Lovely Trigger(16)

TRISTAN

I spotted James and his new woman just as I finished my stint with the red carpet photographer nonsense.

I grinned at the way James glared at me just for glancing in her direction. The man had it bad.

I moved to them, making as if to embrace Bianca, but James was there, catching me up in a bear hug, lifting me just enough to show me that he was no pushover.

“You lay a finger on her, and I’ll break those magic hands of yours,” he growled into my ear.

I threw my head back and laughed. That was just what I’d needed to get over some of my tension about seeing Danika again.

I sized him up, more out of habit than anything else. I’d never lost a fight in my life, but I thought James could put up a good struggle before I took him down.

It was an arrogance born out of the simple fact that I was undefeated. He was as tall as I was, but I outweighed him, therefore I could take him. It was a simple formula that had always served me well. Also, there was no way the prep school prince had been in as many fights as I had.

He pulled away, but not before I stole his watch.

He stayed directly between me and his woman. I really couldn’t get enough of this new side of him. He was just too easy to rile.

Bianca gave me a little wave and a smile.

I bowed to her, grinning. She was beautiful and really quite sweet, and I’d seen the change she’d made in James. I approved wholeheartedly. She was good for him. Even if she had turned him into a jealous nutcase.

I was going to have some fun with this.

“So no touching,” I observed. “Can I at least see her tattoo? I heard all about it. I heard her back was lovely, just like the rest of her.”

Bianca giggled, and even James grinned, shaking his head.

“Outrageous bastard,” James said under his breath.

They introduced me to a guy named Stephan and his boyfriend, Javier.

I’d heard about Stephan, Bianca’s best friend, and we hit it off right away. I had a feeling he was the type of guy that hit it off with everyone. He was charming and came off as very sincere. It didn’t hurt that he went all fanboy on me right off the bat.

“I bet he lets you hug her,” I told Stephan, smirking at James.

That set James off, and we insulted each other for a few thankfully distracting minutes.

It felt like I was bracing myself for a blow, and my eyes scanned the crowd constantly, searching for a shining black head of hair.

“Bianca only just found out that you’re a singing magician,” James shot at me.

“Well, it pays the bills. Some of us have to have more than one talent. We can’t all get by on looks alone. Are you using a new conditioner or something? I swear your hair is even shinier than usual. I bet it smells like strawberries. And admit it, those are contact lenses.”

“Please, I know what you get paid just for the magician gig. All your bills were covered before you got the band back together. And I have no idea what conditioner I used. It all just magically appears in the dispenser in my shower. And if you try to smell my hair, I’ll assume you’re coming onto me.”

Bianca laughed, and James and I shared a smile. This was the real deal for him, and I thought it couldn’t have happened to a better guy, weirdo that he was.

Bianca never seemed bored with the banter, even when she was quiet. On the contrary, she had a look on her face that made me think she was connecting new pieces of a puzzle. James had to be a strange guy to date. I was one of his closest friends, and even I didn’t know much about his past.

James was complaining about how much I was planning to gouge him with my upcoming contract renewal when I glanced at his watch on my wrist. “Are you about done harassing me, pretty boy?”

James cursed, holding out his hand. “Give me my watch back,” he demanded.

I waved it at him. “It’s almost my birthday. Can’t we just call it even?”

He grinned and shook his head. “I don’t like you that much.”

I shrugged and handed it back to him.

My entire body became rigid as I saw an achingly familiar figure moving through the crowd.

I thought I had braced myself.

I knew she was going to be there. No one could say I wasn’t warned. Still, it was a straight up brutal punch to the gut when I saw her.

She wasn’t alone.

I was taking harsh, ragged breaths, using all of my efforts just to drag much needed air into my lungs.

I’d known it was going to be hard, but nothing could have prepared me for this.

I spotted her before she approached us, caught her momentary wince as she caught sight of me before she turned slightly away, her shoulders squaring, what’s his name putting his arm around her for a moment before she shrugged him off. Good.

She was with him. I knew this, because I kept tabs on her. Always had. But she didn’t look to be that into him. She didn’t shoot him even one of those adoring glances that used to slay me on a regular basis.

Thank God for that one small favor.

But even so, he touched her with privilege, and I hated his guts with a deep and enduring passion. I hadn’t been in a fight in what seemed like forever, but I had a sudden and persistent urge to start one with him. It would just be so easy to crush him. He was half my size and asking to be put in his place.

She approached our group, not avoiding me, her limp more pronounced than I’d realized.