Page 49 of Play Fake
His lips brush over the side of my neck so featherlight, but it sets my skin on fire and leaves me desperate for more oxygen. My hand grips his arm for purchase, and the feel of his muscles under my fingers has me thinking back to how he looked half naked, and how much I wish I could see it again. I’m tempted, so very tempted, to ask him to just take me home with him right now.
“And you are so fucking gorgeous, Mac. In this dress. Couldn’t stop staring at you all day. Fuck. I’m mad he gets to see you in it.” He lifts his head so he can look at me again. His eyes drift down to my lips.
“And these fucking red lips. Holy fuck. Do you know how hard it is to look at them without imagining…” He trails off and once again, I think he’s about to kiss me, but something crosses his face, and his jaw sets before he smiles again. This one a little more forced than before.
“So,” he stands up a little straighter. “Go back there and watch him squirm.”
He smiles and pats my ass, pushing me on in the direction of the table. I look back over my shoulder at him, but he just gives me a little wink. I grab my drink and start heading back to the table, likely walking like I’ve got sea legs because Waylon Prescott has just short-circuited my brain. I can’t believe I once accused this man of not having moves.
When I get back to the table, the temperature has dropped twenty degrees, and while Ezra makes room for me to sit, I can feel the tension radiating from him. Which only makes me angry in return. Ally and Hunter offer me small smiles, but I can guess in my absence there’s been a discussion.
“So where were we?” I ask, giving my best impression of a smile as I sit down.
“Didn’t realize you and the football team had gotten so close,” Ezra says, derision dripping in his tone.
I ignore the implication.
“You knew Waylon before. We’ve been friends,” I shrug, sipping my drink.
“Friends?” He chokes out a laugh as though I’ve said the funniest thing he’s heard all day.
“Yes.” I sit up straighter, remembering it’s jealousy that has him twisted up and not that I’ve done anything wrong. We’ve been broken up. He cheated on me. He and Ally cornered me into this little reunion, so he doesn’t get to give me shit.
I glance over at him, and something in his face has faltered. He looks raw, like he’s just been sucker punched, and doesn’t quite know what to do.
“Can we talk? Somewhere, I mean not here, just the two of us?” He gives me a pleading look, apparently realizing the mocking tone isn’t making any headway.
“I don’t know what there is to say that Ally and Hunter don’t already know?” I gesture to them as if it’s nothing, but their faces are telling me they don’t want to be part of this conversation.
“I was just gonna head out anyway.” Hunter stands up abruptly.
“Yep. Me too,” Ally stands with him, and I get the distinct feeling I’m getting left to the wolves here. Or at leastawolf.
“Oh? Okay. Well, let’s get together again soon,” I say to my old friend, sliding off the seat to give her a hug.
“Yes, you need to hear the new song,” she gives me a meaningful glance. I know exactly what she means by it. I smile, but I hate that I’m put in this position.
“Okay. Have a safe trip home.” I hug her again and watch as she disappears out the door.
“Do you want to go out to the patio? I’d rather be somewhere a little quieter to talk than in here,” he waves his finger at the general ambience, even though I’m fairly certain it’s a certain someone whose eyes he doesn’t want on us.
I shrug. “Um, sure, for a minute. I should go soon myself. I really do have class in the morning.”
“I can walk you to your car?”
“It’s fine. We can sit out on the patio for a few. It’s on the way anyway,” I shrug.
The autumn chill hits me when we walk out the door, and I regret my attire. The sundress I’d worn earlier and the lightweight coat I have on now isn’t enough now the sun has gone down. Apparently, it’s a general consensus because there are very few people out here with us.
I turn and look at Ezra expectantly. Not sure what else I can do or say at this point.
“Listen, Zie… I am really sorry about everything that went down. I was an asshole, and you didn’t deserve any of it. I have no idea what I was thinking. Really, I guess I wasn’t thinking. If I had been, I never ever would have done that to you.” He looks up at me with eyes I swear are glistening. Like he might actually cry, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen this guy get remotely close to crying.
“It’s okay. I mean, it’s not okay that it happened. But it’s ancient history now.” I shift my weight on my feet uncomfortably because I don’t know what to say.
“Is there any chance you’d forgive me?”
“You’re forgiven,” I breathe out the words, and I really do forgive him. It was an insanely shitty thing to do, but people make mistakes and holding it against him forever will only hurt me.
