“Like what?”
“Like you feel sorry for me.”
“I don’t feel sorry for you.” He pulled her closer again, speaking quietly in her ear. “I think you can do better, that’s all.”
“You just said he might not have any intention of calling her.”
“Because I don’t like seeing you upset. But it really wouldn’t have been impolite to tell her he has a girlfriend.”
Anna shook her head and tried to step away, but his arm tightened around her back. “I’m sorry,” he said, and his earnest gaze made her relax in his arms.
Gently, they swayed to the music until Hayden spoke again.
“I know things have been weird between us since we split up,but you’re still one of my closest friends, and I care about you a lot.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“If Warren doesn’t know what a good thing he’s got, then he doesn’t deserve you.”
She huffed out an ironic laugh. “That’s rich, isn’t it?”
His eyebrows dipped a fraction. “I messed up, and I know it. I should never have…” His eyes drifted to somewhere over her shoulder.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. Never mind.”
“Hayden! Tell me what you were going to say.”
Finally, his gaze bounced back to her. “I should never have split up with you,” he said so softly she wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly.
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t find any words. Once again, Hayden’s attention moved over her shoulder. He held her hand tighter when she turned to look.
Through the crowd on the dance floor, her gaze collided with Warren’s.
The fierce look he gave her made her heart beat erratically.
Chapter Sixteen
Warren was halfway across the car park when he rooted in his pockets for his keys. He pulled out his phone and the slip of paper from the waitress, then had a mild panic that he’d lost his keys before remembering he’d asked Anna to stash them in her bag. Turning, he shivered in the freezing air and took the front steps two at a time.
Anna and her friends were no longer sitting at the table and his eyes scanned the room, looking for them. He stopped short when he spotted Anna dancing with Hayden.
Internally, he grumbled about how it hadn’t taken Hayden long to take Warren’s place beside Anna. The creep had his hand very low on her back, too.
After taking a few steps, Warren stopped again. Anna looked pretty comfortable with her face touching Hayden’s. Warren’s chest tightened at the sight.
If she’d brought him to make her ex jealous, it seemed to have done the trick. He felt the muscles in his jaw tense as he watched them sway together.
He caught the moment Hayden looked his way and saw theflash of guilt in his features. Not that the idiot seemed overly concerned.
Warren crossed the dance floor and had almost reached them when Anna spotted him. Her surprise at the sight of him was quickly replaced by irritation.
“What are you doing?” she hissed quietly. “I thought you were leaving.”
“Clearly.” Pointedly, he looked at her fingers, which were entwined with her ex-boyfriend’s.
Hayden stepped in front of Anna. “It’s probably best if you do leave,” he said, his quiet tone not disguising the hint of a threat.
