Page 38 of Unbreak Me
“Just a beer, thanks.” I glance at him, and for the life of me, I can’t tell what he’s feeling. He leans back in his chair and places his arm across the back of mine. In the past, I would have immediately curled up next to him, both of us wanting to be as close as possible to one another.
I take a sip of my drink when Travis returns and grin when I hear Seth’s voice over the mic introducing the band. Excitement flows through me as they start to play. I’ve always loved to watch them. You can feel their love of music in every note they play.
Jake walks over and joins us. He had a late appointment, so he met us after work.
“What did I miss?” He asks, sitting down. I’ve noticed how the girls in the restaurant have been sneaking glances at our table since we got here, but add one more, and I can immediately feel all the eyes on us. The Montgomery brothers have always had a way of owning every place they are in. Guys want to be them, and the girls want to be under them.
“Miles hasn’t been playing long, so you didn’t miss much.” Travis takes a sip of his beer while his other hand rests on Sophia’s shoulder as he absentmindedly plays with her dark strands.
I get a goofy grin on my face as I look at Jake. I can feel the tequila working its way into my body, making me giddy.
“What?” He laughs.
“Nothing.” I shake my head and giggle. “I’m just really glad we all got to be here tonight. I’ve missed this.”
“How much tequila have you had?” His eyes light up with amusement.
“Just a little,” I giggle again. “I’m just happy that I’m sitting here with all of you and get to see Miles play.”
“Well, I’m happy that you’re happy. It’s good to see you having fun tonight.” Jake signals for the waitress and orders another round for everyone.
I’m feeling pretty good on margaritas by the time the small dance floor in front of the band gets crowded as one of their popular songs comes on. Reaching over and grabbing my hand, Sophia pulls me up.
“I love this song! You have to dance with me.” She kisses Travis loudly on the lips and grins. “Save my spot.”
“It’s yours, trust me,” he chuckles.
Laughing, I let her lead me to the front of the dance floor, where we have a good view of the band. Miles winks at me when he sees us dancing. Letting the music flow through me, I feel my body sway and move to the beat.
The band plays four more songs, and by the time they are done, my cheeks hurt from grinning. The music slows down, and I see Travis come up to pull Sophia into a slow dance. I turn to head back to the table, and I feel a hand grab my arm.
“Where are you going in such a hurry? No slow dance?” I glance up and see a guy a little older than me. He’s smiling down at me, and before I realize what’s happening, he’s pulling me close, swaying us to the music.
I try to loosen the tight hold on me when I hear a deep voice from behind.
“You have two seconds to get your hands off of her before I remove them myself.” Whipping my head around, I see Ryder glaring at him.
“Dude, chill. It’s just a dance.” He holds his hands up, and I step back, wanting to get out of his space.
“Funny. I didn’t hear you ask her to dance, nor did I hear her say she wanted to. Looked to me like you just grabbed her without her permission.”
“Ryder, it’s fine. Let’s just go back to the table.” I place my hand in his to try and diffuse the situation.
“Everything okay here?” Travis appears by our side with Sophia.
The guy looks between the two of them, and I can tell he’s getting nervous. “It’s all good,” he says, “I was just leaving.” He walks away to join his friends on the other side of the bar, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Sophia wraps her arms around Travis and leads him back to the dance floor. Ryder is staring after the guy like he wants to go after him.
“I’m going back to the table.” I turn to go, and his hand palms my stomach, stopping me.
“Wait.” Sighing, his fingers grip my dress tighter. “I don’t want this to ruin your night. You were having so much fun, and I was on my way to ask you to dance when I saw that guy grab you. I’m sorry if I overreacted.”
He steps closer, and I breathe him in. My head is already fuzzy from the alcohol flowing through my body. Add his presence on top of it, and I couldn’t even tell you my own name at this point.
“Dance with me.” His breath caresses my ear as I feel myself sink into him. He pulls me close, and I close my eyes to the sensations that surge through my body as he presses against me. We sway to the music as the whole world disappears around us.
“I can’t do this anymore, Ryder,” I whisper against his shirt. “One minute, you are avoiding me and looking at me like you can’t stand me, and the next, you are acting like a jealousboyfriend to a stranger. It’s exhausting, and I don’t know what you want from me.”
