Guilt twisted in my stomach.
Only know my watches because I was forced to learn which ones were the most valuable.
Then told to take them if I ever came across one in the wild, not that I ever saw one that pricey.
When I looked back over at Andrew, he had a sad expression on his face.
His eyelashes were downcast, framing his beautiful, brown doe eyes.
“What’s with you?” I asked. “We’re at the fanciest place in Tennessee and you look like somebody just stole your ice cream cone.”
“Because I can tell you’re uncomfortable. And I hate that,” he said.
I lifted my eyebrows. “What? Nah. I’m fine.”
He shook his head a little, those pretty dark lashes flicking up and down as he looked me over.
“I can tell, Gray.”
A small little pit of hot shame was at the center of my chest.
Sometimes I thought I’d gotten good at hiding my true feelings. I’d always been the kind of person to wear masks, put up walls, and hide how I really felt about anything and everything.
Do you see through that, Peachel?
And why does that make me feel like you have me pinned up against a wall?
The jazz band finished a song and people clapped politely as they milled around the ballroom. As they started up another song, I nodded over toward the bar.
“Want a drink?”
I went up to the bar and Andrew followed after me. The crowd was thick, and we had to wait a few minutes before one of the staff came over and helped us out.
“Whiskey ginger,” Andrew said.
“Just a black coffee for me,” I told him.
“Not going to drink at all?”
I squeezed his hip. “Going to drive your ass home later tonight.”
As I downed the first sip of my coffee I tried to re-center myself.
It’s one party. One big, formal party.
Just because I don’t belong doesn’t mean I can’t blend in for one night.
Do it for Peachel.
So why couldn’t I shake the feeling that something very bad might happen tonight?
CHAPTER 15
ANDREW
“Nobody does karaoke at a fancy party like this,” I told Luke.
He was standing across the tall table. Gray was at my side and Luke was across from us, trying to convince us to try singing on stage.