pizza and wipe up the sauce with a napkin.
“Please, how many women have you slept with on it?” Ethan asks.
My eyes instantly glance at Rian but she has her act perfected. She’s laughing with everyone else, but I do notice that her fingernails are digging into the arms of the chair.
“I have a strict no fucking rule except in my office.” Dylan smiles and hands a card to the guy leaving.
“So, we’re all good?” Dylan asks.
My gaze falls to Sierra. We both smile. “Yeah. Things are awesome.” She winks and that boulder that took up residence in my stomach finally lifts.
The next Sunday…
*
I woke up in Ethan’s arms this morning with gratitude rather than the guilt I’d grown accustomed to.
