Page 12 of Yours, Unexpectedly

“It’s Tuesday…” Luci has stopped dancing and turned down the volume on “Sucker” by the Jonas Brothers, an apt song for how I’m feeling, actually. Riz sits at the dining table, looking up from the textbook she was studying.

“You want to go out on a Tuesday?” she asks. “Is everything okay?”

“Absolutely. And I do not want to talk about it. But I do want to go to Louie's and drown my sorrows.” I pause. “No. Not my sorrows. My completely indifferent feelings.”

“I guess we’re going out tonight!” I can always count on Luci to indulge my whims.

The smell of stale alcohol and bad decisions greets us an hour later when we walk into Louie’s, our local dive bar, owned by one of my favorite people. I wore my I want to feel like hot shit dress even though it’s fucking cold outside.

“Shots?” I call over my shoulder as I head toward the bar.

“Yes please! We’ll find a table!” Luci drags Riz off in the opposite direction.

Walking up to the bar, I motion for Louie himself and order three vodka shots. Louie narrows his eyes me skeptically but obliges, knowing he’ll get the full story later.

As I turn back toward the seating area to scan for Luci and Riz, I see him. He’s at the other end of the bar, sipping on something aggressively manly. Whiskey maybe? Out of the corner of my eye I can see when he makes the decision to come over.

Bingo.

That’s exactly why I wore this dress.

He saunters up to me and I find myself inexplicably disappointed when the first words out of this guy’s mouth are “Hello, gorgeous,” instead of “Hey, Baby Bardot.”

Because for some damn reason, no one makes me feel the way Anders makes me feel. But I’m desperate, and probably slightly unhinged, so I keep this going.

“Hey, handsome… if that’s your real name,” I joke.

“It’s Brady.” His eyes also crinkle at the corners and I want to be turned on by that, but it’s not the right kind of crinkle. “What’s your name? Unless it actually is ‘gorgeous’?” He’s playing along. That’s cute.

I huff a laugh and stick my hand out. I know it makes my boobs look good because he chances a glance down before taking my hand. “It’s Bex.”

“Bex. I like that.” Doesn’t matter if he likes it or not, but okay. “What brings you out on a Tuesday night?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Brady.”

He smirks. “Fair enough. Does someone really need a reason to go out and have a drink? Though, running into a beautiful woman certainly doesn’t hurt.” So he’s here to find someone to take home. I don’t blame him—that’s partially what I was hoping I would find tonight too. Along with maybe some clarity at the bottom of a shot glass.

I give him a smile. “No, I guess it doesn’t hurt.”

Louie returns with three shots and I open my mouth to invite Brady back to our table when a dark head of hair catches my eye, sitting at the table with Luci and Riz.

Fucking Gabriel is here because of course he is.

I give a tighter smile this time. “Well it was nice to meet you, Brady, but the bane of my existence just showed up so I need to go now.”

He furrows his brow. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Reverse time and make sure I’m born into a different family?” I shrug helplessly.

“I’m flattered that you think I’m capable of that…” Fuck, Gabe’s getting closer.

“Yeah, mhmm. Bye now.”

But it’s too late. Gabe has spotted us and is walking over. Maybe if I take all three of these shots…

“Put down the shots, Bexy,” Gabe warns. Damn.

Gabe reaches out a hand to Brady. “Nice to meet you, I’m the big brother. And she has two more that can be here within the next five minutes if necessary.”

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