Page 77 of The Ring
After our exchange, Weberly looked uncomfortable—good—and they left the table soon after. It was also possible that the jabs I was shooting at her whenever I had the chance had something to do with that. Maybe I was being unfair, taking my wrath out on her, but I don’t care. And TJ was doing the same with Benedict. Eventually, everyone also drifted off. West to deal with some club management stuff, I’m not sure where Nate went, and Lucian brought a guy to the booth, whom he immediately started making out with. That left Benedict and me practically alone.
“I’m going to the bar to grab a drink,” Benedict says to me. “Do you want to come?”
“I would, but these shoes are killing me,” I tell him.
I have on a pair of Jimmy Choo silver high-heeled sandals that are a size too small. They didn’t have my size when I bought them, and I didn’t want to wait, and if I have a motto with shoes, it’s that if I like them and they don’t fit, I’ll make them fit. Plus, they look amazing with my outfit. I’m wearing the lilac Peyton Cowl-Neck Mini Dress from Kate Barton, accessorised with pink sapphire studs from Cartier, my ring from Jessica McCormack, a 6-carat pink sapphire ring from Van Cleef & Arpels on my right pointer finger, and a spiral ring with diamonds and pink sapphires also from them on my left middle finger.
“Do you want me to bring you something?” Benedict asks.
I smile at him. “An espresso martini, please.”
Benedict nods and heads to the bar, and a few seconds later, Nate returns and slides into the booth beside me.
It’s a pleasant surprise. Nate has been somewhat avoiding spending time alone with me. I don’t blame him, nor do I want to pressure him. Being with me probably feels like adding salt to the wound, and for us to be like we used to, the wound first needs to fully heal. I’m happy to wait as long as he needs.
He looks at Lucian on the other side of the booth, smiles, and then turns to me. “So, you and the TV guy?” Nate asks, fishing for information.
“Benedict Glounger,” I correct him.
“Whatever,” he says, waving his hand dismissively. “Are you two an item now?”
“Can we not talk about it? It’s really…”
“Awkward,” Nate finishes my sentence for me, a smirk playing on his lips.
I nod. “Yes.”
“Is it more awkward because you turned me down, orbecause your ex is my cousin?” His tone teasing tone, though I can see how he uses it to disguise the pain behind his words.
I feel bad for him. I don’t want him to think there is something wrong with him or that I was looking for something—just not him. That wasn’t the case at all.
“Both,” I answer honestly. “But if you must know, Benedict and I are just hanging out asfriends. That’s all.”
I was going to say hooking up, but I think that part is implied, and Nate doesn’t need to know the specifics.
“And does he know that? Because it’s easier than you think to fall in love with you,” he says seriously, as if speaking from experience, which, I suppose, he is.
His words leave me thinking. Maybe I am. But I think the problem with me isn’t falling in love—it’s staying.
“Also, it helps you’re easy on the eyes,” he adds playfully, steering the conversation back to a lighter tone. “Just make sure you two are on the same page.”
I smile at him and nod. In a weird way, I think this is his way of saying he likes Benedict. He’s trying to protect him from what he went through with me.
Chapter 45
TJ
Ibroke my one rule for hookups—the one I put in place with the hope of maybe one day getting back with Cornelia. So, in a way, it was fitting it went down the drain along with any hopes of us getting back together: never sleep with girls she knows or could potentially ever know.
The reasoning behind the rule was simple. This way, I couldn’t lower my already slim chances of getting back together with her, and if we ever did, it would prevent future problems. I knew how much Cornelia hated that before her, I’d slept with other girls at boarding school, girls she had to see regularly.
In a way, it was also Cornelia’s fault. After the club, I couldn’t shake the image of Cornelia with Benedict from my mind. She seemed happy, and while it made me happy that she was, I hated that she was happy with him and not me. Every time he laughed with her, or kissed her, or touched her, it felt like she was being pulled farther and farther away from me. I thought seeing them together would help, but I wasfuckingstupid. Instead, it made the image more vivid than it already was. One thing led to another, and I had sex with Weberly. Shekept talking about them, especially Benedict, and having sex with her shut her up.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Weberly says cheerfully when she notices I’ve woken up.
I stretch my arm to grab the glass of water beside me. “Morning,” I tell her, then take a few sips.
I had actually woken up a while ago, but I was hoping that if I didn’t open my eyes, what happened yesterday would somehow undo itself.
