Page 122 of Stay with Me

I came to an abrupt halt at the sound of the familiar voice. Disbelief thundered through me.No way. So caught off guard, I tore my eyes from Aimee and Jax and spun around. My jaw hit the floor.

Jase Winstead winked.

Jase freaking Winstead was standing here.

Jase—member of the Hot Guy Brigade—was standing in the bar.

“Surprise!” Out popped Teresa from behind him, all tanned and gorgeous.

My gaze moved from Teresa to Jase and then behind them, and I almost fell over dead. They weren’t alone. Cameron Hamilton—the president of the Hot Guy Brigade—was with them. So was Avery. He had one arm over her shoulder, tucking her close to his side in the ridiculously adorable way of theirs.

Jase chuckled. “I think we’ve shocked her into silence.”

“Oh my God,” I said, blinking a couple of times. “You guys totally did. I had no idea.”

“That’s why it’s a surprise.” Teresa glanced over her shoulder at her older brother and his girlfriend. “We decided to come up spur of the minute. I’ve missed you!”

Then she sprung forward and hugged me. I did miss her and I was happy that they were here, but as I pulled back and Teresa started telling Jase about how she never knew I could use a tap, let alone mix a drink, I realized that they really knew nothing about me. At least nothing that was true.

Holy shit, my house of lying cards was about to bitch-slap me in my face. The only thing I had going for me was that Jax knew about the lies I’d told. He’d probably be conscious enough not to bust me out.

But still, I was a big liar, liar, panties on fire.

My heart rate kicked up. Besides the fact they thought my mom was dead, this could be potentially disastrous if more bodies ended up flung in my direction or if someone said something in front of them. I thought of the adorable couple from Wednesday who’d unwittingly heard all about Rooster’s demise.

I suddenly wanted to run through the bar screaming at the top of my lungs.

“So Teresa was telling us there is a guy you’ve been dating?” Avery asked.

“What?” My mind was elsewhere, still stuck on picturing bodies falling from the ceiling, along with bags of heroin. It would be like raining dead people and dope.

“A guy,” Teresa said, loping her arm around Jase’s waist. “You said his name was Jax. You guys went out to dinner? He works here? Ring any bells?”

“Oh. Yes.” I sounded like an idiot. My hand fluttered to my hair and I brushed it back behind my ear. I noticed that Teresa blinked at the movement. “He’s here. He’s um ...” I turned toward the bar.

Oh no.

Roxy had gone from dragon lady to fire-breathing weapon of mass destruction and Jax was still behind the bar. And Aimee with aniand twoe’s wasn’t on the bar anymore, but she had her handsonhis chest, pushingonhis chest like she was feeling his pecs.

“The guy who’s getting a mammogram?” Jase asked.

I swallowed, but my throat was dry as a desert during high noon.

Cam moved forward, bringing Avery along with him. “It’s not him, right?”

Oh my God, my friends were here and they wanted to meet Jax and Little Miss Poconos Aimee Grant was currently fondling him.

Teresa was looking around, searching for another guy, but there was only Roxy and she didn’t look like a dude, so ...

As we all stared at the bar, Jax stepped back, out of reach of Aimee, and said something that she laughed at like he was the second coming of Tyler Perry.

“That’s Jax,” I said in an odd voice.

Jase looked at me, tilted his head to the side, and then glanced back to where Jax was. “Is that so?”

Oh no.

The sound in his voice said he was going to somehow change the fact that the guy was Jax.

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