Maysie squeezed my arm but I barely felt it. Jordan was still talking but I didn’t hear him.
All I could see was Mitch.
All Mitch could see was me.
We were locked in a stand off, neither of us moving.
All too soon he broke our intense staring contest. He bent down and kissed his girlfriend almost angrily. It was a harsh press of lips that seemed to take Sophie by surprise. She wrapped her arms around Mitch and held him tenderly even as he ground his mouth against hers.
I looked away. I could barely breathe around the lump sitting painfully in the middle of my chest. A pain that I knew to be jealousy.
And regret.
And the horrible realization that I had brought all of this on myself. Because I had been living in a complete delusion where I had convinced myself that I didn’t love Mitch Abrams.
A delusion that shattered the moment he had finally walked away from me. The moment that he started to love someone else.
“I’ve got to—I have to—” I couldn’t even finish my sentence. I just needed to get off that stage and far away from Mitch and his super adorable girlfriend.
I all but ran out the side door, letting it slam shut behind me.
“It’s fine. I want him to be happy. This is good. I hurt him so of course he’s moved on,” I whispered to myself.
Lies. All lies.
“What’s wrong, Gracie?”
I looked up to find Riley, Garrett, Vivian, and Cole approaching.
I furiously wiped at my face and realized I had been crying. I hadn’t even felt the tears. I probably looked a mess. My fingers were black from my mascara. I probably looked like some sort of zombie freak.
“Nothing. I’m fine. It’s just a little stuffy in there. The smell of stale beer and armpits was making me a little woozy.” I gave them a wane smile hoping they wouldn’t press me.
“You’ve got to learn to appreciate the aroma, G,” Cole joked, wrapping his arm around my neck and giving me a squeeze. I patted his toned stomach and pulled away.
“If you say so,” I joked.
Vivian discreetly handed me a tissue. “You look like a raccoon,” she whispered.
“Thanks,” I replied blandly, though I quickly turned and rubbed at the skin beneath my eyes.
“We’re thinking of going to the steak house off the highway. Their rolls are fucking awesome. You hungry?” Cole asked me.
I balled up the tissue in my hand and nodded my head. “Sure. Let me just hit the bathroom before we head out. Where is it?”
Garrett opened the door I had just exited from and held it open so everyone could file inside. “It’s behind the stage area,” he answered. Just as I was getting ready to walk past him he grabbed a hold of my arm and stopped me. “You okay?” I looked at my friend and gave him a genuine smile.
“I’m fine, Garrett. Stop worrying about me all the time.” He pulled me into a hug and I let myself sink into him. Garrett was a physically demonstrative guy and I had always appreciated that about him. Sometimes you just needed a hug when you’re feeling like shit.
“I’ll always worry about you, Gracie. You’re my G,” he said softly as I pulled back.
“You’re my G,” I repeated.
He squeezed my arm as I walked off to find the bathroom and wash up. So much for trying to look pretty. My makeup was most likely smeared all over my face.
I tried to be as quick as possible, making sure not to look towards the stage as I rushed past. I kept my head down, eyes trained to the floor. And of course I smacked right into a very warm, very solid body. I threw my hands out to brace myself and connected with a soft, cotton shirt and rock hard abs. Rock hard abs that I remembered touching. Kissing. Licking…
“Where’s the fire?” he asked, voice tight, as though he didn’t want to be talking to me but figured he had to.
With my cheeks flaming hot I looked up into Mitch’s brown eyes and lost myself.
All over again.
“I—uh—I—uh,” I stuttered. God, I couldn’t even speak.