Page 3 of Hold On Me

The old feelings of not being enough come rushing back in, and I have to fight the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks and expose everything. I have to get a grip. I need to stand up and do a speech in front of everyone and I can’t be a mess while doing it. Then they’dallknow for sure something was up. The last thing I want to do is be a blubbering mess on stage while trying to thank my dad for everything he’s done for me.

“What ya drinking?” Jenson sidles up next to me.

“Coke. What are you drinking?” I stretch up on my tiptoes and look into his cup, putting my nose to the rim for a sniff and praying he doesn’t notice the wobble I had a second ago.

“Same as you. My body is a temple after all.” He grins over his cup and I scoff at his words.

“Really? It wasn’t a temple when you tried and failed to beat me in a hot dog eating contest back in high school. Failed miserably.” I grab a breadstick off the table and take a bite with a satisfying crunch. This is what being with the Bradys is all about for me. Bantering back and forth like siblings and knowing no matter what, we’ve got each other's backs.

It’s why I feel sick to my stomach knowing I’m hiding shit from them. But I have to. It’s a me issue, not a them one.

“Now, come on, you know I was poisoned. Jameson tampered with my dogs. I’m still certain of it.” He narrows his eyes, searching the crowd for his brother, and I laugh softly because I know he’s right, but I’ll never admit it.

“How you holding up?” His gaze is back on me and I fix my fake smile and take another sip of my drink.

“I’m fine. Living my best life and enjoying not having to deal with you as much now that you’ve got Angie.” I manage to catch her eye and I wave her over to us. If she’s anywhere near, Jenson’s focus will be solely on her.

Before I can say anything, she takes a bite of my breadstick, swipes my drink from my hand, and takes a large sip. “Dammit.I forgot you don’t drink alcohol. Gimme.” She snatches Jenson’s and swigs that one too, only to emit a loud groan when she realises it’s just coke too. “You’re a disappointment, Brady. I had higher hopes for you.”

“His body’s a temple apparently.” A chuckle falls from my lips as Angie scoffs in distaste.

But that soon changes as Jenson lifts his shirt to flash his abs at her. She grins and bites down on her lip, her eyes never leaving his abs, as she reaches out to stroke him.

“You’re both disgusting.” I offer a little grin to let them know I’m joking. Because even though they’re sickeningly sweet on each other, and I’m so happy they’ve found their person, I don’t need to see it all the damn time.

I spin on my heels, determined to find Jameson and get his help in bleaching my eyeballs, but after a few short steps, I bump into a rock hard chest, spilling my drink all over it and crumbling the remainder of my breadstick on his white suit jacket. I quickly place the cup on the table near me and frantically swipe at the stain. “I’m so sorry. I was trying to rid myself of some very disturbing images and wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s fine, Penelope.”

The awkward rubbing of his suit jacket stops as the British accent floats over my body. With a quick flit of my eyes upward, my worst fear is recognised as I stand toe to toe with Ben Elias. Or as Angie likes to call him, ‘Big Ben.’ My face flushes with heat at the reminder of his nickname, and I try to get words to form, but I just end up staring at him like a gaping fish out of water.

“I think you can let go now, though.” He clears his throat and I realise, way too late, I’m gripping the lapel of his jacket, keeping him close to me. Snatching my hand away, I frown when his soft laugh meets my ears.

“What’s so funny?” My voice is constricted, but it’s there. And I’m grateful for it, because his clean crisp scent is sending aflood of arousal through my body. I can’t bring my eyes to look at his, so fix them on his red pocket square. Who even has a pocket square nowadays? A pretentious prick, that's who.

“You went from holding onto me for dear life to snapping your hand away for fear I’d bite you.” He grins, showing off those perfect white teeth, and I curse the fact that he’s such a pretty asshole in my head. “I don’t normally bite, Penelope. Unless you’re into that kind of thing, that is. For you, I’d make an exception.”

My eyes clash with his as hunger morphs its way on his face, but not even a second later, he shuts it down.

“Well luckily for you,Idon’t.” Disdain filters out of my voice and I raise my brow in challenge to him. But instead of reacting, he clears his throat, looks around and mutters ‘excuse me.’ and walks away, leaving me turned on, confused and a little angry at the throb between my thighs.

4

BEN

Sipping the warm beer that was thrust into my hand when I walked in, I manage to avoid all socialising by fixing a frown on my face. I’m only here for Hank. I should be at work focusing on the playoffs and trying to sort out a Christmas party for everyone, but apparently I need some time off. I’ve allocated myself an hour, and especially now I’ve just made a fool of myself with Penelope, an hour is going to be plenty.

I don’t really know what I was thinking, telling her I’d make an exception for her. I’m a fucking idiot. I groan into the bottle as I take another sip and grimace as the warm liquid fills my mouth.

“Yo, Bossman, how you doing?” Jenson approaches me and I scowl harder, but instead of taking the hint, he just grins.

This has been the way with us since our meeting in the boardroom when he was public enemy number one after insulting the whole damn town. Apparently when I gave my blessing for a relationship between him and Angie, I was also blessing one between myself and the whole Brady clan. All except Penelope, that is. She hates me with a passion, and I’ve not exactly done anything to try and sway that opinion.

“What do you want, Brady?”

Another grin, and this time a slap to my shoulder follows. “Just wanted to catch up with my old buddy. See what’s been happening with him lately and why he was standing so close to our Buttercup?”

“Buttercup?” He slowly takes a sip of his drink and motions with his head in Penelope’s direction. “Why?”

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