Undeniable (Cloverleigh Farms #2)(47)

“Did you sleep with her?”

“What? No.” I ran a hand over my hair. “Of course not. We’ve known each other since birth.”

“You better not be lying to me, Oliver.”

“I’m not,” I lied.

“Either way, she’s not coming to the wedding.” She said it like that was the worst punishment she could mete out to someone.

For fuck’s sake, I wish I didn’t have to come to the wedding. The thought of spending the rest of my life with Alison was stifling, and that ring had set me back a fuck ton. It wasn’t even the original one I’d presented—when we’d taken it to get fitted, she’d requested a bigger rock.

Alison set her empty wine glass on the bar. “Could you order me another glass, please? And bring it out to the other room with the fireplace? I’m going to find Lisa and Hughie.”

“Fine.”

Alison walked out of the bar with her nose in the air, barely giving Chloe another glance. Part of me wanted to run and hide. But I knew if I didn’t face her now, I’d never be able to look her in the eye. Fuck that.

Straightening my tie, I puffed up my chest and walked her way. “Chloe.”

“Oliver.” She didn’t introduce me to her friends.

“Can I speak to you for a minute?”

“Why?”

“To catch up. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“Whose fault is that?”

I frowned. “Could we please have this conversation in private?”

“I never want to have another conversation with you again, in private or anywhere else.”

My temper flared at being put in my place in front of strangers. “You’re being a little juvenile about this, aren’t you?”

She coughed, putting a hand on her chest. “I’m being juvenile?”

This argument was going to embarrass us both, so I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over to a dark corner of the restaurant that wasn’t being used.

“Let go of me.” She shook me off. “Asshole.”

“Fine. I’m an asshole. But you can at least hear me out.”

She crossed her arms. “You have ten seconds.”

“I take it you’re mad about Brown Eyed Girl.”

“Yes, I’m mad about Brown Eyed Girl.” Her eyes narrowed and glittered in the dark. “That was my idea and you stole it.”

“Chloe, be fair. I didn’t steal the idea—we both wanted to start a distillery, and we talked about doing it together. But when I got home from Europe, you weren’t even speaking to me.”

“With good reason.”

“I tried texting you. You told me to fuck off.”

“That’s because your text said hey, how are you! Not I’m sorry or please forgive me or any of the things you should have told me.”

“I was going to get around to that. You didn’t give me a chance!”

She shook her head. “How could you have taken off on me like that?”

“I don’t know,” I said lamely. “It was an asshole move. I admit it.”

“Gee, that’s big of you.”

“Look, that weekend was crazy. Neither of us was thinking straight.”

“At least we agree on something. I don’t know what possessed me to believe you were serious.” She put a hand on her chest. “I quit my job, Oliver. I was ready to move to Detroit. I followed through, and you fucking blew me off.”

“Okay, but it’s been four years, Chloe. When are you going to get over it?”

“When I can look at your face and not want to hit you.”

“You want to hit me? Do it. I dare you.”

We faced off, and I could see the fury in her eyes. Still, I was as shocked as I’d ever been when I felt her palm strike my cheek—hard.

Then she gasped, clasping her hand to her chest, as if it had stunned her too.

I moved my jaw right and left, satisfied she hadn’t done any real damage, although it stung like a motherfucker. “Feel better?”

“A little.” She paused. “Did it hurt?”

“Nah. You hit like a girl.”

“Can I try it again?” she asked through clenched teeth.

“No.” In case she had any ideas, I backed up. “So are we good now?”

“You and I are never going to be good, Oliver. But have a nice life. I’m sure you’ll be very happy with Elsa.”

“You mean Alison?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know her name. She just looks like the type to set off an eternal winter.”

I grimaced. “Look, I don’t want to be enemies, Chloe. We go back a long way.”

She exhaled. “Fine. We’re not enemies. But we’re not friends either. And your ten seconds are up.” She brushed by me and returned to her friends.

I went to the bar and got another round for Alison and me, then joined her in the lobby where she was talking to my brother and his wife. Chloe and I didn’t speak again.

She did get the last word, though.

On the ride home, during which Alison was being even frostier than usual, she snipped, “Tell me the truth. Did you ever have sex with that Chloe girl or not?”