“I’m not sure what to do because I’m fucking afraid of him. Of both of them. I didn’t want to lose my mom, but if she’s part of this…” her voice trails off. “Can…can you just hold me for a little while?”
“Always, Angel.” I hug her closer, leaving kisses against her hair. “Alexis, you’re my muse. You’re the light I never expected to get back in my life. I’m going to do everything I can to protect you, take care of you, and make you happy. I promise. I promise I’ll try not to fuck this up like the loser I am.”
“You’re not a loser, Jamie. To me, you’re a beautiful person, with too much care and worry in your heart. Your father would have been proud to see you still here, still trying. He’d be proud of you for listening to me. He is proud of you, and so am I.”
She blindly wipes the tears from my face, then laces her fingers into mine. “Lexi?” my voice cracks.
“Yeah?” She looks up at me, and instantly, I’m drunk on those whiskey eyes and there’s no doubt left in my mind.
“I… it hasn’t been… I mean, I know we’re still—Fuck it. Alexis Strauss, I have fallen madly and totally head over heels in love with you and I don’t care if I’m a hopeless romantic or jumping the gun. I don’t care that it’s only been days. I love you, Cherry Blossom.”
“You do?”
“I very much do. You’re so beautiful and brilliant and kind. You’re perfect, and you’re more than I’ve ever wanted and way more than I deserve. You don’t have to?—”
“I love you, too, James!” She shouts, twisting her body so she’s hovering over me. Her lips brush against mine. “I wasn’t sure, but after tonight, after all this…I’m in love with you. You’re beautiful, too.”
The wine on her lips tingles against my tongue as our mouths slot together. It’s soft and sweet. It’s slow and meaningful. Each time our lips touch, it becomes a little more intense, a little harder, until I pick her up and carry her into the bedroom.
CHAPTER27
THE SHARPEST LIVES
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
Loud musicfrom a party fills the air as we travel down the obnoxiously long driveway toward the obnoxiously large house. Dani is in the back seat, fixing her makeup and hair. Jamie is driving with knuckles so white I’m surprised he hasn’t broken the steering wheel. I’m still trying to figure out why the fuck we agreed to this. Dani owes us both. Big time.
We should have bailed, but we spent all day Monday and Tuesday working hard and getting ready for our trip. We thought we could use the break. This entire party is a mistake.
“So, remind me again why the fuck we’re here?” I rest my hand on Jamie’s thigh, giving in a gentle squeeze, hoping to ease some of his tension.
“Okay, so like, Rafael is the guy I’m meeting here. He’s the artist. Anyhow, it’s some big engagement party thing that they’re writing off as an art exhibit.” She spreads bright lipstick over her lips and makes a loud popping noise. “Rafael has a few pieces in it, of course, and he asked me to come out and to bring friends. He went to school with Tommy or something. So, maybe I have a legitimate shot with a cute, potentially rich artist. He also makes movies, and I kind of want him to do a video for my band.”
“Great,” James grumbles. “Tommy isn’t going to leave you alone once he finds out you’re my girlfriend.”
When Dani sent us the address, James said it sounded familiar. As soon as he pulled up the map, I knew tonight was going to be a shit show. His face paled, then hints of red started poking up from under his shirt collar. Tommy Halpine has been an issue for James since he was a kid. It took some prying, but evidently, Tommy is the prick that tried to beat James up in school when Chase Cooper came to the rescue. In some ways, he’s the reason they’re such close friends, but he’s still a bully and a dick, so they don’t give him that credit—rightfully.
“Aww! You two are official in less than a week. Cute.” Dani opens the camera app on her phone to check her makeup and applies even more lip gloss. “Less than a weekend, really. I can’t talk though. If Rafael asked me to go to Vegas and get married tonight, I would. Mostly because I know kick ass divorce lawyers exist in LA. Wait, how do you know Tommy?”
“We went to school together. Don’t you remember? I’m the one who introduced you to Raf.” He looks at her in the rearview with a scowl. He’s trying to keep his emotions inside, but that anger is fighting hard to escape. “He used to date Steve?”
“He did? Wait, Steve is gay? Your Steve dated my Raf?”
“Steve is…complicated.”
“Oh, I kind of remember that now! So glad I didn’t invite Steve!” She lunges forward, pointing. “Hey look, that’s Rafael’s car! Park here!”
“How can you tell? There’s ten cars just like it.” I reply.
“Because I know his bumper stickers? Anyhow, we’re just here to mingle and get smashed on free booze and rich people food. Like we’re crashing it, but we have an invitation. So everyone needs to stop stressing out and try to have a good fucking time, okay? Do not cock block me!”
“Literally the opposite of crashing it, Dani.” James groans and parallel parks into a tight spot on the side of the road. He looks in the mirror. “If either of these cars could just, you know, tap the Jeep?—”
“They’d have four lawyers find ten witnesses saying it was you who hit their car.” I smile.
His shoulders drop, and he runs a nervous hand through his hair. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get this over with.”
When I step out, I take a deep breath and smooth down the front of my dress that I had to borrow from Dani. She said she’d let me have it if I let her win the office pool. I’m now eye level with Jamie and towering over Dani thanks to the four-inch stilettos she found. They make my legs look damn good—which might be part of why we’re running late. Jamiereallylikes them.
