Page 49 of Love Medley
“I’m so proud of Lucy,” I say, matching her cheery tone, although on the inside, I’m shaken in a way I can’t quite explain. “She can do anything she sets her mind to. I’m lucky that she brings me to events like this so I can be her arm candy.”
I’m amazed that the words are coming out calmly and believably.
But I guess…everything I'm saying is true. So why wouldn’t they?
Okay, it’s time to end this tomfuckery. I give Lucy an exaggerated wink. “Which reminds me, there’s a free bar, so if you’ll excuse us, we’re headed in that direction. Nice to see you two.”
As Lucy waves goodbye to them, I see Sterling stomp away with Sam trailing after him. Sam shoots me a crushed look, which I can’t interpret. Is she pissed that I didn’t handle this interaction better?
I don’t have time to think more about it because Lucy hisses in my ear, “Okay, I know he’s your brother, but he’s a totalass.”
Chuckling, I tug her closer to my side. I know it’s fake, but having her pressed against me in that killer of a dress is something I cannot resist. “Wow, I think this is the first time you’ve cursed in my presence. And you’re preaching to the choir.”
Lucy is too fired up to acknowledge my teasing. “And Sam? How could she even date him? I could barely stand him for a single conversation. I just don’t even get it. There’s no contest between you and Sterling. You’re a million times the man he is.”
My heart swells like the Grinch’s in that Christmas book. I’m not sure anyone’s ever told me that before.
And the fact that Lucy is the one saying it? That's the best part.
“I like this fierce Lucy who defends my honor. Where have you been hiding her?”
Lucy giggles. “It feels so freeing to actually speak up for once. It’s easy to do when someone attacks a person I care about. I guess it’s harder to stand up for myself.”
And there goes my heart again. She hinted I’m someone she cares about. I know she’s still working through things, but maybe one day, she might think of me as more than just a friend? Even though I shouldn’t hope, it’s hard not to. Whenever I’m with Lucy, my common sense flies out the window, and the onlything left is her.
I clear my throat. “Well, I’m here to help with that.”
She smiles at me, and my chest expands at the sight.
Then I can’t resist asking. “Did you know that Sterling got divorced twice?”
Lucy snickers. “Yeah, actually one of the nurses told me. I couldn’t resist slipping that in and taking Sterling down a notch. He was being such a pompous prick! Gosh, I never say things like that to anyone. But you're just so amazing, and it kills me that your family puts you down like that.”
Until that moment, I never realized how much it stung to be so misunderstood by Sam. There’s such a stark contrast between how Sam reacted to my family and how Lucy continues to support me in exactly the right way. When Sam and I were dating, she would never have stuck up for me in front of a family member like Lucy just did.
It’s getting harder and harder to deny that Lucy Chang has become my solace. A place where I can just be me—and it be a good thing.
But I don’t have time to mull over this moment of clarity.
Because we run into none other than Weston Ashcroft.
Chapter seventeen
Lucy
While I was ready to go to war with Sterling and Sam for Jake, I instantly lose all of my righteous rage when we cross paths with Weston.
Objectively, he looks good in his tux, his bright blue eyes probably still a draw to the opposite sex. But for me, seeing his chiseled face just makes me want to cut and run.
Jake squeezes my hip, and I take a deep breath. I’m so glad Jake is here, otherwise I’m not sure what I would have done. Let Weston drag me somewhere just because I didn’t have it in me tofight?
The thought makes me want to vomit.
“Lucy,” Weston says, ignoring the fact that Jake is there too. His eyes sweep over the dress, and his jaw clenches, but he immediately forces a phony, relaxed expression on his face. I could pretend I never saw that reaction, like I have in the past, but I know it was there.
“Weston,” I say, and I’m proud that my voice comes out even.
“You look…nice.”
