Page 26 of Deal Breaker
“Buddy, you know I prefer a blonde.” Trent preened, adjusting the collar of his shirt and beaming over at the group.
“Jodie’s a great girl, lots of fun to hang out with.” I knew I was clutching at straws, but I didn’t like to think of Trent lusting after Sophie.
“I could always hang with your sister.” He turned back to me.
“Aaaand, we’ve been over that before. No way are you going anywhere near my sister.”
“Oh, such the protective streak over your sister and her friend. Seriously, though, Max, Sophie’s single, right?” Trent shot another look over in their direction.
This time, they caught him looking. Jodie fluttered her fingers at him, while Autumn looked bored and Sophie avoided looking at me.
“Yes,” I bit out, much as it pained me to do so.
“Then let me have a shot. It shouldn’t mean anything to you.” He slapped me on the back. “Come on, surely you’d rather have someone you know making moves on her, rather than…” He scanned the guests, his gaze landing on one of Brianna’s cousins. The guy looked as if he belonged in an Abercrombie ad, all muscles, hair, and teeth, without a single original thought of his own. “Someone like him.”
I didn’t want anyone making a move on Sophie. Not Trent. Not the model guy.
If anyone was going to do that, it ought to be me.
Although I thought I relinquished that privilege the moment I shoved her out of the window this morning.
“Sorry, Trent, I don’t think I can let you do that.” I shook my head.
He glared at me. “Youarejealous. It’s the only explanation for how you’re behaving. It’s almost like if you can’t have her, no one can.”
Why did Trent have to get so close to the truth?
“She’s your little sister’s bestie. You shouldn’t get all strung up about her.”
“Back off, Trent. She wouldn’t be interested in you.”
“Says who? Gimme a chance to talk to her a little, get to know her. I’m sure she’d be interested.” He smirked. “I’m pretty sure once she’d spent the night with me, she’d be begging for more.”
The last thing Joshua needed on his wedding day was his two groomsmen punching the crap out of each other. Right now, I wanted to swing my balled-up fist right into Trent’s smug face. How dare he talk about Sophie like that? She wasn’t that kind of woman. She needed to be wined and dined and taken for romantic walks in New York parks. Exactly like I’d described to her last night.
“You know what?” I spat in Trent’s face. “For one of my best friends, you can be an absolute dick at times.”
Leaving Trent standing with his jaw hanging slack, I walked away before things got out of hand.
I had to make things right with Sophie somehow.
Chapter Eleven
Sophie
I couldn’t stop crying.
Everything about Brianna and Joshua’s ceremony was absolutely beautiful. Her dress, flawless; the music, perfect. When it came time for them to exchange vows, which they’d written themselves, the honest and profound words and promises to each other had me blubbering like a baby. The emotion of the day had definitely got to me, although I couldn’t help but think the situation with Max was also having an impact.
I also couldn’t stop looking at him every opportunity I got.
He looked impossibly handsome in his dress suit, by far the most attractive of the three groomsmen. Each time I glanced in his direction, he seemed to be looking right back at me. God knows why, I was a snotty mess. Thank goodness Autumn had stashed several packets of tissues in her bag.
“Remind me not to ask you to be a bridesmaid when I get married,” Autumn had whispered in my ear, after one particularly loud bout of tears. “I don’t need your red eyes and puffy face ruining the photographs.”
She was only half joking—I thought.
Once the bride and groom had walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, the guests started filtering out into the main part of the Lodge in preparation for the reception. The three of us hung back, waiting until most people had gone through before we joined the receiving line. We made polite conversation with Brianna’s mother and father, then Joshua’s, before getting to the happy couple themselves. Brianna and Joshua held hands, showing off Brianna’s ridiculous rock to anyone who wanted to see it.
