Page 41 of My Ex-Best Men
“I don’t want to be in London anymore.” I realized Will and Zane had joined us when I heard them both react to my news. I sat up straighter and gripped my shaking hands together. “Itfeels like a failure but I haven’t written anything in a few years. I hate my job now. I hate working with guys like Jordan who use their position to get women into bed with no real intent on ever seeing their potential. I hate being so far away from the only family I have. I want to come back.”
“Done.” Anthony shrugged. “If you don’t want to work while you start writing again, you don’t have to.”
“I just came into some money, too, so any of us can support you. Or…all of us, I guess? If this is going to be a thing, I mean.” Will smiled and took my hands. “Come home. You belong here.”
I looked at Zane because I was in a state of shock. I expected him, the rockstar, to talk some sense into them. I figured he’d be all for sending me back to London while he carried on with his career.
“What are you looking at me like that for? I’m with these idiots. Come home. I always loved your writing, Claire, and I think it’s a fucking shame that you’re not doing it anymore. Fuck that job. Come home.” He looked at Anthony and Will. “We’ll figure the rest out as we go.”
“You’re all serious?” I felt my world changing, the things I thought were fact growing murky as other possibilities solidified.
Anthony gripped the back of my neck and pressed his lips to my ear. “It would seem so.”
Sophia and Jake came back then, both of them grinning like fools. Jake sat across from us and pulled Soph into his lap. “Well, this has been a hell of a day.”
Soph winked at me and then turned on her brother. “There’s Captain Perv. I should’ve known you were panting after Claire. You know I caught you with that picture of her when we were younger.”
Will’s face turned bright red and I gasped. “No!”
Will crossed his arms and frowned. “I was sixteen. You developed early. What do you want from me?”
Zane patted him on the shoulder. “Man, I get it. I still have a picture of C that-”
“Excuse me?” I shifted on Anthony’s lap as I scowled. “What picture?”
Anthony cleared his throat. “Maybe we should compare later. And I’ll need to make sure the security on your phones is up to par. A single pixel of Claire gets out and I’ll murder each of you.”
Sophia raised her eyebrows as she looked at me. “I’m not sure if we should get to the movie or continue watching this.”
“The movie.” I stood up and put my hands on my hips. “We’re going to have a talk about keeping photos of people after a breakup. Or in your case, Zane. a ghosting. After the movie, though.”
Sophia tucked her arm through mine and we walked away. “Have you made Zane suffer enough for ghosting you?”
“Hardly.” I looked back at him and caught his eyes on my ass. “I’d tell you to take a picture but it seems like the three of you would take it literally. Pervs.”
“I told you, C. They’re all pervs. There’s Captain Perv and CEO Perv and Rocker Perv. You’ve got a whole set.” Soph sighed. “Although, if you added an athlete, you could have Sporty Perv.”
“Don’t even think about it.” I put my hand over her mouth. “I can see you’re about to make a joke about Baby Perv and I refuse to even hear it.”
37
***Claire***
The two screen movie theater on Manatee Key was cozy, especially since I’d rented it out so we’d have the place to ourselves. After grabbing popcorn and enough candy to kill someone, I settled in my seat between Zane and Anthony while Will was exiled to sitting with Sophia since he’d spent the day with me. At least that’s how Zane and Anthony justified it. We were watching a scary movie, one of Sophia’s favorites, and the drinks were already flowing with several of the bridesmaids being terrified of horror films. The open bar had been a nice touch but I’d skipped the liquor to have even more sugar.
Once the movie started, I was in the zone. I watched with my breath and a handful of gummy bears caught in my throat as a woman was chased through her house by a knife-wielding maniac. At the first jumpscare, I screamed like I was the one being chased and nearly gave Anthony a heart attack.
He leaned over and grunted. “I forgot how you act during horror films.”
“We never watched any together. What are you talking about?”
“We watched one together. One was all it took for me to learn my lesson.” He leaned back again and then took my popcorn from me. “You’re going to choke and the only way I want to see you choke is if it’s on my cock.”
Sophia turned from three rows in front of us. “Weallheard that!”
I slid lower in my seat as a few of Jake’s other friends catcalled and laughed. Glaring at Anthony, I shoved more candy in my mouth and then turned back to the movie.
When Zane moved my candy from my lap I assumed he was just being overprotective like Anthony. I was so caught up in the movie that I gasped dramatically when two hands worked my dress up my thighs. Neither of them stopped, even when a few people glanced back, because we were hidden well enough.
