Page 20 of Undeniable

Conversations picked back up again as the food was served and the drinks continued to flow. Josh did something that made water nearly spew out of Hazel’s nose and mouth before she smacked his shoulder.

Devon asked me about my project at work and we discussed his mom’s cancer treatment, but otherwise, I enjoyed watching my friends interact. They were my family away from my family.

Ivy sat next to Amanda, which meant she was always occupied with conversation since my friend never stopped talking.

And every time I glanced over at them, Ivy’s attention was always elsewhere. She suddenly seemed wholly unaffected by my presence. The change irked me more than I would have ever admitted.

Whether she looked at me or not, I knew she didn’t want me there. And I couldn’t say that my feelings were any different. But it didn’t matter. I tried to keep my eyes off her, but we were on opposite ends of the damn table and she was right in my line of sight. The fact that she fit so well within my group of friends made frustration hum through me.

“So, you finished up early?” Hazel asked from the other side of Luke. “You made it sound like you were going to sleep at the office again.”

I grunted and eyed Ivy, who quickly glanced up at me from where her gaze had been fixed on her plate. “I thought that might be the case, but when the boss says leave, you leave.” I paused for a moment, then, without thinking, added, “I see you had no problem filling what was supposed to be my empty chair, though.”

I didn’t have to say her name for everyone to know exactly who I was referring to. All other conversations instantly ceased the moment I spoke.

I cleared my throat and looked back over to Ivy, who had stopped eating and was watching me expectantly. The thinly veiled anger was back in her eyes. They sparked, and she appraised me like she was waiting for me to show my weakness only so she could attack with extreme precision.

“We weren’t trying to go behind your back,” Amanda began, but I waved her off. I mostly believed her, but that didn’t lessen the hurt. And whether it was warranted or not, it was still there.

“Sure you weren’t.”

Luke chuckled next to me and I eyed the big guy.

“Okay, can we maybe just get it out there then? What the hell happened between the two of you that you can’t even stand to be around each other?” Josh asked.

My jaw ticced at the reminder. “We can be around each other. We’ve been around each other since…” I stared down at the table, trying not to get lost in the memories.

“Since…?” Reed pried when my voice trailed off.

“Since we were in high school. It was a really long time ago,” Ivy supplied.

“Still seems pretty fresh to me,” Amanda muttered under her breath. Ivy sighed at the comment, and I narrowed my eyes in her direction.

“Wouldn’t it be better just to get it all out on the table and—”

Josh tried yet again to be the voice of reason, but both Ivy and I snapped “no” at the same time.

“Well, why not?” he asked.

I huffed out a breath and contemplated rising from the table, but I was still blocked in. “Because she can’t be reasoned with. She’s an entitled princess who gets angry when things don’t go her way.”

My blow hit its mark and although I reveled at the angry blush that colored her cheeks, there was a part of me that also instantly regretted it. But I would have rather her be angry than feign indifference, even if it meant resorting to childish games like name-calling.

I was losing my goddamn mind.

“And he’s a selfish prick who doesn’t think his actions have consequences,” Ivy spat back without hesitation.

“Whoa, whoa, hey, now, let’s try to keep things—” Devon began as I fumed.

Although Ivy and I were both involved, everyone at the table, all ofmyfriends, were staring at me like I was the one causing trouble.

“This is not my—” I began as both Luke and Reed also started talking. Soon everyone was talking over everyone else, and whether I could think straight or not didn’t matter because I couldn’t hear my own thoughts over the roar of voices.

We all descended into a frenzy until Hazel yelled over the arguing, “I’m pregnant!”

Reed laughed and broke the silence we’d suddenly descended into. From his spot across the table from Hazel, he said, “That’s one way to make everyone shut up. Good job.”

But when I looked over, Luke and Hazel were gazing at each other fondly, which wasn’t unusual, except I could tell it was more than that. Like they were having a silent conversation before they turned back to us.

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