Page 59 of Unexpected Company
“So am I. One hundred percent do not recommend throwing up on Santa,” I joke, with no real humor behind the words.
She chuckles, pats my arm, then gestures to the man next to her. “This is my brother, Tate.” He steps forward, shakes my hand, and leans closer, bringing his lips to my ear.
“I’m abigfan, Supernova.” He squeezes my hand, then drops it, straightening up to face me. He is gorgeous. Freckles form a line over his nose, and even in the dimly lit room, I can see his eyes are a shocking blue. He has thick muscular arms, on full display in a tank top and even meatier thighs in nicely fitting camo-style trousers. Once upon a time, I’d have leaned into that subtle hint. Hell, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.
But now? Now, I feel nothing towards him. No spark. No desire to flirt or to have him crowd me up against a bathroom stall.
Supernova is well and truly fucked. In love and off the market. If Garrett doesn’t call, I am going to go all needy stalker fan until I get hold of him. He’ll call because we had something. I know we did. Never once did he make me feel like I was too much, too clingy, too needy. He only made me feel cherished. Wanted. Loved.
He’ll call. I know he will.
“Roman!” Spencer shouts my name as he saunters closer. “Want to dance?” He addresses me, but his eyes are set on Liam, who is conveniently looking elsewhere. Standing next to me, Carly says she’d love to, and the magazine guy, sticking close to Spencer’s side, nods. Spencer takes out his phone and turns it towards himself.
“It’s New Year’s Eve, motherfuckers!” he shouts at the camera. “And I have some ofthe bestpeople here with me.” He rotates his phone. “Say hello, Supernova.” I paste on my filming face and wave. He swings the camera to Carly and her brother. Once he’s done, he motions to a guy dressed in a black suit, standing sentry at the back of the room. Thrusting his hand at the guy, he says, “Live stream. Get my good side. Let’s go.”
Fuck my life. Can I go home yet?
Spencer leads the way, with magazine guy and Carly on his heels. Reluctantly, I follow them towards the stairs, passing the entrance to the club. I shiver under a tingling sensation, like someone is watching me. Spinning around, my breath catches and my heart stumbles when my eyes land on the man of my dreams.
When our eyes meet, his entire face lights up, his eyes crinkling with the magnitude of his smile.
He’s a distance away, people passing in front of us, and I push past them, making my way closer.
“Garrett?” a voice says loudly over my shoulder. I spin around to find magazine guy, his mouth open, his eyes soaking in the man in front of us, dressed in a beautifully tailored black suit, with a purple tartan shirt beneath. In his hands, he’s holding a box of English Breakfast tea.
Garrett’s eyes drift from mine, a frown marring his handsome face when he spots the other guy who appears to know him.
“What are you doing here?” Magazine guy waves a hand around the room. “This is so not your kind of place.” He wrinkleshis nose, the action setting off a bolt of anger in my blood. I can hazard a guess who he is and I don’t like him one bit.
“He’s here for me,” I say loudly, my heart beating hard and fast.
“You?” Magazine guy – Nico – says. “No offense, Supernova, but what would you want with him? You’re you –” he waves a hand at me. “And he’s –”
“Mine.” The word is out of my mouth the second I step into Garrett’s space. Nico babbling shit I don’t care about next to me. “Hey, sexy lumberjack. What you got there?”
He looks down at his hands before meeting my eyes.
“I had this entire speech prepared and now it seems silly.” He shrugs.
“I want to hear it. Idareyou.” Garrett’s eyes break away from mine, darting over my shoulder to where I am certain there is a crowd gathered and potentially a live stream happening.
“Look at me, Gare. Tell me. Please.”
He sucks in a breath, his chest rising beneath his suit jacket. Then he blows it out.
“I know we haven’t known each other long, but you’ve changed my life, Roman. You make me happier than I ever thought possible.” Garrett lifts the box of tea. “I want to drink breakfast tea with you every morning for the rest of our lives.”
He blurs in front of me as tears well in my eyes.
“I love you,” I blurt before he has a chance to say it first. I press my lips to his, stealing a kiss I have longed for for days. “You don’t even like tea.”
He snorts before kissing me again.
“No. But I love you.”
Epilogue
Three Years Later
