Page 64 of Don't Game Me
Minutes later out came Noah and Tori followed by a bellboy with about ten suitcases on a trolley. And Becca.
His heart pounded. Her tight graphic T-shirt veed low and pulled tight to her curves. The boots and skintight jeans accentuated her sleek legs.
Maybe this was fate in a good way. Or, this could be fate in alet’s fuck with his headway. The foreign feeling of necessity to make things right with Becca shot his headache into a stomach rolling cold sweat head pain.
Noah waved. The shit-eating grin on his face broadcast his night went well. “I volunteered you to give Becca a ride to the airport too. Hope that’s okay?”
“Sure. Makes sense.” He met her gaze for an instant. Her eyes darted away.
This hadn’t been a part of her plan. She must’ve been caught by the newlyweds in the lobby or something.
When he hopped into the driver’s side, she was typing on her cell phone in the passenger seat.
As they pulled away, Noah kissed Tori loudly in the back seat, and then asked Jake, “So, what happened to you last night?”
“What do you mean?” He shifted on his seat as he turned on the car.
“The last time I saw you, you were taking leftovers to Becca.”
As if he wanted to hash this out right now. His gaze met Becca’s for a brief instant. Her raised eyebrows asked the silent question. The full-disclosure decision was his.
When he didn’t jump in to say anything, her eyebrows drooped low and eyes narrowed. She said, “Thanks for dropping the cake by. Did you have a long night or something? You do look tired.”
“Yeah, long night.” Maybe that’d be noncommittal enough to convey to Noah to drop it. He concentrated on the few drops of rain spitting on the windshield, playing the game of how long he could wait before he must click on the wipers.
“What? You’re not going to jump down his throat today, Becca, about whatever happened during hislongnight?” Noah asked.
She shook her head and gazed out the side window, her frame stiff. “We made a wedding truce.”
He wanted to be truthful. To tell Noah about them and get it out there. He wanted to hear her laugh again and see her smile at him as if he rocked her world and then some.
His jaw clenched once. Twice. He glanced at the newlyweds in the rearview mirror. They were so disgustingly happy making out in the back seat. No way in hell would he burst their bubble with anoh, by the way.
Besides, if he gambled on him and Becca by telling Noah about last night, and whatever he had with her crashed and burned—as it would—then not only would he have lost her, but also his best friend and family.
This pressure inside his chest worsened. He’d messed it all up, as was his specialty.
Tears prickled Becca’s eyes, but she squared her shoulders and gazed out the window. She excavated her besteverything’s great when it’s really crapsmile, which she’d perfected during this past year’s internship. She carried on chitchat with Tori and Noah on the drive. The fake smile remained pinned on her face as they started airport goodbyes.
Her stomach turned queasy at the thought of what would happen next. But she made the same vow she’d made to herself for the past few weeks. She wouldn’t fail her family, and she would survive. However, she needed to be gone when Noah and Jake found out about the breach into their system and stolen data.
Jake’s expression stayed cool as he gave her the requisite impersonal hug after unloading her rollaboard. She willed herself not to grab onto him and hold tight. She wanted to wrap herself around his body until the embrace thawed the stiff, frozen guy in front of her. She dreamed of pressing her lips to his just once more or running her hand far lower on his back than “friends” would dare. Instead, she let go at the same time he did. This was over. She didn’t want to accept it, but like everything here in New York, it was over. An alternative outcome was nothing but a fantasy.
Noah’s phone dinged. His expression clouded as he scanned an incoming message. “What the hell? Jake…did you—”
Jake scrolled on his phone, obviously reading a message. “This is bad.”
Noah continued scrolling, cursing.
Air wouldn’t pass through her lungs. She panted. A side glance to the sliding door entryway to the airport helped her calculate how fast she could make it there. No need to check-in before security with an electronic ticket. She’d gone through the rigmarole to ensure she had TSA Precheck two months ago.
Noah shoved his phone back into his jacket. “We’re going in to figure this out at the office before I go. Sorry, sweetheart.”
“What about your honeymoon?” Jake asked.
Acid burned a hole in her stomach. Terrified, she met Jake’s gaze. He was distracted, but soon he’d put two and two together.
Tori’s gaze was filled with suspicion.
