Page 83 of Indigo Sky

Until I saw a familiar face not far from where I sat, his eyes pinned on my girlfriend on the pole, and I slowly stood with that gurgling dread worming its way through my gut. I walked toward where he stood and pressed a hand to his shoulder as I glared at him.

"The fuck are you doing here?" I demanded.

I would've expected Nate to be shocked to see me, but he wasn't. He looked at me with infuriating nonchalance, and a grin overtook his face.

"Well, I came to see my girl, but I can't say I'm not enjoying the view right now."

I tried to ignore the comment directed toward a topless Kate, even though my skin was left heated and bristled in its wake, and I focused on something else instead.

"Your girl?"

He turned to meet my gaze and nodded. "Yeah, man, my girlfriend works here."

That sense of unease rolling around my stomach was only amplified with every passing millisecond as I hurried through the last several weeks.

Crystal. Process of elimination brought me back to her, and it made sense. She'd been seeing someone, someone who made her happy …

Is Nate even capable of making someone happy?

He's happy too.

"No shit?" I lowered my hand from his shoulder and studied him with genuine intrigue.

"Yeah." He grinned with pride before quickly letting it drop from his face as he looked around the club. "I said I'd finally come to see her dance, but … I don't know where she … is …"

As if on cue, Crystal walked by, a tray of drinks balanced on her palm. She caught sight of Nate standing there, and the expression that passed over her face was one I couldn't believe was directed at this guy, who had believed—as far as I’d known—that women were disposable and undeserving of respect.

"Oh my God, baby!" she squealed, placing the tray on a table to hurry over to him. She threw her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist, lifting her off the ground. "I can't believe you came!"

He buried his face in her shoulder and said against her neck, "Yeah, Donny's opening in the morning, so I don't need to wake up early. Thought I'd surprise you."

"I'm so happy you're here!"

It felt wrong to stand there, watching them in what seemed like a pivotal moment in their relationship—Nate's in a relationship!—but excuse me for feeling like I'd stepped into an episode ofThe Twilight Zone. I'd known Nate for a long time. I'd known him to have an almost-bitter disdain toward even the thought of relationships—and certainly toward me whenever Iwas in one—and to see him now wrapped in the embrace of a good woman who was happy to see him …

Well, it was fuckingweird.

Crystal was the first to let go, and Nate lowered her to the ground. She took a fleeting glance in my direction and broadened her grin before bringing her sparkling gaze back to him.

Holy shit, she looked like she loved him, and he looked … fuck, he looked like he could love her too.

"Oh my God, Rev! I didn't know you were staying tonight. This is my boyfriend, Nathan." She gripped his shoulders and beamed up at him like she was standing in the middle of a Christmas party and not a strip club. "Nathan, Rev is—"

"Rev and I go way back," Nate said, looking at me over Crystal's head. "Been buddies since we were kids."

Something dark and questionable passed over his gaze then, and all I could think was,There you are.

***

Nate and I settled at a table while Crystal grabbed us a couple of drinks after delivering the ones already on her tray. We glared at each other, never breaking eye contact, as if we were partaking in an undeclared staring contest. Silent dares for the other to speak first passed over the tabletop, but neither of us seemed tohave anything to say until Crystal returned with two glasses of beer balanced on her tray.

"Here you go, guys," she said, placing them on the table between us. "Rev, are you taking Indie home tonight? I was going to, but …" Her eyes flitted toward Nate with a suggestive look, as if to say,Well, we both know what I'd rather do instead.

"I'll take her," I said, forcing a lightness in my tone that didn't even come close to touching my soul. Not when I was still staring ahead at Nate and that suspicious look in his familiar, cold eyes.

What the fuck have you been up to?

"Oh my God, you're the best," Crystal said, grabbing my shoulder and squeezing out her gratitude. "Baby, you wanna come over tonight?"

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