could hear Mac’s eye-roll in her tone. We didn’t have to look at each other anymore to read our moods. That’s what twenty-plus years of friendship will get you.
“What?”
“He’s so showing up.”
Then she rubbed her damn hands together and it took everything in me not to ask the driver to turn around and take me home. What the hell was I thinking?
Mac grabbed my hands. “Stop freaking out. This is a good thing. I haven’t seen you this twisted up about a guy in maybe, ah, forever.”
“Hey. I was in love with Dustin.” I bit back my shudder.
But it was true. At one point, Dustin was it for me and I’d thought we would be together forever. But I couldn’t remember if he’d ever given me butterflies like Tristan did with one of his half-smiles.
“Never say that man’s name again,” Mac said, steel in her voice. The amount of bodily harm she’d threatened to do to my ex after I’d told her everything he’d said to me before he’d walked out was extensive. I’d seriously considered letting her at him. Nothing that would seriously hurt him, but I’d wanted him to feel pain like he’d made me feel.
Getting pregnant and having James while my ex was still childless had given me more satisfaction than it should. I didn’t care how childish that made me seem.
“I won’t.”
“But back to Tristan. You are a bitch for not telling me that we might be hanging out with a rock star tonight.”
I laughed nervously. “Oh god, what if he really shows up?”
“I can’t wait to officially meet him. I mean, I met them all during that meet-and-greet the night you hooked up with Jamie, but that was different.”
“It might not just be him,” I said.
“What? All of them? Jax? Now that’s a man I wouldn’t mind getting over or under or anything, really. This is going to be fun.”
Panic was brewing now that we were talking about it.
“Relax, Evie. It’ll be fine. Now, let’s go hang out with some rock stars,” she said, as the car pulled up outside of the club.
Breathe. Just breathe, I told myself, my new mantra for the evening.
TRISTAN
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Evie tonight. There was something about her that kept drawing me in. Yeah, she was gorgeous, but it wasn’t just that. I’d always wanted what my parents had. Friendship and love. Teasing with affection. And someone I could talk to.
Was I a sentimental sap? Probably.
Was it insane to think I’d found that with someone I’d just met and had maybe spent a grand total of an hour with? Absolutely.
Should I have left Jax at home? Definitely.
I eyed my friend as he knocked back a glass of scotch. Bash wasn’t here tonight. He’d already had plans with Cassie, and I wasn’t going to get in the way of that.
I also wanted what they had. Or what they were currently building. I could fully admit to being jealous of two of my friends finding their person, even if the road to get there had been littered with obstacles and potholes.
Fucking hell, I was a sap. Maybe I should write a few songs for the band. I inwardly chuckled. Songwriting was Bash’s department. We pitched in and helped smooth things out or made small tweaks when needed, but he was the master songwriter and that was the way we all liked it. I sometimes had an idea or two to throw around, but Bash could make anything sound better than I ever could. That’s why we all worked so well together, with each of our skills shining and complementing the others.
“Whatcha thinking about over there, Sinny?” Jax asked over the top of a fresh glass of scotch.
We were at a table in the corner of the small VIP section. I’m sure Jax wanted to be front and center, but I preferred the shadows. I never liked people falling all over me. Jax had bitched, but as soon as I’d grabbed the first round, he’d been content to sip his scotch.
I was keeping an eye on him. He’d always been a heavy drinker, but he didn’t use it as a crutch like Bash had done, so I’d never been concerned about his drinking becoming a problem. Not that I would ignore it if it did. I’d let too many things slide with Jamie and Bash years ago. That was a lesson I had no plans on repeating. One dead best friend was more than