Finally (Neighbor from Hell #12) - R.L. Mathewson Page 0,49

her since he picked her up a few hours ago.

“Not even a little bit,” she said, shaking her head as she found herself glancing at the clock above the bar, wishing that midnight would hurry up so that they could leave.

“Fair enough,” Ben said, finishing off her drink before he stood up and held his hand out. “Come dance with me.”

“I would rather wallow in self-pity,” Charlie said, only to groan when he reached over and took her hand, giving her no other choice but to leave the sanctuary of her booth.

“How about this?” he said, leading her towards the bar. “I’ll grab our coats while you pay off our tab and we’ll get the hell out of here, grab a shitload of alcohol and head back to my place where we’ll get drunk, pass out on the floor, and wake up in the morning ninety percent sure that we’re dying while we try to figure out whose asinine idea it was to drink in the first place.”

“Sounds perfect,” she said, accepting the money that he pulled out of his pocket and found an empty spot at the bar.

“I’ll be right with you, Charlie,” T.J.’s father promised her with a smile as he grabbed another bottle of champagne to prepare for the countdown.

“No rush,” Charlie said, forcing a smile as she stood there, wondering how everything had gone to hell so quickly.

A week ago, she’d realized how close she was to falling in love with Devin and today…today, all she wanted to do was cry. This wasn’t the right time, she told herself, giving herself the excuse that she needed to pretend that-

“There you are!” came the enthusiastic greeting from the woman that had been glaring at her all night.

Nodding, Charlie said, “Here I am,” with a forced smile.

“We’ve really missed you upstairs,” Kelly said with one of those over-the-top pouts that had Charlie signaling for another drink.

“I’m sure that you have,” Charlie said, glancing at the clock and noted that there was only fifteen more minutes until she could officially pretend that this year never happened.

“We really have. It must be difficult to get any work done downstairs,” Kelly said with a pitying look as she absently reached over and plucked a glass of champagne off a passing tray.

“Why’s that?” Charlie asked, unable to help but wonder what was taking Ben so long.

Instead of answering her, Kelly asked, “How’s the foot?” with a smile that could only be described as smug as she took a sip of champagne while she took in the small crowd around them.

“Healed,” Charlie said, deciding to take that smirk as confirmation that she’d kicked her foot on purpose.

“That’s nice,” Kelly murmured before asking, “And where’s your date?”

Charlie would have told her that he’d probably gotten distracted by the old pinball game by the coatroom, but at the moment she was busy wondering what Devin was doing here.

Besides caging her in against the bar, she amended a few seconds later when the incredibly handsome man that had made it crystal clear that nothing was ever going to happen between them, placed his hands on the bar on either side of her and leaned in.

“What did you mean?” Devin demanded as he leaned in closer so that she could see that he’d shaved as the scent of his aftershave reached her over the scents of cheap perfume, beer, and the sweet scent of the mixed drinks that the bar had been making all night.

“Where are the kids?” Charlie asked even as she couldn’t help herself and reached up to run her fingertips over his jaw.

“My cousin’s watching them. Now tell me what you meant when you said that I was breaking your heart,” he demanded as his eyes searched hers for an answer that she really wasn’t in the mood to give him right now.

“This isn’t the time or the place,” she said, shaking her head as she moved to push his arm away so that she could get out of here before she said something that she would regret.

“I told you that I’m in love with you and-”

“And then you immediately followed that up by telling me that nothing was ever going to happen, so drop it,” she said, only to remember too late that they had an audience.

Ignoring Kelly’s stunned expression because she honestly couldn’t deal with her right now, Charlie ducked beneath Devin’s arm and headed towards the door, deciding that she’d rather risk hypothermia than do this. She barely made it two