was getting the truth out of her.
“Here it is, Mr. Buchanan.”
Accepting the black velvet box from Oliver, I nervously made my way back to Bee, who was hugging herself. “Cold?” It might have been summer, but it was late, and we lived close to the ocean.
“Not really.” Her eyes dropped to the box in my hand, and I could see the surprise and wariness in them.
Opening the case, I removed the thin gold bangle. Tradition called for a corsage, but I wanted to give Bee something that would live long past tonight. I didn’t say anything as I slipped the band on her arm. It was a perfect fit. ‘If found, please return to Jameson Buchanan,’ was engraved on the inside, but she didn’t need to know that. And in case there was any question…no, I wasn’t talking about the bracelet.
Barbette admired it with a sparkle in her eye. “It’s beautiful, Jamie.”
Lifting her chin, I ignored the stares as I pressed a kiss to her lips. She didn’t seem to notice the attention we were attracting. It was as if I spun on her axis, and she spun on mine. I wasn’t sure how long we stood there kissing before a throat-clearing pulled us apart.
While the lust clouding my vision took a few seconds to clear, I pulled Bee even closer to my chest… in case she got any ideas about running. Blinking, I grinned at the disapproving scowl Lou wore as she stood a couple of feet away with her arms crossed. Wren, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, stood next to her. Lou looked stunning in her strapless royal blue gown, and her dark hair swept up, showing off her bare shoulders. Right now, I doubt she’d appreciate me telling her so, though. Wren looked pretty too, and I was toying with the idea of fucking with him by telling him so when Lou spoke.
“What do you two think you’re doing?” she grilled.
“Minding our business.” Taking Bee’s arm, I started for the entrance with Lou hot on our tails. We gave our tickets at the booth before traveling down the hall. The floor was lined with purple, gold, and white balloons along the wall. A round, fake clock, set to one minute before midnight, waited at the end. We didn’t get far before Tyra and Vaughn met us. Vaughn’s eyes darted back and forth between us. At the question in his eyes, I shrugged. Already losing interest, he looked away as he took a sip of his drink. Tyra, who wore a yellow floor-length, off-shoulder gown with a high slit and gold, strappy heels wasn’t so easy to convince.
“Are you for real, Jamie? Ever just broke up with her yesterday.”
Not a fan of repeating myself, I said, “See previous answer,” before skating around them both. If this night was going to work—and I was determined that it would—Bee and I needed to ditch my nosy-ass friends ASAP. We traveled through an open set of double doors, and the dance floor was decorated as if we were attending a royal ball rather than prom.
Glancing over my shoulder, I searched Bee’s expression for distress. I shouldn’t have been surprised when I found none. Instead, she looked amused. “Feel free to jump in and help me anytime.”
Smirking, she said, “They’re your friends. Besides, why should I when you’re so diplomatic?”
I pulled her close and kissed her again. Now that I had, I couldn’t seem to stop. “They could be your friends, too, you know.”
She snorted. “They don’t like me, and you know it.”
“Vaughn does.”
“Vaughn doesn’t know me anymore.”
“He knows you, and he misses you.” I pinched her side when she looked away. “The real you.”
“Too much has happened, Jamie. Even if I could go back, I could never be the same girl you fell for.”
“Tell me what happened and let me be the judge of that.”
“If I could, I would.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. At least tell me how you could trust Ever more than me?”
“That’s not true, and you know it. Ever was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I swore him to secrecy. Don’t blame him for being a friend.”
Wrapping both hands around her nape, I pressed my thumbs into her throat. “I don’t blame him,” I snapped as I pulled her close. “I blame you for lying to me all these years. I blame you for ruining us. One way or another, Barbette, I’m going to get to the bottom of