Page 44 of Between Regrets and Promises

She. “Oh, sohelikes her?”

Shaking my head, I laugh, then take a sip of my beer, placing my back toward Sophie. It’s better I don’t see her right now, not when she’s looking so deliciously distracting.

“No. Liam is like the Grinch. His heart is three sizes too small.”

This causes her to laugh, which makes me chuckle. Ellie is a nice girl, and she keeps throwing me those “let’s fuck” vibes, but I can’t go there with her. Ever since Sophie, I haven’t been with another woman. I’ve tried, but I’m pretty sure she broke my dick that night in the bathroom. She’s the only woman I want, but my head and heart are too damn stubborn to give in. It’s the only way I can protect her from me and the black cloud that follows me around.

Sophie giggles in the corner and that guy’s hands all over her, touching her, pulling her closer to him until they kiss. My jaw clenches, and I excuse myself. Walking away from Ellie, I go to the kitchen, needing to be alone. As I place my hands on the counter and suck in a deep breath, Liam enters.

“You mad, bro?” When he chuckles, I want to punch him right in the throat.

“Shut the fuck up.” I let out a breath, one that feels as if it were smothering me from the inside out.

“Listen. You had plenty of chances to be with her. And I knew, I fucking knew you seeing her with someone was gonna do this, so that’s why I warned you.”

He’s right, of course, but I’d never admit it out loud. I can’t.

Moving closer, he places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “I understand how hard it’s been since Emma, and I also know what trying to move on means and that you might not be ready for that yet. Regardless, I’m here for you, always. You know that.”

Liam’s words are sincere, and all I can do is thank him. Only a few people in my life know what happened, and Liam was there for me through the heartache.

“Thanks. Wanna do a shot?”

I don’t give him the chance to respond. I grab two shot glasses from the cabinet and fill them full of Jack. We take them down in one gulp, and when he walks away, I take another. For some reason, I only drink this much when I’m around Sophie—as if I’m trying to drink her and the memories of us away, but it never works.

Eventually, I go back into the crowded living room, and that’s when I spot Maddie. Of course she’s stealing the spotlight, something she’s great at. Most of the single guys are paying attention to her as she talks about dancing professionally, but I have a feeling they think she’s a stripper, which makes me laugh. She’s got the moves, that much is sure. I stand off to the side and chat with a few of my fraternity brothers and our neighbor, Kilan. I try to ignore Sophie and halfway succeed. That is, until she moves across the room toward me, pulling her date behind her.

“Mason! There you are!” When she looks at me, she’s smiling with a twinkle in her eye. I force out a smile, but it fades when she introduces me to Weston, herboyfriend. Well, that escalated quickly.

I shake his hand,hard, and he returns the pressure. There’s nothing like a solid handshake, but he takes it to a level it shouldn’t have gone, almost as a warning to stay away from his woman.

“Nice to meet you,” I lazily say.

He places his arm around her, and she leans into him, the way couples do. “Babe, you need another drink?” Weston asks her sincerely.

“I’m okay right now.” The way she looks at him makes my stomach turn.

“So how’d you two lovebirds meet?” I finally ask, already knowing the answer to the question but want them both to confirm.

Weston begins the story as he holds Sophie tight against him, not letting her go. “From the moment I saw her picture online, I knew she was the one. I messaged her, and she instantly responded, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. If I could spend the rest of my life with her, I would.” He leans over and places a kiss on her lips, and she melts into him. It’s fucking hard to watch.

“Youwill,” she whispers, and it drives a knife straight through my heart. My vision blurs as I try to focus on something else and chug the rest of my beer.

“Well, congrats. Hope you two are happy together,” I finally say, wanting Sophie to have all the happiness in the world even if it can’t be with me. But I don’t have a good feeling about this dickwad. I need another drink, so I walk away, letting them have their moment. I’m gonna pay for it tomorrow with a massive hangover but fuck it. I don’t want any memory of seeing her with another guy.

Liam set up beer pong on the pool table, just like old times, and a group of guys are in the back room whooping and hollering with each ball that’s sunk in a cup. I stand close by and watch, but I’m really keeping an eye on Sophie and her boyfriend.

There’s something about him I can’t seem to put my finger on, but I don’t trust him. They move closer to the beer pongtable, and I can almost hear their conversation. Sophie laughs before excusing herself to go to the restroom. Weston checks out other girls as he finishes his beer, then grabs two out of a random cooler, double fisting them. I walk over to him, wanting to chat without Sophie around.

“Having a good time?” I ask, glancing over as he watches the girls dance in the middle of the living room.

He points his beer at Maddie. “You think that one’s legal?” He chuckles, not realizing that’s Sophie’s sister. “I’d like to show her a good time.”

My pulse quickens, and I’m two seconds from laying him down flat, but somehow, I restrain. He’s gonna feel stupid when Sophie introduces them, or maybe not. The guy is a dirtbag, that much is obvious.

“Damn,” he says as Ellie passes by, checking out her ass in that mini skirt. Weston chuckles. “Wonder if she’d be down for a threesome. I’d fuck her and let Sophie watch.”

I tighten my fist as he laughs, and I can’t find the strength to pretend it’s funny. Sophie returns, standing on her tiptoes to give Weston a kiss.

---