Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1)(42)

I steered clear of the bar and located Emerson, smack in the middle of a group of guys. Naturally. She flung her hands in the air and squealed when she saw me. She tossed her arms around my neck and hugged me like she hadn’t seen me in a week and not just this afternoon.

“You’re such a sappy drunk,” I muttered into her ear, uncomfortable with the attention she was drawing to me.

She pulled back and wagged a finger at me. “I’m not drunk.”

I looked at Suzanne, who was clearly sober and looked annoyed over that fact. “Yeah, she’s had a few.”

“Okay, okay, okay, okay. Here’s the deal. Here’s the deal.” Oh, yeah. Definitely drunk. She always repeated herself when she had too much to drink. She waved both hands in the air. “I just saw him at the bar.” I winced at her volume. Even as loud as the room was, her voice rose over the din.

“Sshh.” I dragged both her hands down, but she continued talking in that too-loud voice.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on him though. And that skank in the red top? I wanted to take care of her for you, but Warden here wouldn’t let me.”

I shot Suzanne a thankful look. “I think it’s time we headed home.”

Suzanne gave a single nod of agreement. The guys lurking close groaned in disappointment. Emerson joined in with their groans and gestured widely. “Aww. They want me to stay.”

“I’m sure they do. Sorry, boys.” I slid an arm around Emerson’s waist.

As we moved across the main floor, I couldn’t stop myself. My gaze skipped to the far right, scanning the bar. No sight of Reece. A booming voice shouted out last call, and more bodies started moving toward the back doors. We moved slowly, caught up in the sluggish current.

Emerson’s voice jarred me, overly loud in my ear. “Oh! Hey! Hi there, Reece. Look, Pepper. It’s Reece.”

My gaze swung forward. Reece stood in front of us, looking down at me, his expression empty.

“Hello,” I said dumbly.

His gaze skimmed me and I recalled the way I looked. No makeup. Messy hair. Sweatshirt stained with applesauce. Awesome.

“What are you doing here?” Not the warmest greeting. Was I banned from the bar now?

An awkward silence fell between us, which was only more noticeable because there was so much noise around us. But there we stood, saying nothing.

I shifted my feet, acutely conscious of Emerson’s and Suzanne’s avid gazes swinging between us like they were watching a tennis match. “I—am I not supposed to be here?” Instantly, I regretted the question. I really didn’t want to hear him proclaim that I wasn’t welcome here, and the decided lack of warmth in his gaze told me that’s what he was about to do.

He crossed his arms over his chest, sending the feathered wing of his tattoo rippling as if caught in flight. The sleeves of his shirt pulled taut against his biceps. Something fluttered inside me as I recalled just how those biceps felt under my clenched fingers.

He looked me over again and my cheeks stung hotter, recalling that he knew exactly what I looked like beneath my less than flattering clothes. Well, at least what the top half of me looked like. “Last I remember, you were in quite a rush to get out of here.” He cocked his head to the side and continued, “Or was that just my bed you were in a hurry to escape?”

I sucked in a hissing breath.

“Ohhh. Damn, Pepper!” I glared at Em. She shrugged and looked at me apologetically. “I told you that was harsh.”

Did she really just out me? My gaze swung back to him. And did he really just say that?

“Hey. It’s okay.” He held up one hand, palm out. “I mean I knew I was being used, but I didn’t realize I wasn’t worth a good-bye.”

Apparently finished with me, he pushed back through the crowd toward the bar.

“Your mouth is hanging open,” Suzanne said beside me.

I closed it with a snap.

“Dude.” Emerson stared after him. She swung her head around to look at me. I waited, thinking she was going to offer up some profound piece of advice. All I got was: “He’s so hot.”

I snorted. “Yeah, you’ve said that before.”

“And you played him? Wow. I just wanted to drag you out of your shell. I created a monster. How did you get to be such a tramp?” She covered her mouth with her fingers in an attempt to stifle a giggle.

Rolling my eyes, I tightened my arm around her waist. “You suck drunk. C’mon. Let’s get you to the car.”

She rested her head on my shoulder as we exited the bar. “I love you, guys,” she chirped. “You’re like the best people in my life. You two and Georgia.”

I sent her a long look, wondering if tonight’s drinking binge had something to do with the phone conversation she’d had today with her mother. I’d entered the room as she was hanging up. Emerson’s complexion was usually porcelain pale. She looked like a little Irish pixie with her brilliant blue eyes, dark hair, and flawless, milky skin. But in that moment bright red flags stained her cheeks.

I didn’t know what they talked about, only that Em’s lips had looked tight at the corners. When I asked if she was okay, she had looked suddenly cheerful and quickly changed the subject.

Emerson fell like dead weight into the passenger seat of Suzanne’s car. I looked up at Suzanne over the roof. “Can you get her home all right, Suze?”