Page 33 of The Benefits of Love (As I Am 2)

“Probably.” Ishrugged. He didn’thave to say it, but Ihad ahunch he referred to the one dinner at Erin’swhere Ivolunteered to bring salad. Avinegar-filled salad. Asalad that nearly had all of us choking.

“You can go to the living room, make yourself at home. I’ll get us…” Irummaged through the cupboards, hell-bent on finding anything that remotely resembled food. Anything edible. “…nuts. Do you like nuts?”

“Speak for yourself.” He called from the couch, his gray suit jacket resting on the back of it. “I’mordering in. I’mstarved.”

Sighing, Iuncorked the bottle and came to slump down beside him with two wine glasses. “Sorry.”

“Don’tbe. I’mthe one who should be apologizing for making you think you had to do this.” He gestured with his head toward the kitchen.

My face betrayed my surprise. “Youmade me do this?”

“Come on, Tulip, give me some credit.” He poured afull glass for me and for him, handing me one. “With any other girl, this whole setup would have been romantic. This is us though. No romance here. And it sure doesn’tlook like one of our fuck sessions, either.” He leveled my gaze, asmile tugging at his lips, akind one.

“The remaining option, for aperson as conscientious as you are, is guilt.”

Zach brought the glass to his lips and sipped the wine slowly. “An unwarranted guilt. Both of us fucked up and apologized. All’sgood.”

Iswung my feet on the couch, covering my knees with my dress. “Thanks.” The red wine he brought tasted delicious. Igroaned, dropping my head to the cushion. “To be honest, I’ve had worse wedding experiences.”

“Worse than aguest kissing you where someone can see?”

“Worse.” Igulped more wine from my glass, playing with it in my mouth to keep it busy.

“Define worse.”

At the change of his voice, Ilifted my head and examined him up close. His penetrating blue eyes were focused on me, the vein in his neck bulged, his jaw ticked. This reflexive response showed he truly cared for me as his friend, not just by declaring it like alot of people did.

It warmed my heart, to have had afriend like him by my side, especially since what Iwent through happened at least two years ago.

“Sometimes there are these obnoxious drunks who grope me, which Idon’tlike but by now Ithink they’re inevitable.” Irushed to say the words, trying not to make abig deal out of them.

“What?” His eyes widened, his fingers flexing on the thin stem of the glass. “And what the fuck do you mean worse than that?”

“Umm…” Istilled.

“You can tell me.” Despite the undercurrent of anger that tainted his voice, he kept it steady. He lowered the glass on the coffee table and held my shoulders with both hands. “Actually, scratch that. You have to tell me.”

His affection and the stupid memory both took turns at churning my stomach, one aconsoling one, the other painful. Iswallowed around the growing lump in my throat, my eyes darting all over the room. “It’sreally not abig deal. One groom drank too much and took something, Idon’tknow what, before the wedding. When Ientered the suite to take pictures of him, he locked me inside.”

Zach’sbreaths became shallow, his pale face turning ashade of red and not from the wine. He kept listening in silence.

“Ihaven’ttold anyone about this. He wasn’taware of what he did, and the drugs and drinks weakened him.” Icovered one of Zach’swrists and felt his pulse racing rapidly. “Zach, he didn’tget achance to lay ahand on me. Islipped out. Nothing happened.”

“Who is it?”

Ibrushed my thumb over his knuckles, then kissed them. He didn’taccept it or my silence.

“You work with my parents’ acquaintances or colleagues, alot of them. Iwant aname.”

“Why? I’mnot interested in suing. Itold you, nothing happened.” Imoved away from him and ran my hand through my hair. Ididn’tmake ahabit of talking about my clients or complaining. It just came up with him.

We were supposed to have anight of reconciliation, and Iruined it with the burnt beef and now this stupid incident I’dstored in the back of my head. Never mind that since then Itook ataser with me in case shit happened. None of it should’ve put adent in the fun night Ihad planned, and yet it did just that.

In alast attempt to assuage that anger, Iplaced my wineglass aside and massaged the back of his neck. “I’msorry it slipped out. Really, nothing happened. Look at me, totally okay.”

“I’mthe one who should be sorry. No one’ssupposed to treat you like this.” He grunted, refilled our glasses, and drank the whole thing in two large gulps. “And you’re asking why Ineed aname? To hold him accountable for even trying to lay afinger on you.”

When he reached for the bottle for the third time, Icaught his hand and turned his face to me. Imight’ve liked the storm behind his eyes in his instinct to defend me alittle too much. “Hold your horses, Daredevil. He paid for it. He fainted after Ileft, and they had to drag him to the hospital.”

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