Page 55 of Drive Me Crazy
I can feel his blue eyes studying me, trying to figure out where my head’s at. Right now, it’s shoved so far up my ass, there’s no way he’s going to get to it.
“Is your plan to just stare at her across the bar all night like a lovesick puppy?”
Maybe. Ella is having the time of her life. She’s dancing with Josie, laughing as she expertly moves her hips to the beat of the music. I don’t know if she’s purposefully trying to make me jealous or not, but it’s working either way. She looks gorgeous. Every guy at the bar seems to notice too, and she hasn’t gone out of her way to turn them away when they talkto her or buy her a drink. My heart rate is dangerously high. I’m supposed to be on my best behavior this season, but if someone lays a hand on her, I have no problem throwing a punch or twelve. I ignore Theo and continue my sulking.
When Josie disappears to go to the bathroom, leaving Ella alone, I make my move. Maybe the liquor’s loosened her disdain for me, if only a fraction of a centimeter.
“Hey.”
“Oh.” She looks like a deer in headlights, not sure how to act with me so close. “Hi.”
Without realizing what I’m doing, I’m resting my hand on her forearm, absentmindedly moving my thumb back and forth. I hear her breath catch in her throat. She feels it, too. I know she does. The heat between us is enough to burn the place down.
“I fucked up, love,” I murmur, leaning in close. “I know I did. Please talk to me. Tell me that you’re pissed, that you hate me, that you’re upset. Anything.” My voice cracks. “Anything is better than you pretending like you don’t care.”
“Maybe I don’t care.” The alcohol seems to have removed the protective mask she’s been wearing all weekend because her tone doesn’t match her words. It’s like she’s saying what she thinks she should be but can’t get herself to believe it.
“I know that’s not true.”
She doesn’t disagree, instead choosing to stay quiet. Her perfume makes my head spin. How does everything about her turn me on?
“I want you, Ella.”
Her laugh is tightly wound. “Wanting me and wanting to be with me are two very different things.”
Fuck. That’s not what I meant, so I try to backtrack. Maybe I shouldn’t have had that drink. “I mean I want to be with you. I want to try.”
“I’m not an ice cream shop where you can just try a sampleto see if you like it, Blake. Go to Baskin-Robbins if you want to try something. They have thirty-one flavors, so I’m sure you’ll try something you really like.”
An extremely irritated Josie interrupts us. Her blond eyebrows are furrowed and she’s tapping her high-heel-encased foot against the sticky floor.
“Can you move?”
She snaps her manicured fingers at me and points to the other end of the bar. When I don’t immediately leave, she throws her arm around Ella like a guard dog. I have to bite the inside of my cheek. She looks like an angry Barbie doll with her blond hair tied in a high pony and her bubblegum pink nails.
“Josie!” Theo shouts at her. “Come look at this!”
She shoos him away with her hand, knowing he’s just trying to give me one-on-one time with Ella. Her eyes don’t leave mine. I ignore her and look at Ella, trying to see what’s going on inside that beautiful head of hers. She wraps her arms around Josie’s waist and looks at her shoes like she’s never seen a pair before. That right there proves she still cares because she knows if she keeps looking at me, she’ll give all her thoughts away without saying a single word.
I give them both a warm smile before walking away. She might’ve just told me to go to an ice cream shop, but she loves ice cream more than anyone I know.
Our time at the bar seems to stretch on forever. I just want the night to be over. I’m exhausted. I can’t go out like I used to and to be honest, I don’t want to. What I want to do is curl up next to Ella and hear about her trip back home while she runs her fingers through my hair.
Theo’s given up on trying to put me in a better mood, which is saying a lot, but Lucas is still at it. As the dad of our trio, he’s the most responsible and gives the best advice. I’m not listening to a word he’s saying, though. I’m laser focused on theguy Ella’s talking to at the bar. It looks like a relatively friendly conversation, but I don’t give a shit. Until he walks away, my eyes are staying right where they are.
“Relax.” Lucas chuckles. “She’s just having a good time, man.”
“Oh, trust me. She’s been having averygood time this past month, babes,” Josie pipes in.
She’s been on Luc’s other side faithfully ignoring me. I’ve tried speaking with her, but she’s Team Ella or bust. I can appreciate loyalty, but she’s making things bloody difficult for me.
“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean?” I snap.
Josie looks at me with a hostile gleam in her eyes. Why did she put emphasis onvery? Not that it’d change me wanting to be with her, but I’m sick to my stomach just thinking about another guy kissing Ella. She said she doesn’t do casual sex, but what the fuck do I know?
She gives me a look of infuriating smugness. I’m doing everything I can to control my breathing. It’s not working. I down my drink in three large sips before slamming it on the table. There’s no point in hiding my anger.
“Let’s calm down, everyone.” Luc throws his arm around Josie’s shoulder. “Can we just have a good time tonight? No need to bring out the claws.”
