Except…everythinghad changed. I stopped and turned to Rachel and Mathieu.
“So what now?” Rachel asked.
“I’m going back out there.” I hadn’t even been sure of my answer before I actually said it. “Head high. Shoulders back. Let them look or talk or speculate or whatever the hell they want to do. I’m not ashamed of anything.”
Brow furrowed, Mathieu tipped his head. “Are you sure? You have nothing to prove to anyone.”
Except to myself. “I have nothing to hide.”
Rachel grinned, but the smile didn’t quite touch the grimness in her eyes. “You never did. Besides, maybe someone will say something stupid and I can smack a bitch.”
All at once, the knot in my chest loosened. “Rach?”
“Hmm?”
I clasped Mathieu’s hand, treading my fingers with his. “Thank you for being my friend.”
“You’re welcome.” She was so magnanimous. “I'm a treasure, never forget it.”
A real laugh broke out of me. “I wouldn’t dare.” When I held out my free hand to her, she clasped it and they moved with me back out to the party.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
ARCHIE
The door clicked shut behind Frankie, Rachel, and Mathieu. The silence they left behind was heavier than anything else said in this room.
Jake stood there like he wasn’t sure how he got there, his fists still clenched, chest rising and falling like he’d just sprinted ten blocks and still couldn’t outrun himself. Coop leaned against the door, arms crossed and a stony look taking over his usually easy-going demeanor. Bubba hadn’t moved from the place he’d taken near the cold fireplace upon coming into the room. He seemed shellshocked by the bomb that had just detonated in the middle of our lives.
I couldn’t say he was wrong. The fact we were all still standing was surprising enough. Downing the last of the whiskey in the glass, I tried not to think about how I wished Frankie had taken a drink. It burned its way to my stomach. God, I needed the burn.
Crossing to the bar, I refilled my drink. “You shouldn’t have done it.”
Jake let out a bitter laugh. “So now it’s my fault?”
I turned then, leaned back against the bar and looked at him. Really looked. Jake hadn’t always been the easiest of guys to getto know. From the first moment I met him, he’d been territorial where Frankie was concerned. It wasn’t hard to see why. Except—she wasn’t dating him. She wasn’t dating any of us.
But Jake was a power player on the football team, could keep up with me in engineering and was right up there in most of the honors classes with Frankie. He was smart as hell. Or usually, he was. Right now?
The charming hardass was gone and there was something a lot darker and cracked in his eyes than had been there before. “You aren’t mad she didn’t tell us,” I said, particularly because she had to have toldhim. How else would he know? “You’re mad she didn’tpickyou.”
That, I got. Was I mad that some guy we’d never even heard of had his hands on her? Had kissed her, much less had sex with her? Yeah. I was pissed. Because I wanted to be that guy.
So yeah, I got it.
His jaw tensed. “That’s not?—”
“It is,” Coop cut in sharply. “It isexactlythat.”
Jake looked at him like he’d been slapped. “You’re supposed to have my back.”
“Ido,” Coop said. “Which is why I’m telling you the truth. You screwed this up. Badly. I think we all get it. I hate that this guy has that in with her, but what you did? Right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if she cut us off again.”
Me neither. Still wasn’t going to let that happen.
Bubba finally spoke, voice quiet. “You didn’t just humiliate her, Jake. You made herunsafe. You made Mathieu unsafe. You know how far that kind of rumor travels.”
