Page 69 of The Light We Lost

I clenched my jaw, something stirring inside me. Jealousy. Everything in me wanted to remind Indy she was my wife. But she wasn’t, not in the way that mattered. If I tried to make some territorial claim, I’d only push her away.

“Alright.” I tipped my chin, leaning back in my chair. “Well, I’m staying. And not because you need me, but because I want to. Go have a good time, Indy.”

She narrowed her eyes, watching me as though she was trying to figure me out. I had nothing to hide. I’d laid everything out for her last night. I wanted her, even if only for a few weeks.

I was patient. For her, I’d wait.

But I felt that patience thin when Indy returned to the dance floor, this time with a partner. I let out a deep sigh, shaking my head as her gaze met mine. If she thought dancing with another man would deter me, she was wrong.

Regardless, she tried. Tried and tried to drive me away, changing partners with each song. She thought she was putting on a show. And it might’ve worked, had I not seen how her energy seemed to slow, like it was taking everything in her to keep going.

Indy had never danced that way with me.

As I watched her move, watched as the men held her casually, there was no denying there was envy in my heart. But beside that jealously, there was one continuous thought: I hoped they’d be careful.

They’re holding my entire world.

Just when I thought I might come undone, Indy hobbled off the dance floor. Her steps were sluggish, probably from the amount she’d drunk and not having danced in years.

She was taking a drink when Sam slipped in beside her. He’d been hovering all night, but this was the first time I’d seen her frame tighten. Oblivious, he leaned in. From the way he tilted his head toward the dance floor, he wanted her to join him.

I sat on the edge of my seat, not knowing if I could stomach watching her dance with him. High school might’ve been years ago, but the way Sam had always spoken about her like she was a prize didn’t sit well with me.

Indy shook her head and I relaxed, thinking that was the end of it. But then he put a hand on her waist, steering her toward the center of the room. I stood, crossing the room just in time for Indy to shrug out of his hold. “I told you, I’m not in the mood anymore.”

I hung back a few steps, waiting. “C’mon, Indy,” Sam tried. “You’ve got at least one dance left in you.”

“No. I’m done.”

“You promised me a dance before the end of the night.”

She shrugged, her gaze hazy as she looked to where I’d been sitting. Was she looking for me? “I changed my mind, sorry.”

She stepped around him, but he grabbed her wrist. “Don’t be a tease.”

She looked at a glass on the table beside her, and I stepped forward, sensing her next move. I slid in behind Sam, moving the half-full glass out of her reach.She glowered at me, and I winked. I didn’t care if she threw a beer at him—he’d had it coming for years. But come tomorrow, Indy would care.

“You afraid you’re going to pass out or something, Sam?” I asked, and he flinched, likely not realizing I was behind him. “Why else would you have a death grip on Indy?”

He glanced over his shoulder, and I cocked a brow, pointedly looking at his hold on her. Reluctantly, he shifted to face me, dropping her wrist in the process. “Hey, man. I didn’t know you were here.”

I smirked, sure that was the case. “You leaving?”

He glanced back at Indy. I was shocked she hadn’t taken off as soon as he’d dropped her hand. “I think so. Indy and I were in the middle of deciding what we were doing before you showed up.”

She scowled and I fought my smile, not wanting to give her away. “Well, I was just about to head out. Why don’t I give you both a ride home?”

“No, thanks.” The look he gave me told me he wasn’t all that thankful. “I haven’t had much to drink, so we’re good. Besides, I wouldn’t want whatever woman’s warming your bed tonight to get lonely.”

I rolled my hand into a fist, not missing the way Indy’s shoulders dropped. I didn’t care if Sam had had one beer or not—I wasn’t letting him drive her anywhere. Hell, if she really wanted to go to his house, I’d drop them both off before promptly driving myself off a cliff. “Just let me drive you home. You really shouldn’t be drinking and driving—”

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?” Sam laughed, glancing at Indy like he expected her to laugh too. But her gaze was flat, entirely on me. “Good for you for learning from your mistakes. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two.”

“You mean like how not to grab a woman after she’s blatantly told you no?”

His frame stiffened, his grin falling. “Maybe if you held on tighter, the women in your life wouldn’t be so quick to leave you.”

I smiled—if he wanted to get under my skin, he’d have to try harder than that.

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