Drew watched her walk away, his head pounding with unspoken words. Or maybe that was his heart hammering away.

Or maybe it was just the drum and bass from the terrible band on stage.

The only thing he knew for certain was that he was vibrating, humming with energy. It had always been this way when Livvy was around. Today just felt more intense because it had been so long since he’d seen her.

So long he’d started to convince himself that he was over it. Over her. That her ridiculous effect on him was all in his mind.

Clearly he’d been fooling himself.

For a second there, he’d thought he was seeing things. She’d looked like a vision. An apparition in garish green. But even in that ugly uniform that he’d always teased her about, she still looked good.

Who was he kidding? She looked amazing. Not in a traditional way, maybe. She’d never been a knockout beauty, at least not by popular standards. After nearly a year away from her, he’d gotten good at taking a step back in his mind’s eye and looking at her objectively. On nights when he couldn’t sleep for missing her, he’d mentally tear her down and tell himself she wasn’t all that. He could do better.

But then she’d walked into his club and it was stupidly obvious that all that self-talk was bullshit. Utterly meaningless nonsense that he’d tried to sell himself to appease his ego.

While it was true that from an outsider’s perspective she might not have been deemed the hottest girl in NYC, or even their group of friends, that didn’t matter. Because he wasn’t an outsider and she wasn’t some girl who could be compared.

She had no equal.

He’d known that since day one of freshman year when she’d turned around in her chair to face him and his new roommate, Jessie. Her smile had been brilliant, her eyes filled with warmth. They’d made small talk until the professor arrived and then, after class, she’d turned around once more. She’d made him laugh—over what, he couldn’t remember—and then looked him straight in the eyes and asked him out for coffee. Sure, she’d asked Jessie for coffee too but he’d been struck senseless then and there.

The more he’d gotten to know her the worse his affliction became. She was perfect…for him, at least. Kind and thoughtful, funny and smart. But more than that, she’d always gotten him and he’d understood her. There was a connection between them that he’d never been able to explain, only experience. She’d listened to him and talked to him as if there were no barriers between them. As if they spoke a language of their own. When Livvy was around they existed in a bubble—a warm, sweet, sexually charged bubble.

For a little while their first semester, he’d thought maybe she’d felt the same way. But then she and Jessie started dating, and right around that same time she’d declared him her best friend.

Awesome.

He’d been relegated to the friend zone. Maybe he could have fought it, maybe he should have fought it. But he hadn’t. Because she’d been so happy when Jessie asked her out and Jessie…well, that fucker had sworn he’d do right by her.

The asshole in question cut into his reverie and forced him to look away from Livvy, who looked anxious and distracted as she cast glances his way while Camille talked at her.

“So…” Jessie said, his tone dark and ominous. “You and Liv.”

It was a statement, not a question, but his meaning was clear. There was so much baggage loaded into that phrase, it needed its own compartment. You and Liv… What he meant was—So, you finally got what you wanted. What he meant was—You’ll always be her second choice. What he meant was—Thanks to me, you got your shot.

Sure, none of that was said, but it was there. An undercurrent of anger and resentment that went both ways. Jessie had his reasons for hating him, not that Drew cared. He’d never forgiven Jessie for the way he’d treated Liv. The cheating, obviously, but also before that. The way he’d made her doubt herself. The way he’d wrapped her around his little finger just to know that he could. The way he failed to love her the way he should. The way he hadn’t made her happy like he’d promised.

He wondered if Jessie even remembered making that promise. Olivia might have been clueless as to Drew’s feelings, but his roommate had been well aware. They’d both known from the start that they liked the same girl—the cute, outgoing goofball from psych class.

Drew had stepped to the side once he realized that Olivia had made her choice. And Jessie had been grateful for his gracious defeat, promising loudly and boldly that he’d made the right move. That he would make her happy, no matter what it took.

He looked over at Livvy again, her smile strained as she apparently made small talk with Camille. Camille, of all people. The supposed friend who Jessie had chosen over Livvy. His brain still reeled over that one.

That old anger that he’d thought he’d buried reared up. For a moment it was like no time had passed and he was facing off with Jessie back in their dorm room all over again.

“Yup,” he said, flashing his former friend a grin he knew would piss Jessie off. “Me and Livvy.”

He took a swig of his drink, wishing he was drunker than he was. He was just tipsy enough that Olivia’s sudden appearance had shattered his defenses but not nearly drunk enough to block out the onslaught of emotions that came with her.

He felt Jessie’s stare and something in his gut hardened into a sickening knot. Fuck. He was lying about being with Livvy. What the hell was he doing? He’d come so far this year, moving on from his best friend and the woman he’d thought was the love of his life. And now, in one night, it had all come rushing back. He was once again in the middle of whatever drama was going on between them.

He watched Livvy with Camille and shoved aside the inkling of pity that threatened to make him weak. She was using him, plain and simple. He didn’t know what had transpired to make her lie and say she’d invited him as her date to their wedding, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out her motive. She’d been trying to make Jessie jealous. Piss him off. Get a response.

The hard knot in his gut twisted, making him want to keel over and be sick. She was hoping to get Jessie back.

It was all so clear. He turned away from Livvy and took in his former friend. Jessie hadn’t changed, not at all. Still just as sure of himself as ever. He’d heard he’d gotten into the med school of his choice. Of course. He’d gotten Camille, the fiancée he’d wanted and the woman he deserved. He didn’t envy him his success or his relationship. He had no desire to be a doctor and he’d rather be stabbed in the eye than have Camille for a girlfriend. The woman was as fake as they came. Maybe that was why she was so perfect for Jessie. If he couldn’t see the continent-sized difference in their worth than he deserved Camille for a wife.

No, he wasn’t jealous of any of that. But he was jealous. He was too damned self-aware to deny it, even to himself and even in this tipsy state. He was fucking jealous as hell. Because despite the fact that Jessie didn’t recognize her value, despite the fact that he’d cheated on her and treated her like dirt—Livvy clearly still wanted him.

Jessie’s gaze was fixed on Livvy and Camille, though which one he was focused on wasn’t clear. “When did that happen? Last I heard you two weren’t talking.”

Drew didn’t try to hide his grin. Well, shit. It looked like he wasn’t the only one with jealousy issues. He recognized that tone. He should, he’d heard it enough in his own voice.

The knot eased up a bit. He still had a bitter taste in his mouth but the new realization made it easier to breathe. So, the great Jessie Wagner was jealous of him for once. That was too good to resist. So good, he had to push the button a little more. He gave a careless shrug that Jessie missed because he was still watching the women at the bar. “Oh, you know how these things go. We had some issues to work out but we couldn’t stay away from each other for long. And once we were alone in a room together…” He let his words trail off, letting Jessie fill in the rest with his own imagination.

Drew knew better than anyone that the cruelest torture was the sort of images the mind dreamed up. He couldn’t count how many nights he lay awake in bed torturing himself with images of Livvy and Jessie alone together.

Maybe that was why he always tagged along. Their lovely little threesome was Drew’s masochistic way of ensuring that his best friends couldn’t be alone together, at least not all the time.

Well played. He’d swapped out one form of torture for another. At times he wondered which was worse, imaging them having sex, or watching them flirt in front of him?

He knew the answer. Imagining them together was always worse. And he could only hope Jessie was experiencing that same torment now.

Judging by the way Jessie’s nostrils flared and his lips pressed together, Drew would guess he’d hit the mark.

Revel in that image for a minute, old friend. See what it’s like to be the loser on the sidelines for once.

Jessie recovered quickly, he’d give him that. Finally turning away from the sight of his fiancée and former flame chatting it up at the bar, he faced Drew with a smug smile.

He’d always known Jessie was an arrogant ass, but somehow he’d been able to overlook the fact when they’d been friends. Now he couldn’t imagine how he’d lived with the guy for four years without punching that smirk off his conceited, preppy face.

“We’ll see how long that lasts, eh?” Jessie said, not even trying to hide his disdain and mockery.

Drew took a swig of his drink, pulling a drunken grin as if he didn’t have a care in the world. As if those words didn’t cut open the old wound that just wouldn’t heal.

Once again the true meaning was in the subtext. Jessie didn’t think Drew was good enough for Livvy and never had. He’d hidden his thoughts well enough…right up until that last confrontation. Back in their dorm room, shortly after the karaoke incident, the proverbial shit had finally hit the fan.

Jessie had been livid. And maybe rightfully so. He’d been an ass that night. It was the greatest mistake of his life. For nearly four years he’d kept his feelings to himself. He’d done his very best to move on, find a woman who wanted him back.

But no one he’d dated measured up and he’d found himself in a series of meaningless sexual relationships. Not that he was complaining, necessarily. He’d had a good time. But he’d never gotten what he’d really wanted. No one had replaced Livvy as his dream girl.

He’d never forget the sneer Jessie had worn when he’d returned to their room later that night. Drew was already humiliated. Mortified. Worse, he’d been heartbroken. He’d basically told her exactly how he felt—okay, he’d sung his feelings to a cheesy eighties song, but she’d known. He’d seen her comprehension.

Oh sure, you were sober enough to see her dawning understanding but not together enough to stop the fucking song.

He waved off the mocking voice. It was ancient history. He looked over at Jessie, who was wearing a smile that was eerily similar to the sneer he’d worn that night. Or maybe it wasn’t ancient history. Hell, maybe it wasn’t history at all. Here they were, on opposites sides of an invisible battleground named Olivia.

Back then Drew had fired first. He’d found out about Jessie and Camille—that had been the catalyst for the drunken karaoke disaster. He’d been so pissed when he’d learned the truth, he’d gone out and gotten wasted on his own. By the time he’d met up with his friends he’d been convinced that he’d been wrong all along. That he was better for Livvy and that maybe, just maybe, she’d see that if he found a way to tell her.

And yes, in hindsight he could see that singing his feelings—badly, drunkenly, and in front of a large group of people—was not the best way to express said feelings.

But he’d done it. And then he’d had to face the consequences. Liv’s rejections followed by Jessie’s anger. Jessie had been humiliated and betrayed by Drew’s behavior. That’s what he’d said. Humiliated and betrayed. As if he was the victim in this scenario.

Drew hadn’t been able to stand his hypocrisy any longer so he’d called him out on it, confronting him with what he’d learned about his affair with Camille.

The asshole hadn’t even tried to deny it. He’d brushed off Drew’s anger on Livvy’s behalf. Hell, on his own behalf. He’d stepped aside so Jessie could be her freakin’ Prince Charming. The doctor and the lawyer. The homecoming king and his queen. They were the perfect couple and that’s what he’d wanted for her. Perfection. But Jessie’s expression had said it all. He wasn’t sorry. He didn’t feel regret—except maybe at having been caught. That was when Drew saw his supposed friend clearly for the very first time.

Jessie was an entitled, selfish ass. Oh sure, he might have had his shit together. No one could deny that he had potential. Brains, charm, good looks. He had it all. But Jessie clearly thought he was God’s gift to women and that he could do whatever he pleased.

Drew wasn’t having it. He’d made a threat—you tell Livvy or I will. Bang. The first shot was fired. Let the battle begin.

In true Jessie style, he’d gone on the offensive, laughing humorlessly at the threat. “What, do you really think you stand a chance with her? You do, don’t you? You think that if I’m out of the picture, you’ll stand a chance.”

Drew would never forget his former friend’s laughter. It had cut through him like a blade to the gut. For the first time it was clear how Jessie saw him. As the go-nowhere loser of the group. He drank too much, came from a poor, dysfunctional family. Worst of all, he had no ambition. Except to play music, but that didn’t amount to much in Jessie’s world.

Which was Olivia’s world too.

That night in that room, he’d seen it all so clearly. Of course she’d chosen Jessie. She’d seen from the very first that he was her equal in the eyes of the rest of the world. They were both overachievers, both came from “good” families with all the money and privilege that entailed.

Jessie had been right. He’d never stood a chance.

He pulled himself back from those thoughts. It was pointless to stew over this again. He’d lived, he’d learned. He chose to no longer pine over an emotionally unavailable woman. He’d cut Jessie and Livvy out of his life and hadn’t looked back.

Until tonight. Until now.

All thanks to Livvy and whatever ridiculous scheme she’d dragged him into.

He turned to Jessie, still feigning a nonchalance he didn’t feel. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

At Jessie’s look of irritation, he reminded his former friend. “Camille said we needed to talk. About what?”

Jessie rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and Drew almost laughed. Almost. He’d bet his next paycheck that Jessie had been dragged here against his will to make nice. Camille wanted to slap a happy sticker on everything and there was no way she’d allow her big day to be ruined by some old, petty bullshit.

Especially if that old, petty bullshit boiled down to the fact that he and her fiancé had gotten into a fight over a woman. A woman who wasn’t Camille.

Camille must hate that.

“She thinks we should all be friends.” The disgust in Jessie’s voice spoke for itself. He didn’t want to be friends with Drew any more than he wanted to friends with Jessie.

“That sounds peachy.” Drew drained the last of his drink. This was surely a special form of torture. History was haunting him. But these days he didn’t have to take this shit.

“Look, if you don’t like seeing me and Olivia together, I could skip the wedding.” Not laughing was a struggle. Jessie’s face turned an unattractive splotchy red. He was pissed, jealous, and humiliated at the thought of being pissed and jealous because of a loser like Drew.

Jessie’s shrug looked forced. “Why would I mind? I’m with Camille now. We’re getting married, if you haven’t heard.”

As far as comebacks went, it was a flop. Jessie was losing his shit. Drew couldn’t stop himself from taunting him further. “Good. Glad to hear you’re just as happy for me and Livvy as we are for you and your girl.”

Jessie nodded but his jaw was clenched tight.

Jesus, it must have been killing him. Jessie wasn’t a complicated sort. Once Drew saw him clearly in all his ugly, selfish glory, he became appallingly easy to read. Jessie wanted it all. He wanted Camille, sure, but he also wanted Livvy.

And if he couldn’t have her then he sure as hell didn’t want Drew to have her.

The her in question was headed back their way. Though she was slightly taller than Camille, it looked like she was forcibly being dragged back to them.

Was it wrong that Drew derived some sick satisfaction at her discomfort?

Maybe.

But after all this time, none of his anger had abated. He’d loved this woman, goddamnit, and she hadn’t even given him a chance. She would never have given him a chance because he didn’t fit into her idea of the perfect man. Not like Jessie.

He watched her gaze flit to Jessie with uncertainty as they drew near. The look she gave him was nothing short of pissed. Even after everything the three of them had gone through, she was still choosing the wrong guy.

In that moment he wanted to make her pay just as badly as Jessie. Not because she was a selfish prick like her ex but because she’d rejected him. Was still rejecting him every time she looked his way with that irritated gaze. As if it was his fault she was in this mess. No, it had nothing to do with him. The only reason she was here was because she’d used his former feelings for her to make Jessie jealous.

Time for payback.

He could expose her lie and leave her to face the embarrassment. But no. That didn’t sit right. The idea of her squirming under the critical eye of Camille made him twitch. Besides, that would only prove to Jessie that she was still into him, which was exactly what Jessie wanted.

There was no way he’d give the selfish ass anything he wanted.

Camille started talking the moment they were in earshot. “So,” she called out. “Did you two kiss and make up?”

He saw Livvy flinch at the other girl’s gauche remark.

“Sure did.” Jessie spared him a withering glance before turning back to his fiancée with that slick, slimy smile of his.

So Jessie wanted Camille to think they were hunkey-dory? Cool. He could do that. Livvy reached his side and he felt her stiffen when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Anger shot through him. Fuck, they’d been friends for years, they’d always touched like this. Did she think he was so smitten with her that he couldn’t control himself?

Camille was beaming at them, waiting for him to chime in. He looked from Livvy to Jessie and back again. “Yeah, we had a good talk. In fact, Jessie was just thanking me. Without me, you guys might never have gotten together.”

Camille blanched and Jessie’s face turned to a cold, expressionless mask.

He leaned forward and gave Camille a wink. “At least, not officially. Am I right?”

She stared at him with wide eyes and a partially open mouth. For the first time since they’d met freshman year, Camille was speechless.

Bonus.

He looked down to see Livvy’s expression, fully expecting to see a blush of embarrassment or maybe a flicker of residual anger at the reminder of the way Jessie cheated on her. But she was looking up at him with…confusion.

Ah fuck. The pieces fell into place with a click. She didn’t know that he’d been the reason Jessie confessed. What, had she really thought that douchebag had told her about Camille out of the goodness of his heart? That he’d seen the errors of his ways and wanted to come clean?

He sighed as Livvy steeled her expression and forced a smile in Jessie’s direction. Yeah, that’s exactly how he’d sold it. Somehow Jessie had managed to come out of that situation covered in shit but smelling like roses.

No wonder Drew had never stood a chance against him.

Camille recovered quickly, threading her arm around Jessie’s. “Okay, well. That’s what we came for.” She seemed to be dragging him as well—holy shit, that girl was buff. She had to work with a trainer. Although, Jessie didn’t seem to be fighting as hard as Livvy; he was allowing himself to be dragged along behind her like a real life ball and chain.

“We’re going to be an old married couple soon,” Camille joked awkwardly as they backed away. “We go to bed early these days.” She stroked Jessie’s hair in a familiar gesture as she gave him a swooning look, as if being an old married couple was the bee’s knees.

Livvy was stiff as a board against his side. He tried to ignore the pang of sympathy. Shit, she didn’t deserve his pity. But even as he thought it, he felt his grip tighten in camaraderie.

Fuck.

Camille stopped suddenly, her face lighting up. “Oh, I almost forgot. We’ll see you next Friday, right?”

She was looking to Livvy as if for confirmation.

“Friday?” he muttered. What the hell was Friday?

“The bach party,” Livvy said to him with forced enthusiasm. To Camille she replied, “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Bach party? What the hell was that?

Camille gave him a wide-eyed look of excitement that was so manic it made his head hurt. “Bach parties are the latest thing. It’s a combined bachelor and bachelorette party.” She beamed at him, showing all her teeth. “It’s co-ed. Fun, right?”

Fun. Sure. He couldn’t bring himself to nod in agreement but he didn’t run screaming in the other direction so he considered it a diplomatic win.

“You’re coming, too, right?” she asked.

His first instinct was to say, “Hell to the no,” but he stopped himself. He’d come this far with the whole “we’re dating” thing and the fact that Livvy had said “I” instead of “we” made his decision for him. “We can’t wait.”

Some of his true feelings must have come through despite his mediocre attempt to be pleasant. Camille’s smile faltered a bit and Jessie’s nostrils flared, but once again Camille barreled through the awkward situation with a chipper grin. “Great. We’ll see you then.”

He made the mistake of looking down at Livvy as Camille was talking. Chirping, really. Jesus, that girl had a high-pitched voice.

His chest constricted despite his brain’s reminder that he was not to feel sorry for her. That was easier said than done when her eyes were filled with barely concealed pain and her full lips were pressed together as though she was holding back tears.

Anyone else might have been fooled by her enthusiastic tone and her forced smile but Drew knew her too well. She was suffering.

Shit.

Jessie and Camille were still watching them as if mesmerized by the sight of them together. As if hell had just frozen over because the great and powerful Olivia had deigned to date him.

That only made what he had to do that much more obvious. Without stopping to think it through, he used the arm around her to guide her into him and lifted his other hand to tilt her chin up.

He saw a flicker of confusion in her eyes before he closed the distance between them and kissed the hell out of her.