Page 72 of Jilted

“I should warn you before we go back in, though, your guy is pretty liquored up tonight.”

“Wilder?”

He nodded. “Caused a bit of a scene a few minutes ago. He fell into the dais, and his buddies had to help him up off the floor.”

I sighed. “Thanks for letting me know.”

Back at our table, I kept an eye on Wilder. He was sitting with his friends, drinking some sort of amber liquid from a glass. I’d never seen him have more than a few glasses of wine or beer, and it looked like he didn’t hold more too well. His hair was mussed, his tie was missing, and he slouched to one side.

Luckily we were nearing the end of the evening, so we didn’t have to wait long for the cake. The giant, seven-tiered confection stood taller than the bride. It was over the top, yet also stunningly beautiful with hundreds of flowers and details like I’d never seen before. I was glad I hadn’t made us rush out and miss it for our feature.

After, I wasn’t sure how to end the evening with Wilder, but I thought it might be best to avoid confrontation in his condition. I looked over at Elijah. “You ready to go?”

He nodded. “I’ll go outside to text the driver and let him know we’re ready. I don’t get service in here, but he said he was parking ten minutes away, so it shouldn’t be long.” He lifted his chin toward Wilder. “You going to say goodbye?”

I shrugged. “I’m still debating.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

The more I watched Wilder, the drunker he seemed to get. He was standing now, the front of his shirt partially untucked, leaning on his buddy Louis, who was practically holding him up. I didn’t want to make a scene, so I decided to slip out unnoticed. But as I took one last look, I saw the brunette from the bathroom strut over. My jaw clenched as I watched. Her claws were all over him. Elijah returned from calling the car just in time to catch the show on the other side of the room.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

“Some bitch. She cut in while I was dancing with Wilder and tried to scare me off in the ladies’ room.”

Elijah and I looked on as Natasha slipped under Wilder’s arm—the one that wasn’t around his buddy. He wasn’t paying any attention to her, really, but that didn’t stop her from curling into him and laying a hand on his chest.

“Does that piss you off?” Elijah asked.

“What do you think?” I deadpanned, feeling like I might crack a tooth with how hard my jaw was clenched.

He grinned. “Well, go do something about it. Stake your claim, girl.”

Adrenaline pumped through my veins. “You know what? I think I will. If nothing else, I’m not going to let her take advantage of the state he’s in.”

I started walking before I could talk myself into realizing this was a bad idea. Natasha saw me coming first. She smirked as I approached, and she held Wilder tighter.

“Hello, again,” she practically cooed.

“Let go of him.”

Wilder turned, noticing me for the first time. Though he had to lean forward and squint before he could determine who I was. “Sloane!” he said. “Where you been, baby?”

I gestured behind me. “Elijah and I are leaving now. Would you like a ride back to London?”

He looked over at Natasha and slurred his words. “Sloane doesn’t want me. Isn’t that the kicker? Everyonealwayswanted me,and I never wanted them back. Now, I finally want a woman, and she doesn’t want me.” Wilder wobbled on his feet, and his buddy grabbed him. Louis and I had met at the previous weddings. I smiled at him.

“Hey, Louis? Would you mind helping Wilder to the car? It should be out front by now.”

“No problem, Sloane.”

None of us acknowledged Natasha before walking away, which gave me a sense of satisfaction. Once we were in the limo, Wilder spread out across the backseat with his head on my lap. I was pretty sure he hadn’t noticed Elijah. Five minutes later, he was snoring.

Elijah grinned. “He’s even hot when he’s sleeping.”

I looked down and brushed Wilder’s hair from his face. “I kinda wish he wasn’t.”

“Wasn’t what? Hot?”

---