Page 7 of Craving Oblivion

I shoved my fingers through my hair, hating the idea of her losing out on any education and associated opportunities because of a mean girl’s prank in high school.

“Aya thought you were with Tatum,” Hugh said as I returned his phone. “That’s what she said to your grandfather—that she hadn’t meant to cause a problem with your girlfriend.”

My stomach rolled. “She deserved that after ditching me like she did. Hurts to have your lo—someone you care about flaunt a new significant other.”

“Aya never flaunted a boyfriend,” Hugh said. “There was one pic of her with that dude, and I regret sending it to you. She clearly cared enough today to set aside your past, and you have to admit that video looks bad, like you wanted to fuck Lindsay.”

I clenched my jaw. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I was drugged! Aya ghosted me before I even got out of the hospital.”

Hugh shook his head. “You had to see the hurt on her face when Tatum slithered all over you today.”

“I saw it,” I muttered, trying to ignore the regret that wanted to flood my chest.

4

Aya

I sighed, touching my elegant updo as Benton blubbered. Why had I thought dating a man would help me feel better about my encounter with Nash?

Damn him! More than a month later, and I still couldn’t stop rehashing his mother’s funeral. Not ideal.

I preferred the long, grueling hours in the physics lab—redoing a problem for the umpteenth time to double check my results—to listening to a man whining. But these tense and uncomfortable moments always ended the same way.

I’d hoped, briefly, that Benton would be the one. However, he’d proven more emotional and moodier than Yamir, and less interesting, too.

“No wonder they call you Ice Queen,” Benton said as he flounced off.

I lifted my glass of champagne and sipped as I stared out into the beautiful symmetry of the English garden.

These events bored me. This wasn’t the way I’d seen my life unfolding, but I didn’t have the fight in me to blaze a new path anymore. I just needed to forge some semblance of roots and permanence out of what I had available. At least I had my career, which gave me purpose. And my flat here in London. Friends had proved elusive, to say nothing of a relationship worth sustaining, but my goal hadn’t wavered. Since we’d left Nepal and my mother decided to stop traveling, I’d wanted nothing more than a home.

And as always, that made me think of Austin.

I clenched my fists, trying to stymie the deep ache that carved out my middle. I missed my mother, my friends, my home. I missed my life.

“Are you all right?”

I turned, trying to extinguish the annoyance that lit me up at the intrusion. “Fine, thank you,” I said. “And you?”

A faint smile teased around his lips. He stepped forward, into the light, and I noted his wheat-blond hair and pale blue eyes. His features were straight, if a bit dull, and he was tall but not so tall so as to tower over me—to make me feel dainty, petite. Feminine.

“Oh, I’m well, Miss Aldringham. But your tete-a-tete with Benton seemed…heated.” He smirked at the word choice, no doubt having heard Benton call me Ice Queen.

My scowl deepened as his gaze moved to my chest before rising back up toward my eyes in a leisurely pass. My gown was demure with a hint of sexiness, as befitted my status—at least according to my father.

“I’m not familiar with you,” I said, my tone cool. “Perhaps you’d be so kind as to introduce yourself?”

His smile turned wicked. “Alistair Seymour. Your father assured me I was known to you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Whatever my father told you is based on his belief that I actually listen to what he says, which I can assure you, I do not.”

Alistair laughed. He held out his hand, and I allowed him to take mine by the fingers before flipping it over and pressing a soft, warm kiss to the middle of my palm.

I quashed my initial reaction to withdraw my hand, knowing he hoped to get a rise out of me. “Are you a peer, then, Alistair Seymour?”

“I am in line to be an earl, and you, my dear, are a highly sought commodity. Tell me, what was it about Benton that turned you off so completely?”

I leaned in a little and fluttered my lashes. “His innate confidence that any woman should fall at his feet.” With that I swept around Alistair, as one can only do when dressed for these large social gatherings.

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