All I Want

“Party animal,” I tease, sliding a shot to Mason and putting my two in front of me.

“Shut up. I need to stay hydrated.” Mia winks at me as she holds up her shot glass of H2O, her other hand resting protectively over her belly.

Reed clears his throat, gaining everyone’s attention with his glass raised in the air. He looks around, seemingly waiting for something, and then sets his shot back down when he doesn’t get it. An irritated frown gets directed at all of us. “Well, what the fuck? Somebody better make a toast.”

“You just announced that you like to use my kid to help you get your dick wet. Fuck you and your birthday,” Ben says, shooting his drink.

Everyone but Reed lets out a laugh as I pick up one of my shot glasses and bring it to my lips.

“I’ll toast to something.”

The sound of Luke’s voice sends my body completely rigid. I slowly lower my glass and turn my head, waiting.

He looks directly at me. “To Tessa,” he states, raising his glass in my direction.

“What?” My word seems to echo off every surface in the bar, amplifying around us.

“That’s it?” Reed asks, a frown pinching his forehead. “Nothing about me?”

“That’s it,” Luke affirms, keeping his eyes on me while he tilts his head to swallow his shot.

Mia makes an emotional sound next to me, which she quickly covers up with a cough when I shoot daggers at her.

Anger boils in my blood, but it’s the kind of anger that can so easily blend into another emotion. The kind of anger that makes your whole body shake as you fight back your tears.

I raise my shot, leaning closer to the bar so everyone can see me. “Well, since we’re all toasting to bullshit, not anything that really matters—” I stress that last word before I continue, praying for a steady voice, “—to Luke.” His eyes study my face with an apprehension I don’t see often from him. He’s not the kind of guy who gets easily unraveled, but I see it as he waits with parted lips.

I smile directly at him. “Fuck you. You broke my heart.”

“And happy birthday to Reed!” Mia yells as I tip one, then the other shot back, shutting my eyes through my swallow.

I steal a quick glance at Luke, checking that I still have all his attention, but I break the contact almost immediately after I get it.

Mia spins on her stool to face in my direction, hopping down with help from Ben. “We’re going to go play some pool. You two want in?” She directs the question at Mason and me.

“Who’s we?” I ask, letting my eyes meet the blazing intensity of Luke’s as he watches me from over top the beer he’s drinking. The sleeve of his shirt rides up his forearm, and I swallow as his ink is revealed.

Damn it.

“Everyone but you two,” she replies. Her belly nudges against my elbow, forcing her to take a step back. She looks down. “I have no idea how I’m going to physically pull this off. Maybe I’ll just keep score.”

“You two playing?” Ben asks, dropping his chin on Mia’s shoulder as his arms wrap around her.

I watch as Luke and Reed walk across the bar to the back corner where the pool tables are lined up.

“No,” I answer, just as Mason stands from his stool with a “Yeah, sure.”

“You don’t want to?” he asks me, lowering himself back down. His eyes glance behind me, and reasoning washes over his face. He looks at Ben. “No thanks, mate. We’re going to pass on this one.”

Mia and Ben walk away to join the others.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, turning my body once more so that it faces him. “If you really want to play, we can play.”

A small crease sets in between his eyebrows as he grabs his beer. “I’m good sitting here with you.” He brings the bottle to his lips as the annoying vibration in my lap starts up again. This time, he notices, dropping his eyes to the source.

“Fucking jerk-off,” I mumble through gritted teeth as my hand flattens against the phone.

“You can answer that.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not important.”

He sets his beer down, his other hand coming up and scratching the stubble on his cheek. “So, are you going to be coming to any more of my classes?”

I try and bite back the automatic wince at the thought of enduring more yoga, but it breaks through, tearing a loud laugh out of Mason.

“Not really your thing, huh?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

I shake my head animatedly, sending my hair flailing about, brushing across my shoulders and the sides of my face.

His blue eyes grow bigger as he leans in to rub a strand of my hair between his fingers. “I really like your hair.”

“Thanks. I really like yours.” My hand is inches away from the blond strand darting out from behind his ear when my lap vibrates. I curse, cranking my neck around and glaring over my shoulder.

Luke is leaning against the wall, cue stick in one hand, his other dropped beside him to no doubt hide the phone he’s holding. His eyes slowly meet mine, and he tilts his head expectantly. Answer it. Stop fighting me.

I fumble with the phone in my lap as I turn back around.

I have to look. It’s killing me not to.

“I’m sorry. Just give me one second,” I say hopefully to Mason, if he’s still next to me. To be honest, I wouldn’t have any idea. I’m too focused on my thumb as it slides eagerly across the screen.