“It’s not the same as it was with you and Layla and you know it,” I remind him.
“No, but doesn’t mean you’re not wrong,” he tells me as he walks toward Jax and Zoey.
I turn to watch as Maddox and Tori dance with each other. He grips her hips and dips his mouth low to her ear, making her giggle.
Bastian slaps me on the back with a laugh. “You’re fucked, man.”
I jerk my head toward him. What the hell is he talking about? I ask him as much, but he doesn’t say anything as he walks toward the exit, probably in search of something a little more his speed. A little less tame - vanilla.
“Aren’t you Zane Valen?” I hear a soft voice ask from behind me.
I turn around to see a smoking hot redhead standing there wearing next to nothing. I flash her a half-smile – a smirk. I take in her green eyes that are practically luminous against her skin. “Yeah, that’s me, Darlin’,” I tell her as I finish off another drink.
She bites her lip like she’s trying to be coy, but this girl doesn’t have a bashful bone in her body. She’s looking to get laid by the hotshot football player. I’m just about to send her on her way as gently as possible when I notice Tori watching from the bar as she gets another drink herself.
I’m well on my way to being more than a little drunk. She’s over there grinding on Maddox who is so far past drunk he’s making me look sober. I’m not sure when he started drinking again. He was sober for years. I hope he’s not getting into the harder stuff again. But it’s not really my business, so I decide to give Tori a show of my own as I lead the girl to the dance floor. I make a show, gripping her hard, and let her glide her body all over mine.
After a few songs, Tori says something to Maddox to which he nods. She begins walking toward the elevator, and I continue to dance with the redhead.
After a she’s out of sight, I politely excuse myself and head back to the bar for more of something to kill a few more brain cells. Jax rolls up beside me leaving Zoey to dance with Maddox.
“Still not drunk enough to talk to her huh?” he asks with a smirk.
“Not trying to talk to her. Trying to forget her,” I snap. “Why are you letting that happen?” I gesture toward Zoey and Maddox. “You know how he feels about her.”
He gives a dark chuckle. “Maddox knows I would kill him if he ever tried anything. Besides, he shoves the shit down because he wants her happy. Can’t fault him for that. If I thought he was who she wanted and could make her happy, I’d do the same thing.”
“I want to call bullshit, but you almost did that, didn’t you?”
“Twice like a fucking moron. Maddox may love her, but he knows she loves me. And he knows we were meant to be together. Always has known it. It’s why he never tried to move in on her.”
“You two have some kind of fucking heart to heart?” I snap sarcastically as the liquor starts to make me crotchety.
“And you should either talk to her or get the fuck over her. Better yet just get over it. I don’t agree with what Tori did, but I understand it. She thought she was choosing to let Zoey trust her. To give Zoey one more person she knew she could count on.”
“So, I’m just supposed to let it fucking go? She might have been trying to keep Zoey’s trust, but she threw mine out the window.”
“Zee, do you hear yourself right now? Since when do you feel sorry for yourself? And since when do you get pissed when someone chooses Zoey over you?”
“Since it was her, Jay,” I bellow a little too loudly.
“You really do like her, don’t you?” he says smugly.
“I did. As in past tense.”
“Don’t be stupid, Zane. Don’t throw away something that could be good because you’re feeling pissy.”
“Why is he being stupid?” I hear my sister ask.
“That’s a very good question,” Jax repeats giving me a questioning yet scolding look.
“Fuck,” I say gripping the back of my neck as I realize he’s right. Just like Rory and Bastian were right. “I got to go somewhere.”
Jax nods in agreement and approval while Zoey just looks confused. I kiss her on the cheek and stumble my way to the elevators as I fight against the alcohol running through my veins.
I stand there feeling like the world is swimming as the elevator makes its ascent up. I lean back against the glass and close my eyes.
I haven’t been this tied up over a woman in years. Actually, that's not true. The truth is I have never been this tied up over a woman. I've never been this obsessed. I've never been this torn up. I don't know what it is about this woman, but she has me wrapped in knots without even trying.
