Page 89 of The Wallflower

His eyes stay on mine, and his hand comes up like he might reach for me even though we are several feet apart. No one else is in the room, and that thought scares me now. All I see is him, and on repeat in my head, the highlight reel of her kissing him, of her touching him.

What the fuck is happening?

The bartender moves my tray. "What the hell are you doing? The natives are getting antsy. Go circulate." The hard line of the tray hits my chest.

I take the weight and stare up at the large forty-something bartender as if he's speaking another language. "What?"

"Take this round and go. Come back when you need more. You're holding me up for custom orders."

I look up at Drew again, and he's closer now. Only the bar separates us.

"Bel," he breathes, and even with the music, the crowd, I hear it anyway.

It doesn’t matter. I can't do this. I can't face him after what I witnessed. It hits me all at once that I know nothing about him. His grades, his schoolwork, how he feels inside me, but nothing real. Nothing substantial.

Has he had a girlfriend this whole time?

The thought shoots through me, and I can't face him. No. Not like this.

I turn, and I fucking run like the coward I am. Leaving the tray on a side table near the door, I race right into the service hall that runs along the ballroom. It's empty now, but it doesn't take long to hear the sharp tap of dress shoes on the linoleum chasing me.

"Maybel, stop."

He never uses my full name, and I hate him for doing it here. Now.

"Fucking stop, Bel. Damn."

I'm moving faster, cutting across another hall that leads into the kitchen to the other hallway that runs perpendicular to the main one. This place is a maze, but I will find my way out of here or die trying.

He continues to follow me, and I continue to ignore him. "You really want to do this here? Go ahead and run. It doesn’t matter. I'll always find you. I'll always catch you."

I glare at him over my shoulder, still moving. He's slow, slower than I know he can move.

"Let me guess, you say that to her too? Did you chase her down and take her in the woods too? Claim her virginity and fuck up her life?"

He huffs and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his tux. A fucking tux he looks incredible in. "You sound desperate, little wallflower. If you stop, I can show you what I really think."

Fuck him and fuck this. "No," I snap and up my pace.

"You know I like it when you run from me."

His words make me want to stop and fucking deck him. Especially since I hadn't heard a word from him since he left my room the last time. The distance between us is so thick that I hadn't yet figured out how to breach it. I think that’s on him, not me. If he's saving himself for some tall, willowy rich girl, me throwing him out means nothing despite his protestations.

When the next door comes up, I sweep through it and back into the party. It's all diamonds and big hair. All these people have far too much money and time on their hands. Drew follows me, pausing as he scans the crowd again. I grab a tray from a passing server and swing through the crowd into the big knots of people to keep him off my tail. He can't confront me in here, not in front of these people.

I stop short when a six-foot-tall giant cuts me off. He snags a champagne flute from the tray and stares down at me, a wrinkle in his brow. "You okay, my dear?"

I risk a glance at Drew walking up behind me and give the man a megawatt smile. “I’m fine, sir. Do you need anything? Are you comfortable?”

His eyes flick to Drew, who hovers behind me, waiting, no doubt, for the opportunity to sweep back in and drag me away. I pass the man who is still staring at me, a curious expression pinching his features, and move on to others, extending the tray, doing the job I'm being paid for. When I break out of the crowd, a hand grips me by the arm and drags me through another side door. Drew shoves me hard against the concrete brick wall adjacent to the door until my shoulder blades ache with the impact.Shit.

He's scowling now, his eyes locked on me as he pinches my chin between two fingers and tilts it up. "Now, you will listen to what I have to say because you don't have a choice, wallflower."

I stare deep into his eyes, making sure he can see and feel my defiance. He doesn’t get the last say here. “That’s where you’re wrong. I always have a choice. Now tell me what you want so I can get back to work.” The question drags up all the memories of us together, of all the times I've asked him that same question and never gotten an answer. Thinking about it, he probably wanted this with me all along. Someone to fuck with and play games.

This time, he leans in and whispers against my mouth. "We never made any promises. In fact, you are the one who told me to walk the fuck away. Remember?"

I jolt as his words sink in. That's what he wants to say when he's practically kissing me? I shove at his chest. "Get the fuck off me. You're right. We didn't make promises, except the second I even look at another man, you freak the fuck out. So...that tells me something is happening right, or maybe it doesn't go both ways? You can claim to all your friends that I’m your girlfriend, so they don’t touch or mess with me. Meanwhile, you can see anyone you want, but I have to sit around until you decide to come to me?"

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