Destiny Gift (The Everlast Trilogy) - By Juliana Haygert Page 0,65
and shook his head.
The band started playing—and singing—a classical, old-school song that usually pleased the general public. I downed the second shot and stood up to dance.
Victor held my arm, pulled me closer, and whispered, “I don’t know if you noticed, but you’re one of the few women in here. This crowd doesn’t look too respectful.”
“What do you care?” I spat, shoving him. I pivoted to face the band and ended up bumping into Micah. In a black T-shirt and black jeans, he also looked magnificent.
God, what was happening to me? How could I feel this attracted to three guys—two real ones and one who lived in my visions? And the real ones could be either jerks or conceited. I had to get my priorities, and my heart, sorted out.
“Hi, darling,” Micah said, facing me but looking at Victor with a serious frown. “Are you all right?”
“Yup,” I said, the buzz of the alcohol making my head spin.
“Do you want to dance?” Micah offered me his arm, and I took it, smiling widely.
Without looking back, I let Micah lead me to the dance floor, where he passed one arm around my waist, took my hand in his, and began twirling me around.
“I probably shouldn’t, but I have to say, you’re so fucking hot.”
I smiled, sure he was exaggerating. “This isn’t a game you need to add more points to, you know.”
“What? I already told you, you’re more beautiful than you give yourself credit for. I bet lots of guys try to get in your pants. Hell, I want to get into your pants.”
The heat in my cheeks increased. I stumbled, and he held me tightly against him.
“How many hearts have you broken already?”
“None.”
“You’re kidding.” The humor fled his eyes. “You’re not. Damn, girl, don’t tell me you never really dated anyone.”
“Not seriously,” I whispered.
“Why not?”
An invisible force pulled me, and I couldn’t control it. I ended up glancing over at Victor and meeting his straight stare. “I’m insane.”
Micah had followed my stare. When I looked back at him, I saw the math happening in his eyes. “You fell in love with a product of your visions. You’ve been dreaming about him for what? Ten months?”
“Eleven,” I answered.
“Eleven months. You didn’t date or go out for eleven months?”
“What if I did or didn’t? How is that your business?”
“You didn’t know he was real,” Micah snapped. “Besides, you’re the one saying Victor’s not like the guy in your visions.”
Home run! Knowing the truth and only thinking about it was one thing. To listen to it spoken out loud was another—and it hurt like hell.
I pushed Micah back until he released me. From the corner of my eye, I saw Victor stand up. What? Was he going to act like a macho man and come to see if the damsel needed help? Men!
Two steps from me, a waiter passed by with a tray full of drinks. I turned and grabbed a flute of champagne. I downed it as a guy approached Morgan’s table. Probably Brock.
My mood wasn’t the best, and I felt too drunk to lend a hand toward solving things, so I decided to go to the bar and drink some more. Twice, men stepped in my path, whispering nasty words in my ears. Each time, Victor stepped closer and then returned to his stool.
I came to a halt beside him. His eyes never wandered off me. I asked the bartender for another shot of tequila.
Would he say anything to me?
The alcohol in my blood acted. “Come on, you can’t be that cold, that unaffected.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not that ugly,” I whispered.
“What?”
Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m tired of hoping you like me.”
“Nadine, you’re drunk.”
“I know you care. At least a little.” I shifted closer but he leaned in the opposite direction. “You protected me. Against Micah that night in my apartment. You put yourself before me and protected me.”
“I didn’t protect you,” he snapped. “I was acting on instinct. I would have done the same for any person.”
I was certain my chest would open and thick blood would ooze out of it, revealing my ripped heart.
Before things got worse, I ran out of the pub, headed to my room. My legs twisted and my body bumped against doorjambs as I weaved my way through the motel. Why had I drunk so much? Why had I let my emotions take over?
I locked the door to my room and ran to the fridge where I grabbed a Coke and downed it,