21 – Joey
I didn’t know if I should have been doing this
Thinking of going back to Alex’s hotel room again.
While the night we’d had, two days before the wedding had been the most incredible sex 1 had ever had in my life, now knowing it had been with Jake’s brother had soured it.
Staring at myself in the mirror, I put the back of my hand on my cheek, trying to calm the flush that seemed to be ever–present around Alex. He could light me up in two seconds flat and I didn’t know if I liked the idea
Not when every time I was with him–I forgot about Jake.
Sighing, I splashed some water on my face and toweled it dry, before heading out of the bathroom. Walking down the corridor. I noticed some of the other bridesmaids at the end, chatting amongst themselves and I lowered my head, as I neared them. While I wasn’t usually confrontational, I would slap the fuck out of the one in blue for calling me fatty, if she said anything.
But as I came closer, their minds seemed to be on someone else.
“Oh my god, have you seen Jake’s brother? Like holy hell. I have never seen someone so hot in my life!”
“I know. He looks so dangerous. And oh my god, that ass is amazing. Plus, I’m sure Phoebe said he was single. How the fuck can a man like that still be single?”
My stomach dropped to my feet at their conversation, and I hurried past, picking up the last of their comments.
“I tell you, if none of you girls are going to, I’m going to see if he wants to go out back and have some fun. He seems like the kind of guy who would bend you over the bonnet in the car park”
I almost n back to
anyone
my seat and sunk into it, my hands shaking at the idea Alex would be someone who would just fuck
Would he take one of the girls up on their offer, if I didn’t Was he that kind of guy?
I turned my head back to the trio of women and relaxed a little.
No.. none of them were his type.
Skeleton wrapped in clingfilm.
The thought made me giggle and I turned again, my gaze going to where Alex had been sitting. He was gone and I frowned. looking around the function room for him. In a room full of average height people, I couldn’t for the life of me, spot someone tall like Alex and my heart sank at the idea he’d left.
I’d never see him again. He’d go back to New York and that’d be it.
Td be here, alone.
I turned my head again, looking around the room one last time. There.
Off to the side, leaning against the wall, looking bored as hell
Alex stood ouL
It didn’t matter he was dressed in a suit, like almost every other man in the room, for some reason, his presence was commanding, and more than one woman was eyeing him off. Even the married ones.
His gaze met mine and he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest, as an eyebrow rose. I wanted to flip him off, but it was already tense in the room, without starting something with Alex. It’d been a couple of hours since Jake and Phoebe had gotten married, but there already seemed to be cracks.
Jake kept watching Alex and 1, and Phoebe was getting frustrated with it
I thought it was hilarious.
Finally, I was getting attention from Jake, and all I had to do was interact with Alex
My gaze moved to the couple on the dance floor, watching as they danced and for the first time that day, I didn’t feel as sad
As I had been
y attention back to Alex
I could feel an intensity to the room, and I turned my
Yep, that’s where it came from.
His dark gaze was firmly planted on me, ignoring the women a few feet down from him, slowly getting closer
One of Phoebe’s friends had decided to try her luck with him, and my heart leaped into my throat, as she tapped him gently on the shoulder.
Alex rolled his eyes and looked at her, as if she was a piece of gum on his shoe and I saw him mouth the words not Interested
Phoebe’s friend opened her mouth to complain, but Alex turned and walked a few feet from her and leaned against the wall again, folding his arms over his chest and resumed his observation of me.
Well, score one for me, I guess.
When he told me he wanted more, he wasn’t kidding, he wanted only me.
My stomach flipped with the thought of sharing a night with Alex again. He had made me come like never before, and I wouldn’t mind going over that cliff with him again. Alex licked the corner of his mouth before it broke into a sexy, lopsided smirk and he winked at me.
Holy shit.
My underwear was going to melt off if he kept looking at me like he wanted to eat me.
“Do you want to dance, Joey?” I blinked, my mind ripped cruelly from the idea of Alex and what we might be able to get up to this time… and I looked up at Jake. He was blocking my view of his brother, and I blinked again as Jake held out his hand.
“Dance?”
I looked at his hand and for a second considered not taking it. But in the end. I sighed and stood, letting him walk me out onto the dance floor. I looked around for Phoebe, in readiness for her possibly coming to rip my head off. She was dancing with her father, but it didn’t stop her shooting daggers at me.
“Relax, I told her I was going to have a dance with my best friend, while she danced with her dad.” I pursed my lips, looking at Jake, as his hand moved to my waist, his other hand holding mine.
For some reason, dancing like this with Jake felt wrong and it wasn’t because of the looks I was being thrown by Phoebe.
I felt the intensity of Alex’s gaze again and I turned my head, looking for him. He was standing with his parents, but his gaze was on his brother, and if he could have, I think he would have shot daggers into Jake’s back
“You’ve been talking to Alex quite a bit tonight”
I blinked, my face heating and I looked up at my friend, as we swayed on the dance floor. “We’ve been catching up.”
“You didn’t know him that well before he left though.” Jake questioned, and I shrugged
“He wanted to know how we’d gone, after he moved to New York.”
Liar… I couldn’t believe I was openly lying to the one person who meant the world to me
“I told him we did well, stayed good friends and have had a good run through school,”
Jake stared at me, and I deadpanned him.
“I was being civil, Jake. That’s all.”
Jake opened his mouth to reply when the wash of cheap perfume crashed over us and 1 stopped dancing with him, to turn to Phoebe. She smiled at me as sweetly as she could, but I could see the anger in her gaze. She gripped Jake’s arm and turned him toward her. “Jake, baby. I’m tired and we have to get ready to go to Hawail. The plane leaves at midnight.”
“Okay.“Jake nodded. “I’ll be two seconds. Let me just finish talking to Joey.”
Phoebe smiled, but glared at me and turned, stomping back toward the bridal table and Jake sighed.
“Look, I feel bad, because you and Phoebe don’t really get along. But she’s my wife now and the most important person in my life.” Jake stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me and bought me into his embrace. 1 stiffened in his arms and stared off to the side, my gaze meeting Alex’s
Jake’s brother sucked his tongue over his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest at the sight of Jake hugging me and I
E
21 – Jory
closed my eyes, not wanting to see him so angry.
I knew there was some bad blood between them, but I would not be the reason it came bubbling to the surface.
“I do care deeply for you, Joey. Remember that.”
Care deeply
And that was why he chose Phoebe over me…
I squeezed my eyes closed and held my breath, not returning Jake’s hug and he pulled away from me, his hands going to my shoulders. “Take care of yourself hey? I don’t know when we’re going to see each other next
Jake leaned forward, planting a kiss on my forehead and stepped past me, going to the table behind me. “Everyone!”
I blinked, turning to the bridal table and watched as Jake and Phoebe stood, ready to give their speeches. “Phoebe and I would like to thank everyone for coming today and celebrating our wedding. You don’t know how much it means to us
both”
A round of applause sounded around the room.
“To our parents, thank you for helping us get this done so quickly. We love you.”
Another round of applause.
“To my brother, Alexander, who I haven’t seen in ten years. Thank you, for coming to celebrate with me, even after our past problems.”
I turned my head back to Alex who was staring at Jake. He closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. When his head lifted again, his gaze moved immediately to me, and a flush ran through me. I turned back to look at Jake and didn’t miss the hint
anger in him.
of
Oh boy.
To my best friend, Joey.” I felt a dozen eyes on me, “Thank you for being my rock. At one point, I did believe you and I were going to end up together. But then I found Phoebe
My stomach hit the floor with his words, and I swear I heard a few chuckles in the crowd.
“But now, I know you’re free to go turn to be happy.”
and find your own soulmate. It’s your
The room seemed to be closing in on me and I blinked, lowering my gaze as Phoebe’s friends sniggered to the side of me. to another woman, I’d once been his
Of all the things he could have said, why did he have to tell me, on his wedding da only option and had considered spending his life with me?
There were no tears, no anger, just numbness.
That was it
He’d broken my heart too many times and now there was nothing left to put back together.
I felt a presence beside me.
I knew exactly who it was, and it took all my strength to not turn and throw myself at Alex.
“Are you okay?” he whispered to me, and I shook my head, my eyes still on the floor, as Jake and Phoebe started to drone on about people who were barely in their lives normally. Alex took a step closer and the scent of him enveloped me, as he leaned in slightly. I felt the brush of his fingers against mine and I scrambled to hold his hand. “What do you need?”
I closed my eyes, biting my lip and turning toy head slightly, but didn’t look at him”
get the fuck out of here.”
“Done” Alex’s band closed around mine and he turned, pulling th pushed them opers, and we stepped out into the chilled night air. Alles led me away from the clapping of the crowd, toward the gardens and stopped by the beautiful Koi Pond, turned to me, pulled me into his arms and I fell apart.
away from the crowd, toward the doors of the venue. Ile
