Page 70 of Reckless Desires

“Holy fuck.” Miller leans in close to me, pulling me from all thoughts of Isla. He jabs me with his elbow, and I assume he’s just seen Isla but when I follow his gaze, he’s staring at the doorway.

Holy fuck, indeed.

I watch as none other than the infamous Kade Reid stands up from where he’s been sitting, searching the crowd with his green stare, hands in the pockets of his black jeans. I’m catapulted straight back to our senior year of high school when the dude shredded Declan’s heart into a billion fucking pieces.

“He’s back,” Miller says, his voice low as I look for Lucas—surely he won’t be happy to see Declan’s ex here. The lines were always blurred with Kade, Declan, and Kade’s brother—Spence. Kade laid claim on Declan when we were just sixteen years old, but she was friends with Spence first. She and Spence were crazy close, and when Kade broke her heart we all watched as Spence stepped in and comforted Declan, the two of them becoming even more inseparable than they were before. Until Spence left, too. What a fucking mess. Now, Kade is back and I can only assume he’s only back for one reason. Declan.

Flynn steps up beside where Miller and I stand, the three of us not knowing what the fuck to do. It isn’t long before Kade’s eyes find Declan. He looks her up and down, a huge smile spreading across his face. It’s been years since he’s come back to the city, and I have no idea what Declan’s going to think when they cross paths. Luckily, for now, she’s still wrapped up in Isla.

My eyes find the two of them again as I prop myself up on the bar, doing my best to divert my attention. I scan over the crowd of friends, family, and a select group of fans who won different social media contests to be here—doing anything I can to not think about Isla being in the same room as me.

But it’s no use.

I’ve been thinking about this night ever since Declan told me she invited Isla. I couldn’t very well avoid my own party, could I? I’d been doing everything in my power to not run into her. I’d still helped Frankie when I could, but it was behind the scenes, working from home and helping with ordering and things that could be done anywhere but in the shop.

Do I want to avoid her?

Fuck no.

I don’t want to avoid her. I want to look into her eyes and tell her that she means more to me than anyone in the entire fucking universe. I want to wrap her in my arms, pull her into me, and feel her skin against mine. I want to inhale her intoxicating scent and get lost in her, with her. I want to tell her that she’s my downfall. She is my downfall, but in the best possible way. She is the only one who could ever have this kind of hold over me, and truth be told, I’ve fucking loved every second of it. From the moment she walked into my life, she changed me. She is heaven on earth, and every breath I breathe without her next to me is a breath I don’t want to take.

So, no, I don’t want to be avoiding her.

But for my sanity, I have to. And now that she’s only feet away from me, I can’t. Sanity be damned.

Declan says something to Isla just as I catch myself staring and force myself back into the here and now. Declan motions in my direction, and my breath instantly hitches in my chest, the room suddenly closing in on me. Everything is no longer moving in slow motion but instead, too fast as Declan and Isla make their way over to me.

I bring my hand to the back of my neck and glance down at the ground, not ready to meet Isla’s eyes and wanting to be the one to tell Declan her ex is here.

“B, I thought maybe you’d want to say hello to Isla.” Declan smiles at me, her eyes going from normal to bugging out as she tilts her head toward Isla, pushing me to say hello.

I gulp and then finally bring my eyes to hers, the music in the background suddenly growing too quiet as Declan slips away.

“Hey,” I say, scooting down off the bar top and standing in front of her. People move all around us, some getting drinks, some watching us, some talking to each other. But none of them matter. Not one.

Isla shrugs, a nervous smile spreading across her face before she clears her throat. “Hi.”

“How’s things?” I ask, cursing the awkwardness that’s settled between us. Someone taps on a microphone and we both look toward the stage where Miller is standing.

He thanks people for coming and lets the crowd know we’ll be back with song two soon. Before Isla can turn back toward me, I take her in for the first time in a long time. She looks the same for the most part, aside from her hair and slightly darker eye makeup. She’s so goddamn beautiful, every inch of her. My chest aches with want. I want to take her in my arms more than I want to fucking breathe.

When Miller finishes, Frankie gets up on the stage and takes over the microphone.

“Kids, like Miller said, Reckless Desires will be back soon. But I just wanted to quickly add a little something.” Grandma Frankie looks over at me and smiles. “Bordeaux, babe. Can you please tell Isla how much you love her? Because I think I can speak for all of us when I say the two of you were much better when you were sneaking into recording studios late at night than how you are now.” The crowd goes crazy as she yells into the microphone, “Thank you, Chicago!” before she jumps off stage.

Declan cheers, giving Frankie a high-five, and my face goes red-hot. I realize that for the first time in my life, at least from what I remember, I’m embarrassed.

“Holy shit,” I say out loud, but not meaning for it to slip out.

Isla turns to me and I shake my head, trying to apologize for Frankie and the way she crossed the line, but she cuts me off before I can even start.

“I have something to say to you, Bordeaux.” Isla crosses her arms over her chest, and it takes everything in my power to not let my eyes wander down her body.

I look into her eyes, having zero idea what to expect. The way she says it isn’t lost on me; her statement is full of her typical Isla Robles sass and spunk, and my heart can’t fucking take much more

“But first, I have a question.” A smile spreads across her face, her dark eyes lighting up for the first time since she walked over to me. “How the hell does Frankie know about the recording studio?”

I honestly hadn’t even questioned it because somehow, that woman knows everything and always has. But now, I’m seriously wondering if she had me microchipped or something.

---