Page 92 of Nothing to No One

“She’s got Stru all tied up.”

“And that’s their mess to deal with.” Roxie’s grin was genuine. “Think of the adventure. Finding new love, whoever she is, learning about her, being with her for the first time. Falling in love is a gift. It doesn’t have to come from the past. It can come from the future.”

Whoa, this woman was good at this. Bambi just busied herself with her drink and let Roxie—Zairn’s smile was subtle, but he was transfixed. Even as Roxie talked, when she wasn’t looking his way, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Roman wasn’t arguing, not in his usual snappy way. Could he be considering what Roxie was saying? For real considering it? If he could let go of Sway… she was one to talk. Struan couldn’t be more wrong for her, not in her life, but in his. If she cared for him at all, she’d bow out and slip off the stage quietly. Doing that would save him the guilt of thinking he was breaking her heart. He was, but she didn’t want him to feel bad about it.

She felt bad enough for both of them.

“You’re saying this because Sway’s with him. Breckenridge has—”

“Where is Tripp tonight?”

“Not here,” Roxie declared, flashing her pearly whites. “I thought bringing one man who wanted to punch Roman was enough, two would’ve been overkill.”

“Ballard would take a swing at him.”

Roxie tsked at her fiancé. “Is that productive? We’re trying to help him see that there’s a new someone somewhere out there on the horizon. If he gives her a chance, he can find love all over again.”

“Sway’s never said she doesn’t love me.”

“Do you want her to say that?” Roxie cringed. “That’s not a nice thing to say out loud to someone.”

“Especially when they don’t mean it.”

God, it was like talking to a brick wall.

“Okay, then moving on,” Roxie said, switching focus to Bambi. “How are things with you and Stru?”

“I…” Eyes going left to right, she tried to appeal to Zairn for help. “Don’t think we should talk about that here.”

“No, probably not a good idea, but I did want to ask Roman something…”

“I need another drink.”

Zairn turned, she assumed to fulfill Roman’s request.

Roxie threaded her arms into Zairn’s sleeves, then drummed her nails on the bar. “Talk me through the timeline of this.”

“Timeline of what?”

“You and Struan met at the Lighting Darkness event,” Roxie said. “Tape gets leaked, and how did you end up at Struan’s?”

“Magnus came to get me, from my apartment, the press mobbed us outside.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought…” Narrowing her eyes again, Roxie peered. “I’ve seen the tape, it’s not the best quality… how did they find you so fast?”

Zairn put a glass in front of Roman who immediately drank. Except he pulled the drink away fast to scowl at the liquid.

“What shit is this?”

“Club soda,” Zairn said. “Get used to it, it’s all you’ll get from this bar for the rest of the night.”

THIRTY-TWO

ZAIRN’S DECLARATION DIDN’T go down well and explained why Roman chose to move on. Someone mentioned an after party and he didn’t even bother inviting her. Good. She didn’t want to go.

Zairn and Roxie invited her back to theirs, but with Roman out, she couldn’t pass up the chance to have some alone time with Struan.

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