“What is his deal?”

Avery leaned forward, inches from Mekena as she met her gaze. “Whose?”

“Markus. Why is he talking to me? Earlier at the rink, he caught me from falling and called me beautiful and shit. What the hell?”

Avery’s eyes widened. “No, he didn’t.”

“He did! Like, what in the world? You cheated on me, you broke my heart, and you’re trying to talk to me? No way.” Tearing her gaze from her best friend’s, Mekena looked to where Markus was watching them, leaning against the bar, a beer in his hand. He was wearing a pair of slacks, his green shirt tucked in loosely with his tie barely tied. It was disgustingly hot, and she needed help for being turned on by his messiness, but she couldn’t help it. He was delectable. “He needs to go on somewhere with that mess. We both know he is just trying to fuck with me.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Avery said, and Mekena met her gaze. Avery wasn’t laughing, but she wanted to.

“I hate you.”

“Mekena, you still get that gooey look in your eyes when you look at him. You don’t have to lie to me, I know you like that he caught you and called you beautiful. I know you, and I also know you don’t want to like those things. That you want to hate him, but you can’t ’cause you don’t hate anyone.”

“I hate my sister.”

“No, you don’t,” she said simply, shaking her head. “You’re mad, and I don’t know if you’ll forgive her, but you don’t hate her. If she were to fall and break an ankle, you’d make sure she was okay before you fist-pumped.”

Mekena rolled her eyes, grumbling as she looked away. “Whatever.”

“You know I’m right.”

“I know I’m about to start not liking you,” she warned, and Avery laughed.

“Yeah, okay,” she said between her chuckles as she leaned back in her chair. Mekena knew Avery thought she was right, but in a way, Mekena was pretty sure she was talking about “Before Mekena.” Before Mekena hadn’t ever been a spiteful girl, nor was she ever a grudge-holder. She usually let things roll right off her back. But then everything happened with Markus and Skylar, and well over a year later, “Now Mekena” was still upset about it. But maybe that was normal. She went from idolizing her sister, believing she ruled the world, to thinking her sister was the biggest whore this side of the Red River. With Markus, she’d seen and talked to him every day, and then it was over. She never got the closure God and everyone kept saying she needed, and maybe they were right.

But how could she stand there and listen to him tell her that she wasn’t enough? That she didn’t give it up quick enough? She didn’t think she could. But she didn’t like the person she was now. She wasn’t happy; she was just going through life because she had to. Maybe she would grow to be a bitter cat lady, angry like Mr. Right. Maybe she’d get really overweight like him and hiss at people for snacks. As she sat there staring into her best friend’s eyes, she really considered it.

But then, when would she have time for her gorgeous best friend?

“You look really pretty tonight.”

Mekena’s cheeks reddened as she waved Avery off. “Don’t do that. I was thinking about being an overweight cat lady and hissing at people for snacks.”

Avery’s brows rose, and then they both started laughing. Leaning back in her chair, Mekena realized it felt so damn good to laugh and be goofy with her best friend. “I’ve missed hanging with you like this, Avery.”

Avery grinned, reaching over the table to take Mekena’s hands in hers. “And I’ve missed you. But really, let’s not be an angry hissing cat lady and maybe roll with it.”

“Roll with it?”

“See what he has to say,” she said, and silence fell between them as they stared into each other’s eyes. They had been friends for a long time. Mekena knew things about Avery probably only Jace knew. And Avery knew just as many things about Mekena. But Avery’s words scared her. She knew Avery would only want the best for her, but didn’t she remember how bad off Mekena was? How much she cried, how she couldn’t leave her room, how she basically ran away? She didn’t want to be that girl again. She couldn’t be that girl. But was she even the kind of girl she liked now? Something had to give, but the only option she saw was talking to Markus.

Which she wasn’t sure she could do.

But maybe she could listen.

Or maybe she’d be an angry cat lady with lots of snacks since she’d buy them and no one could tell her no.

“Hey, girls!”

Mekena looked up to see Elli Adler standing beside her, pulling a chair out. “Is this seat taken?”

“Of course not, take it,” Avery said as Elli sat. She held her hand out to Elli. “I don’t think we’ve officially met. I’m Avery Sinclair, Jace’s wife.”

“Yes!” Elli said, holding her hand and shaking it earnestly. “It’s so good to meet you. I think the last time was Baylor’s wedding, and we all know how crazy that day got.”

Mekena’s stomach dropped a bit from the memory of it. She wasn’t there but she arrived a couple days later, and she could still remember the look on Jayden’s face as he retold almost losing Baylor. His love for her was so beautiful, so strong, and he had looked white as a ghost still, three days later. It was obvious it had shaken his core good.

“Yeah, it was,” Avery said, shaking her head. “Thank God everyone is okay.”

“Oh, I know. Lord, I couldn’t imagine.”

“Me either,” Mekena added, and Elli smiled as she looked over at her.

“Enough with that, I can’t handle it all again. Tell me we’re still good for Monday?”

Mekena smiled. “Yes, we are.”

“Oh, good. I was worried.”

“Worried, why?”

“’Cause I tried to set you up with my nephew when I knew from the beginning you wouldn’t be interested.”

Mekena’s face darkened with color. “It’s not that I’m not interested, it’s just not a good time for me.”

“And he’s young.”

“Only about a year,” Mekena said, though, in her head, Ryan Justice acted like a fifteen-year-old. So not her type. He was beautiful, but not her type.

“Either way, I shouldn’t have done that when we have a business meeting,” she said with a forgive-me smile, to which Mekena waved her off.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Business meeting?” Avery asked, and Mekena looked over at her as Elli beamed.

“I cornered Mekena.”

“Cornered? Hardly,” Mekena laughed. “She asked for a meeting for potential work with the Assassins.”

Avery lit up. “Oh, my goodness! That would be awesome for you. She loves Nashville, and I know she misses it.”

“I do,” she agreed, and being home in the fall made her realize that more than ever. She didn’t want to go back. She wasn’t sure how she was going to tell Libby that, but she would have to if she got this job.

“Oh! Well, good for me, then,” Elli exclaimed just as someone started hitting the mic, stealing her attention.

Mekena looked up to see Markus standing on the little stage, a mic in his hand. “Testing, testing? Can everyone hear me?”

“Yeah, loser, we can hear you,” someone called from the back, which everyone laughed at.

“Cool, so I figured I’d emcee this little shindig since I’m the one with the most musical talent in this room,” he said, and people laughed, especially Avery. “We don’t have any songwriters or former Broadway stars or guys who play guitar and think they’re awesome or anything. Nope, just me, and I’m amazing.”

Elli laughed and leaned into Mekena. “That Markus Reeves, have you met him?”

Mekena just smiled timidly. “Yeah, I know him.”

“He is so funny, such a great hockey player too.”

“Yeah, he is,” she agreed as Markus waved his hands in the air.

“Okay, enough, enough. Let’s get this going. So here is what you’re going to do. There is paper in the middle of every table, sign up to sing what you want to, and bring it up to my main man, RayJay the DeeJay, and he’ll get you set up. But first, let’s get the bride and groom up here!”

A round of applause filled the room as people pushed Benji to the front while he laughed and joked around. “I don’t sing!”

“Come on, babe, let’s get this over with,” Lucy called to him. He met her halfway, taking her in his arms before dipping her back and kissing her hard on the mouth. Everyone cheered, raising their glasses as they smooched, and Mekena couldn’t hide her grin. They were so adorable.

“Come on, you lovebirds!” Markus called to them, and finally, they made it up to the stage. Wrapping his arm around Benji, Markus grinned up at him. “You two will start us off with a classic, true love song.”

People aww’d, and Lucy laughed as Benji shook his head. “I can’t sing.”

“It doesn’t matter, because, bro, come here,” Markus said, bringing him in closer as everyone laughed and catcalled at them. The room was full of people Mekena didn’t know personally but recognized from the Assassins. “Chicks dig when dudes make a fool of themselves.”

Wasn’t that the damn truth? The ladies in the room cheered while Benji rolled his eyes. Mekena, though, she was taken back to all the times Markus had done just that, made an utter fool out of himself and never cared. All he did was smile. Which is why she fell so hard and fast for him.

“Fine, whatever. Give me the mic,” he said, taking it as Lucy took the other one from RayJay. When the music to “You’re the One That I Want” from Grease started, everyone cheered as Lucy did a little wiggle and Benji’s head fell back. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Laughing, Mekena rested her elbows against the table as they sang together—terribly—but no one cared because the two lovebirds were having a blast. Soon, the whole room was singing along with them as Avery leaned toward Mekena. “I’m so happy for them.”

She was, Mekena could tell, and it was for good reason. Lucy was Lucy, and to find someone like Benji, someone who was basically a dream… Yeah, that was something to be happy for. When they finished, Benji picked Lucy up, kissing her, and Mekena clapped loudly as she laughed. Markus came on stage, taking the mic. “Okay, okay, let’s give it up for the bride and groom!”

The room erupted as they laughed, going off the stage. Markus said something, but it wasn’t on the mic. And then he was talking to the DJ as Benji slapped hands with his teammates.

“I don’t know if everyone knows this, but those two will be getting married Saturday morning—unless someone steals the bride away,” Markus teased, and Benji glared.

“I’ve got your number, Reeves,” he called out, and everyone laughed.

“Me? Never. Promise,” he said with a laugh, and then he looked over to Mekena. His eyes met hers.

What in the world?

“I should do one.”

Mekena looked to Elli and smiled. “You sing?”

“She’s the Broadway star, Kennie,” Avery said.

Mekena grinned excitedly. “I didn’t know that!”

“Yup, and back in my day, I used to do some killer karaoke,” Elli said, taking a long sip of her wine as she reached for the pencil and paper. “Shea, baby!”

Shea, who Mekena hadn’t even seen standing at the table beside them, turned to her. “Yeah?”

“Should I sing?”

“Duh.”

She laughed. “‘Before He Cheats’?”

Shea closed his eyes, shaking his head as Elli almost fell out of her chair with giggles.

“I feel there’s a story that goes along with this,” Avery mused, and Shea laughed, coming to their table.

“Oh, there is,” he said as his wife continued to laugh. “I came home from a game or something, I don’t remember, and she was out at the bar. I went to pick her up since she was drinking. I walk in, and she’s on the stage giving Carrie Underwood a run for her money, singing, swinging her arms, and acting like she was the star of that music video.”

“Mrs. Adler!” Avery gushed.

“You have to,” Mekena cheered.

“Yes, do it. But let’s not throw up the whole way home, okay?” Shea asked, and Mekena grimaced.

“Ack.”

“Yeah, it was horrible, but I’m gonna do it!”

As she filled out her sheet, Markus’s voice pulled Mekena back up to the stage. “All right, now let’s get some real dueting up here, huh?”

“Here, Mekena,” Avery said, placing a glass in front of her. Taking a sip, Mekena’s eyes widened. “I know, I brought a flask.”

“You’re awesome.”

“Ah, maybe at this second. But in the next, you might be a little upset.”

Mekena’s brows came in and she almost asked why, but then Markus said, “Avery, let’s do this.”

As Avery rose, biting her lip, Mekena glared. “You’re singing with him?”

“I love you,” she sang as she made her way to the stage, but then Elli stopped her.

“Take this, love!”

Avery took the sheet of paper and then rushed the stage, probably before Mekena could trip her. Not that she would. What did she expect? He was Avery’s husband’s best friend. They were all close, though Avery did give Markus shit a lot. Still, Mekena wished it could be like it was before. When all four of them would hang out and do things. She missed that, she missed them, she missed…him.

Damn it.

“Ready to do this, Sinclair?”

“Ready,” Avery said, and they shared a smile as “Closer” by the Chainsmokers started. Soon, they had the whole crowd going. Avery was a heavenly angel when she sang, and Markus was good—not as good as Avery, but good. He sang like he owned that stage, though, and as Avery sang the high notes, he did some goofy-ass dance that only Markus could do to get a rise out of people. That was Markus, though. Everyone loved him.

“I should be jealous of them, but then I remember she sleeps with me.”

Looking up at Jace, Mekena grinned. “This is true.”

“God, they’re idiots.”

Looking back to the stage where Markus and Avery were doing the popular dance move, The Sprinkler, Mekena couldn’t disagree. “They’re something.”

“Remember that time we went to what we thought was karaoke night, but it was really a swing dancing night?”

As Mekena snorted with laughter, Jace pulled the chair out and sat down. “I still can’t believe we went out there.”

“Or that Markus knew what he was doing!”

“Right? I thought he was bullshitting me.”

“Nope, he was flinging you all over the place while I stood there looking at Avery like, yeah, I can’t do that.”

Laughing together as they finished up, Mekena looked back at Jace and shook her head. “It was a good night.”

“Great night, you mean,” he said with a nod and leaned into her. “I’m glad you came out tonight.”

“Me too,” she said, and the look on her best friend’s husband’s face told her that he wished they could do this more. As did she, but life…it was a fucker. All of them were so busy and then…there was no her and Markus anymore.

“Aw, shit!”

Looking up to the stage, she saw Markus was holding a piece of paper with a look of astonishment on his face. “Guys. Hey! Brooks, shut up. Listen to this!”

Everyone laughed as Lucas Brooks flipped Markus off. “Do you people, you mere mortals, know what I hold in my hand?”

Everyone waited as Markus just shook his head. “I almost can’t believe this is in my hand. That this goddess has decided to grace us with her presence and sing for us.”

“Oh Lord, this guy,” Elli laughed, and Mekena giggled.

“Guys, Elli Fucking Adler, the amazing, beautiful, and talented wife of the best defenseman of our generation, mother to five awesome kids, and owner of our team, wants to sing for us.”

“Wow, someone really is sucking some ass to get on the team,” someone yelled from the crowd.

“Ass-kisser!”

“Hey, fuck all y’all. I mean this,” he said seriously, but even Mekena knew he was being a dork. “Elli Adler, please come sing for us.”

With the biggest grin and laughing so hard, Elli made her way up to the stage as everyone cheered her on. When she reached the steps, Markus helped her up and then promptly dropped to his knees, bowing down to her.

“We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!” he sang, and Elli just laughed along with everyone else.

Especially Mekena.

As Mekena’s face hurt from laughing while Elli took the mic and the music started, Elli proved why she had been a Broadway star. She was amazing, but all Mekena could think about was the fact that she hadn’t laughed this hard in a long time. Since the last time she was with him. Glancing over to where he stood, nodding his head to the popular “Before He Cheats,” she drank him in. The lights were low, which made his skin seem darker and even richer. His shirt was completely untucked, and he had the biggest grin on his face.

A grin she missed.

Ugh, her heart hurt.

She missed him. So much.

And that made her an even bigger idiot.

Looking to her best friend who had returned to the table, she said, “Avery, give me that flask.”

Since she couldn’t be a bitter cat lady, she’d be the second-best thing.

Drunk.

 

 

The night was going great.

People were having a blast, Elli Adler was singing her heart out, and the drinks were flowing. It was becoming one of those nights Markus would forever hold in his heart. This was what he needed. A night with his boys, his friends, and his family.

“You know, Markus,” Benji said, leaning on the table as he pointed to Markus. They were seated by the stage, Markus’s duties as DJ to the DJ over, unfortunately. “I forgive you for sleeping with my wife.”

Everyone started to hoot with laughter as Markus shook his head. “Thank you, Benji, for forgiving me for something that isn’t forgivable since it happened years before you came along.”

“Still, I was a thought!” Benji accused, and Markus nodded.

“You’re right. As we were making love, she did say your name.”

“Stop talking about me!” Lucy called from the next table over, and he grinned back at her.

“You’re the bride. We’re all passing around stories about you. Two of them have been naked ones and about that birthmark on your ass.”

Another round of chortles came as Lucy flicked him off. “I hate you.”

“Love you too,” Markus called back as he took a long pull of his beer. He wasn’t drunk by any means, but he was feeling good. Everyone was, well, except for the non-drinkers and the pregnant women. Jace had brought a flask, so he was spiking his, Avery’s, and apparently, Mekena’s drinks. Which was good. Everyone needed to cut loose, even the children of the bunch.

“So you think you’ll make the cut, Reeves?” Lucas Brooks asked, and Markus shrugged.

“I’m faster than you, for sure,” he teased, and Lucas chuckled.

“You wish.”

“Oh, I know. And because of that, I challenge you,” Markus said, standing and putting his foot on the chair, “my good man, to a race!”

Lucas stood, matching his stance as they shook hands firmly. “It’s on, brother.”

“To the ice rink!” Markus called, but Jace pulled him down, laughing.

“The ice rink is closed, loser.”

“Oh,” Markus said, and then he thought for a moment. “This is true. So I shall sing!”

“Boo,” everyone sang, but he ignored them, getting up and turning right into Mekena.

She bounced off him with flair, but he stopped her from falling, steadying her in front of him. Her eyes met his, and he hissed out a breath at her close proximity. If he thought she was beautiful from afar, up close, she was majestic. She had some eye makeup on that made her eyes appear bigger and brighter. His insides went to goo, and all he wanted was to wrap her up in his arms and never let go.

But, he refrained. Unfortunately. “My bad.”

“No, my bad,” she mumbled, trying to get around him, but he went the same way, and they ended up back in front of each other. As they held each other’s gaze, he felt his hands twitch to touch her. To tuck the piece of hair that was escaping back into her ponytail. To feel her skin once more, to whisper how gorgeous he thought she was, but her eyes were full of flight-mode.

“I’m going that way,” she said, pointing to the left, her speech a little garbled. She had been drinking; he could smell it.

“Then I’ll go this way,” he said, going to the right, but he almost didn’t move. Her perfume was intoxicating, causing him to want to smother his face in her neck. But somewhere, he found the willpower and went to the stage, requesting his song. He wasn’t sure why he picked this song, but he had to pick it. Reaching for the mic, he sucked in a deep breath as “Ruin” by Shawn Mendes filled the room and he started singing.

From his soul.

As he opened his eyes, it was like he was on a real stage, a spotlight on him and a spotlight on Mekena—because she was all he saw. Standing by the bar, she held a cup in her hand as she watched him. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pressed together, and it was easy to say she didn’t seem impressed, but he had to sing this song. He hadn’t realized how much this song reminded him of her or how much shit he was going to get for singing it, but in a way, he didn’t care. He had to reach her. He had to get her to hear him.

As the song ended and he sang the last note like he had been singing his whole life, he threw his hands up. “Thank you, thank you, your applause is truly appreciated!”

Everyone laughed at that, while Johansson yelled out, “If you don’t make the cut, Reeves, you’ve got washed-up boy band member down for sure!”

Laughing, Markus rolled his eyes as he went offstage while the DJ announced, “Well, after that, let’s slow things down. Who wants to dance?”

Everyone cheered as Markus made his way to where Jace was sitting with Avery, Mekena, Shea, and Elli. He could have gone back to the table with the boys, but he wanted to be where Mekena was. Even if she wouldn’t talk to him, at least he could stare at her.

Because that wasn’t creepy or anything.

Sitting down next to Avery, he leaned on the table into her and she giggled happily. “Tell me I wasn’t amazing.”

“You weren’t amazing,” she said simply with a wink, and he laughed.

“Whatever, I made you wish you could sing like me.”

“You’re right. I sat here watching as you crooned, thinking, wow, I wish I was Markus Reeves.”

He nodded. “Happens a lot.”

Jace laughed along with Elli and Shea, while Mekena found something very interesting on her phone.

“You sang very passionately,” Elli slurred, and Markus winked at her.

“Thank you very much.”

“I don’t think that was a compliment,” Jace said, and Markus looked back at him, offended.

“Yes, it was.”

Rolling his eyes, Jace took a long pull of his flask as Elli asked, “Markus, probably not the best time to ask this since we are all drinking, and more than likely I’ll ask again tomorrow—”

“Then why don’t you wait until tomorrow?” Shea asked, and she shot him a look.

“Because I’ve already started talking,” she said with a glare. “Anyway, do I need to get some extra tickets for your family?”

Markus paused before looking back to Jace. “River and Autumn have season tickets, right?”

“Yeah.”

Looking back to his boss, he shook his head. “Nope, I’m good.”

Elli looked at Shea and then back to Markus. “You don’t want to invite your parents? It’s your first NHL game.”

Markus tried to smile, though, it looked more like a grimace. “River and Autumn will be there.”

“Ooh! I love this song. Come on, Jace, let’s dance,” Avery said, thankfully changing the subject as some slow song started. Jace agreed, standing up and taking her hand to lead her to the dance floor.

“Yes, let’s dance!” Elli said, shaking Shea to the point that he had no choice but to get up and take his beautiful wife to the floor. Looking across the table, Markus tapped his fingers to the beat, but Mekena wasn’t moving. She was looking at her phone as she pressed hard with her fingers on something. Glancing out at the floor where almost everyone was with their spouses, Markus smiled.

“Did you wanna dance?”

Mekena’s brows pulled together before she looked up at him. “Me?”

“Yeah, do you wanna dance?”

She just looked at him as if another head was coming up from his neck. Then she dropped her phone to the table, her brows touching even more. “Why aren’t you inviting your parents? It’s your first game. They’d love to go.”

He shrugged, confused by her subject change. “Because I don’t talk to them.”

“What?”

“What? It isn’t that hard to understand. I haven’t talked to them in over a year.”

“Why not?”

“Because they told me to choose you or them, and I chose you,” he said simply, and her eyes widened.

He knew she hadn’t forgotten that night. Hell, he would never forget it. How his parents had looked at her like she was filth off the street. All because she wasn’t African American like they were. He didn’t see color; he saw a beautiful girl, and he thought his parents would see the same. But apparently, they didn’t. He hadn’t wanted to fight with them, and he sure as hell didn’t want to lose contact with them, but he refused to allow them to treat Mekena how they did. They were rude and disrespectful, calling her “that damn white girl” instead of her name. They wanted their son to marry a nice black girl from church, which wouldn’t have been a problem if there was one there who made his heart palpitate like it did when he was around Mekena. Like it was at the moment. That hard pound that felt as if his heart was going to come straight out of his chest. Breaking ribs, ripping skin, only to flop there on the table. No one made him feel like that.

But his parents didn’t care.

When they left that night after dinner with his parents, Mekena was in tears and Markus was embarrassed. He promised never to subject her to that again, and when his mother called, saying she didn’t want him bringing Mekena back, he said that was fine because he wouldn’t be coming back either. But days later, the shit with Skylar happened, and then he found himself without his parents or Mekena.

With a bewildered expression on her face, she said, “But we aren’t together.”

“So?”

“So you should reach out to them.”

“But I won’t. ’Cause if they can’t accept who I date, then I want nothing to do with them.”

“That’s insane,” she said, standing up and slamming her chair in. “You’re insane. And…yeah…” she said, turning on her heel and rushing out of the place. He knew he should stay, he should give her some space, but he couldn’t. He got up, following her outside where she was standing, looking at the sky.

Glaring back at him, she spat, “Why are you following me?”

“I want to make sure you get back to the cabin okay.”

“Maybe I wanted to get some air.”

“Then I want to make sure no one hurts you.”

Shaking her head, she struck her hips. “Why? ’Cause that’s your job?”

“Mekena—”

“I don’t matter to you.”

“That’s not true,” he tried, but she threw her hands up, stomping away. Down the trail she went and he followed, only a few feet behind her.

Looking back at him, she grumbled. “I’m fine.”

“You may very well be, but I want to make sure.”

She was wobbling, obviously a little drunk, which was probably why she was actually speaking to him. “I can’t believe you aren’t talking to your parents because of me.”

“I can’t believe they treated you like shit.”

Whipping around, she pointed at him. “If that matters, then why—” She stopped and shook her head. “No, I can’t talk about that!”

“Okay?” he asked, confused.

And she wasn’t done. Throwing her hands up once more, her little nose wrinkled as she yelled, “Did you sing that song for me?”

He smiled. “Did I mean to? No, but then it was there—for you.”

“Are you crazy? Do you know how crazy that is? You shouldn’t have a chance with me!”

She whirled around with the force of a tsunami before he could say anything—or point out that she said shouldn’t instead of don’t, which he counted as a win. But before he could mention that, she was on the ground. Face first. He didn’t even see how she fell, but when he reached her, she was crying out, holding her ankle. Dropping to his knees, he tried to help, but she smacked him away, rubbing her ankle. “I’m fine. I just twisted it,” she bit out, trying to hold back her tears. “Just go away.”

“I can’t.”

She moaned loudly and then tried to get up, but she couldn’t manage it. Even though he knew she was going to fight him, he picked her up with ease, and her arms came around his neck. “I’m fine.”

“I know, but let me carry you back.”

“I don’t need you.”

“I know.”

Holding her, he started back to their cabin as her head rested against her arms, but still, she was so close he almost couldn’t stand it. Her arms were warm, her hair tickled his face, and she was so light. So little. He wanted to feed her.

When the cabin came into view, he wanted to take a detour. Get lost in the woods. But he knew that wouldn’t go over well. Plus, he had a really bad sense of direction, and if he got lost in the woods, good chance they’d both die.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

He felt her staring at him, but he knew if he looked at her, he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from pressing his mouth to hers. “Because I want to.”

“But I’m mean to you.”

“Eh, not mean, just hostile,” he said, flashing her a grin before reaching for the knob and opening the door. “With good reason, though.” Pushing the door open, he entered, looking around for the light. “Do you want me to put you in your room or on the couch?”

“Couch.”

He slowly laid her down before grabbing a pillow to put under her ankle. “Let me get you some ice.” She didn’t say anything as he got an ice pack out of the freezer and a washrag from the drawer then came back and laid it on her ankle. Taking off her shoes, he set them beside the couch before looking back at her to make sure she was okay. Her face was covered in dirt from her fall, so he wiped it off, fully expecting her to stop him, but she didn’t. She just watched him, her eyes glazed over, and he knew she was drunker than they both realized. When her face was clean, he noticed she was lying funny because of the pillows behind her, so he stood back up, reaching behind her to help her out, but somehow their faces lined up and he was stunned in place. One little movement and their mouths would touch. That’s all it would take.

Breathless, he said, “Oh, sorry—”

But before he could move, she whispered, “Markus.”

He could smell the whiskey on her breath, knew this wasn’t supposed to happen, but then she was moving and he couldn’t stop her. He didn’t have the willpower. Next thing he knew, her lips pressed to his—softly, God, so softly that his eyes fell shut as his body went hot and tight. She felt so damn good. Digging his fingers into the couch, he stayed as still as he could because if he moved, he wouldn’t stop. When her tongue came out, running along his bottom lip, he pulled away, shaking his head.

“Mekena, you’re drunk.”

“I don’t care. Come here,” she whispered, her fingers gliding along the back of his head. “I want you.”

“Mekena, please,” he said, pulling fully away. As much as he hated it, he knew he had no choice. He couldn’t trust himself. He wanted her too much.

Standing up, he went around the table and smacked his hands together, unable to look at her. “So, do you need help—”

“Really? What is wrong? Am I that disgusting?”

Looking up at her, he furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. “Disgusting? What?”

“Me! You don’t want to kiss me. You didn’t want to fuck me. So you fucked my sister instead! What is wrong with me?” she yelled, struggling to stand, but she did. “Why aren’t I good enough?”

“Mekena, it’s not that. Please don’t think that. You have to let me explain—”

“No, Markus, your actions speak volumes!”

She went to walk away, limping, but he stopped her. “Please give me a chance to explain.”

“Because I want to hear how you don’t want me. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“I do want you, Mekena!”

“Again, you have a funny way of showing it,” she yelled, ripping her arm from his as she limped back to her room.

Rushing to catch up, he blocked the doorway as she glared up at him. “Give me a chance. Let me explain.”

“What is there to explain?”

“A lot! And if you give me a fucking chance, you’ll know what. Stop assuming shit and let me tell you the truth—when you’re not drunk.” She glared, her eyes filling with tears that he swore, if they fell, he’d be done for. “Please, Mekena. Meet me for breakfast tomorrow.”

Shaking her head, she looked away. “I can’t. I’m going out to breakfast with my parents.”

“Fine, lunch.”

“I can’t. I have stuff for the wedding,” she said, looking back at him. “And tomorrow night, I have the rehearsal, so maybe after that. I don’t know.”

“After the rehearsal sounds great. Wanna meet back here?”

She shrugged, and he could tell she was having an internal battle. She didn’t want to want him, and he understood that. But maybe that meant something. Maybe it was meant to be, and she needed to stop fighting it. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head. “I guess.”

He nodded back even though his heart was in his throat. He wasn’t sure how the hell he was going to tell her everything tomorrow, but he’d figure it out. There was no way he was going to let her think it was because he didn’t want her. That was the furthest thing from the truth, and he was going to tell her just that.

He leaned toward her, fully expecting her to flinch away, but she didn’t. She stood there completely still as he pressed his lips to her cheek. “Goodnight, Mekena.”

Pulling back, she looked up at him and shook her head. “You better not make me regret this.”

“I won’t,” he promised, and he hoped it was clear in his eyes that he meant it.

At least, he hoped she wouldn’t. But hadn’t he thought that before?