Jealous? Hardly.
“Was she your mortal enemy in high school?” Reid continued. “Did she do everything she could to ruin your shot at the pros? Like cut the brakes on your bike right before the final race of the season or purposely run you off the track when she knew the sponsors were watching.” Listening to him list off all the reasons he’s hated Beau rendered me speechless. I hadn’t forgotten about why Reid disliked him, but there was a possibility I had activated my selective memory skills. I swallowed hard as he continued to stare down at me, but I couldn’t answer him. “Yeah. I didn’t think so.” His eyes went wide. “Is that why you’re with him? Just to get back at me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” I answered quickly. “Nothing I do has anything to do with you. Period.” Mostly. The crowd standing around us was oblivious to our interaction—the music and the conversation forming a bubble around us where only we could hear the words and see the looks that were being exchanged. How could they not feel the hot tension radiating around us? I wouldn’t be surprised if the place burst into flames from it. “I haven’t thought about you in years,” I assured him. “And mortal enemy? That’s a bit of a stretch.”
Dramatic asshole.
“Really?”
“Really. What is this the Old West? You going to ask him to meet you in the parking lot next for a show down?” I chuckled at my observations, but Reid’s serious expression said he didn’t find it funny.
“I might,” he said. “But that’s not what I’m thinking about. You really haven’t thought about me at all?”
“Nope.” I continued to stare him down, refusing to let him believe that for one second I’d missed him. I tried to steady my breathing the best I could, but when he leaned in, practically resting his nose against mine, I felt my chest still the same way it had earlier when we were outside. The sudden urge to feel his lips on mine… or slap him once again overcame me. If I didn’t hate him before, I did now, because no matter how hard I resisted, he seemed to be reeling me in. His hand grazed mine and I felt my knees wobble. The scent of whiskey on his lips tempting me to taste them. “Not... one... bit,” I said, between breaths.
“Keep telling yourself that,” he said with a wicked smirk, as he stepped back and stood straight. His shoulders and back straightened proudly as if he’d just taken back control.
“Reid Travers,” Beau said, breaking the trance I’d found myself under. I turned to find him standing directly behind me. I faced Reid again as Beau drew his arms up around my waist and positioned his head next to mine. He must not have heard anything going on between Reid and I or he would have surely been a little less comfortable. “Halstead’s very own celebrity. How nice of you to grace us with your presence.”
“What’s up, Gregurich,” Reid greeted him. “How are you?” He extended a handshake to him.
“Not too bad.” Beau answered, placing his hand in Reid’s. The awkward sensation of being trapped between the two men felt like it was crushing me. “You?”
“Never better,” Reid replied, not an ounce of the anger he’d just shown me reflected in the smile he was giving Beau. “Nora here was just catching me up on what I’ve missed. You two together, definitely didn’t see that in the high school yearbook predictions.”
“Sometimes things don’t work out exactly how you’d imagined,” I interjected. “Sometimes they work out better.” I added, turning to place a kiss on Beau’s cheek.
“And sometimes they don’t,” Reid replied under his breath and took a drink of the beer in his hand.
“What brings you back to town?” Beau asked.
“A few things,” Reid explained. “Building a house for my parents. I bought back the land they sold a few years back. Mom and Dad are back in Texas right now and don’t have a clue.”