from his lips, I pushed back my chair and stood. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.” Would I really attempt to pee while wearing this dress? Not a chance. But I could use a few minutes alone.
Tristin peered up at me but didn’t say anything else. I knew this was a ball, but the thought of being in his arms again in any capacity tied my stomach up in knots. Probably because a deep, dark part of me I didn’t want to examine liked the idea a little too much.
As I made my way to the main hall, where I assumed I’d find the restrooms, I couldn’t resist skimming the ballroom for Leo. He no longer sat at his table, but I didn’t notice him on the dance floor either.
Oh, well. Another thing that was probably for the best.
Taking my cues from several other women in the restroom, I walked up to the mirror and dug into my small clutch for my lipstick. Petra had insisted on the expensive lip stain that matched my dress exactly, and I was glad I’d listened to her. Not only did it accentuate the pink in my cheeks, almost all of the original coat was still in place after eating. Impressive.
Pretending to fix some of the long curls that hung over my shoulder, I stalled until I was finally alone. Then, I leaned against the marble-looking counter and closed my eyes.
So far, this evening had been easier and harder than I’d expected. I’d spotted Vincent at the same table as Leo, but I hadn’t been forced to interact with him. And Tristin had been quiet more than anything.
But I hadn’t expected Leo’s pseudo-absence to bother me so much. I’d thought he would at least find me and whisper how he couldn’t wait to peel this dress off of me in that sexy voice of his. It was silly. I didn’t need that from him. He proved almost every day how much he wanted me and thought about me.
This was just one night, and at the end of it, he would be with me again. That was all that mattered.
Resolved to get through the rest of the event without feeling sorry for myself, I straightened my shoulders and plastered a pleasant expression on my face.
Still, when I stepped back into the hall, I wasn’t quite ready to return to the ballroom. So, I walked in the opposite direction, hoping to stumble upon a courtyard or a bench, at least.
What I wasn’t expecting to stumble upon was the sight of my boyfriend in an alcove, with his mouth only inches from that of his pretty blonde date’s.
I froze and blinked rapidly, as though I could blink the gut-wrenching vision away. But no matter how many times I closed and reopened my eyelids, nothing changed.
The blonde stood with her back against the wall, peering up at Leo with a smile. Meanwhile, his powerful body hovered over hers, one muscular arm braced on the wall above her head. Their lips weren’t touching, but they might as well have been with the desire bouncing between them like a damn rubber ball.
I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from crying out...or losing every bit of food I’d consumed at dinner. This couldn’t be happening. I didn’t want to believe it. And, yet, it was playing out right before my eyes.
Spinning, I plowed face-first into a solid chest. I looked up to find Tristin peering beyond me to the train wreck playing out behind me. Without a word, he took my hand in his and started walking back to the ballroom.
My heart hammering in my chest, I began searching for Hayle in the crowd. I needed to find Petra and escape this newest hell before I lost my shit. But, before I could process what he was doing, Tristin led me onto the dance floor and settled his hands on my waist.
“What are you doing?” I hissed. “I have to get out of here.”
“Dance with me.” He began moving to a slow rendition of “If I Can’t Have You” while I just stared at him. “You don’t want to make a scene, do you?”
It was then that I realized too many eyes were trained our way as I stood there, frozen. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because that thing with Leo wasn’t what it seemed.”
So, he wasn’t a cheating cheater who cheats? Could have fooled me.
And, yes, I recognized my own hypocrisy as I lifted my hands to