Breaking Away (Assassins, #5)(54)

“You know how I am.”

Piper paused, and Reese didn’t know why. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, maybe too quickly.

“Yeah, well, come out with us tonight. We are going to go party it up for the night since Mom has Dimitri. I think Harper is going, maybe even Elli and Shea.”

Ugh. Reese did not want to leave her couch, but she knew Piper was on to her. She did not need her sister coming to her house and discovering that she had become one of those people from Hoarders. Ben and Jerry tubs laid all over every surface. She had been wearing the same sweatshirt since he walked out of her apartment.

His sweatshirt.

Ugh, she was like a heartbroken teen, and it didn’t make any f*cking sense! She kicked him out, she didn’t want what he did and, now, all she wanted was to call him and beg him to come back. Why though? She didn’t want a relationship. She didn’t want a man in her life… but she wanted Phillip.

God, she was f*cked in the head.

Letting her head fall back, she let out a breath. “I don’t know.”

“What? Why don’t you know? You are never one to turn down a party! Come on, it will be fun.”

“I’m being lazy.”

“Boo whore, get up.”

“Did you just go Mean Girls on me?”

“To the fullest, don’t make me come over there.”

“You’re a bitch.”

“I love you more; see you at the Cowboy at nine! Tootles!”

The line went dead, and Reese made a face. Tootles? Her sister was a dork. Dropping her phone, she stood up and watched as candy wrappers fell from her lap.

Well, shit.

With a shrug, she went to the bathroom and took a hot shower, making sure to scrub and shave before going to her closet. Standing in a towel, she looked at her many dresses. She hadn’t been out in weeks. Hadn’t done anything, and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Maybe the reason she wasn’t letting Phillip go was because she hadn’t tried. Maybe tonight, she needed to try. She could get her a hot guy, bring him home, ride him like a horse, and not only feel better, but show her sister that she was just fine. Yeah, that was what she was going to do.

Reaching for her favorite black lace dress, she slid it up her body and admired herself in the mirror. She had put on weight, which was inevitable with as much sweets as she had been eating, but it was mostly in her ass, which was good. The sheer black lace covered her arms, went up around her neck, and covered her back, stopping right above her ass. Black fabric made the skirt, and there was strip that went across her breast but wasn’t in the back, showing off her tattoo perfectly.

She reached for her favorite pair of nude Jimmy Choo pumps and slid them on before going into the bathroom to finish getting ready. She was trying too hard she realized, as she straightened her hair and put her makeup on to perfection, but she couldn’t risk it. Piper saw through her like a window, and she didn’t want her sister knowing she was aching inside. Especially since it was over a guy she pushed away.

A guy she didn’t want a relationship with, but missed. How did that even make sense?

Blah.

When Reese arrived at the Cowboy, she parked her car behind the building and rushed to get in. It was a chilly night and she had left her jacket, not wanting to cover up her dress. As she passed men, they looked at her appreciatively, some even hollered at her, but none caught her eye. Showing her ID, she entered the Cowboy and immediately saw her sister standing with Erik, Audrey, and Tate. She started for them but then halted in her tracks when Phillip walked up, laying down little cups of shots for the group.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Moving out of view, she watched as Phillip threw his shot back, smiling at the group before sucking the lime in his mouth. She closed her eyes, wishing she were that lime, before letting out a soft moan that she was sure no one heard since the music was so loud. God, he looked gorgeous. Tight blue jeans with a white, button-up shirt tucked into them, a blue sports coat, and a red tie hanging loosely from his neck. She needed to walk towards her friends, but she couldn’t move. She wasn’t sure she could go over there and act like Phillip hadn’t demolished her world, and she didn’t miss him.

“Hey beautiful.”

Reese looked over and met the dark eyes of a very tall and handsome man. Man, he was sexy, his body tone and his face gorgeous. Sharp angles, hair dusting his jaw, and his mouth was turned up in a flirty way.

He would do.

“Hey, listen I’ll buy your drinks the rest of the night if you act like we are together. That we’ve been sleeping together for a while.”

He was taken back, she could tell, but he smiled as he said, “Sure, no problem, but how about I buy your drinks and we talk about making what you just said a reality?”

Yeah, okay.

“Yeah, whatever, my name is Reese.”

“Dean.”

“Okay Dean, let’s go.”

Reese headed towards her sister, friends, and Phillip with Dean’s hand resting on the small of her back. He had huge hands, something she liked in her men, but she couldn’t enjoy them, not when the hands she wanted were feet away from her. Walking up to the table, she laid her clutch down and smiled at everyone.

“Hey everyone,” she said as she reached over and kissed Piper’s cheek. Erik smiled and so did Tate. Reese ignored the look Audrey gave her, because she knew it wasn’t a good once since Audrey did not like her, and somehow met Phillip’s gaze. The air rushed out of her, her heart pounded with the music in her chest, and her mouth went dry. There was sadness in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up and smiled, like they were old friends.