Maybe Someday(44)

something I didn’t realize was missing between

Hunter and me.

Maybe someday I’ll have that, but it won’t be

with Ridge, and knowing that diminishes

whatever ray of hope shone through the storm of

my week.

Jesus, I’m so depressed.

I hate Hunter.

I really hate Tori.

And right now, I’m so pathetically miserable, I

even hate myself.

“Are you crying?” Warren asks.

“No.”

He nods. “Yes, you are. You’re crying.” I

shake my head. “I am not.”

“You were about to,” he says, looking at me

sympathetically. He puts his arm around my

shoulder and pulls me against him. “Chin up,

little girl. Maybe tonight we can find someone

who will screw the thought of that jerkoff ex

right out of that pretty little head of yours.”

I laugh and slap him in the chest.

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“I would volunteer to do it, but Bridgette

doesn’t like to share,” he says. “She’s kind of a

bitch like that, if you haven’t noticed.”

I laugh again, but when my eyes meet Ridge’s

in the rearview mirror, my smile fades. His jaw is

firm, and his eyes lock with mine for a few

seconds before he refocuses on the road in front

of him.

He’s unreadable most of the time, but I could

swear I saw a small flash of jealousy behind

those eyes. And I don’t like how seeing him jeal-

ous that I’m leaning against Warren actually feels

good.

Turning twenty-two has rotted my soul. Who

am I, and why am I having these awful reactions?

We pull into the parking lot of a club. I’ve

been here a few times with Tori, so I’m relieved

that it won’t be completely unfamiliar. Warren

takes my hand and helps me out of the car, then

puts an arm around my shoulders and walks with

me toward the entrance.

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“I’ll make you a deal,” he says. “I’ll keep my

hands off you tonight so guys won’t assume

you’re madly in love with me. I hate cock block-

ers, and I refuse to be one. But if anyone makes

you uncomfortable, just look at me and give me a

signal so I can swoop in and pull you out of the

situation.”

I nod. “Sounds like a plan. What kind of signal

do I give you?”

“I don’t know. You can lick your lips seduct-

ively. Maybe squeeze your breasts together.”

I elbow him in the side. “Or maybe I can just

scratch my nose?”

He shrugs. “That works, too, I guess.” He

opens the door, and we all make our way inside.

The music is overwhelming, and the second the

doors close behind us, Warren leans in to shout

into my ear. “There are usually booths open on

the balcony level. Let’s go there!” He tightens his

grip on my hand, then turns to Ridge and Maggie

and motions for them to follow.

? ? ?

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I haven’t had to use the secret code Warren and I

agreed on, and we’ve been here more than two

hours now. I’ve danced with several people, but

as soon as the song ends, I make it a point to

smile politely and head back to the booth. War-

ren and Maggie seem to have made a nice dent in

the liquor stock, but Ridge hasn’t had a drop.

Other than a shot Warren persuaded me to take

when we first arrived, I haven’t had anything to

drink, either.

“My feet hurt,” I say.

Maggie and Ridge have danced a couple of

times but that was to slow songs, so I made it a

point not to watch them.

“No!” Warren says, attempting to pull me back

up. “I want to dance!”

I shake my head. He’s drunk and loud, and

every time I try to dance with him, he ends up

butchering my feet almost as badly as he butchers

the moves.

“I’ll dance with you,” Maggie says to him. She

climbs over Ridge in the booth, and Warren takes

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her hand. They head down to the lower level to

dance, and it’s the first time Ridge and I have

been alone in the booth.

I don’t like it.

I like it.

I don’t.

I do.

See? Rotten soul. Corrupted, rotten soul.

Ridge: Having fun?

I’m not really, but I nod, because I don’t want

to be that annoying, brokenhearted girl who

wants everyone around her to feel how miserable

she is.

Ridge: I need to say something, and I

may be way off base here, but I’m at-

tempting to improve on how I uninten-

tionally omit things from you.

I look up at him and nod again.

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Ridge: Warren is in love with Bridgette.

I read his text twice. Why would he need to