Nerdy (Unexpected Lovers, #2) - J.B. Heller Page 0,34

“Come on, baby. Let’s dance,” he says to me, and I let him guide me to the dance floor.

He takes my arms and loops them around his neck then curves his around my waist, and we sway to the music. I swallow hard and stare at my feet. “Why would you have to dance with her at the wedding?” I ask softly.

Sebastian tips my chin up, forcing me to look at him as he says, “She’s the maid of honor, and I’m the best man. We’ll share one dance, and that’s it. She was making it sound like more than it is.”

I nod, understanding, and smile sadly. “She wants you back,” I murmur.

He scoffs. “She can want all she likes, but she can’t have me. I’m done with her. You know that, Em.”

Do I know that? They were together for seven years; that’s a lot to walk away from. And they haven’t even been broken up for a whole year yet. He practically went out of his way to remind me this was all fake at the picnic, and here I am, thinking maybe we could have been heading toward something real. I was a convenient date and easy lay. What an idiot.

Tears prick my eyes, and I drop my head, laying it on his shoulder before he can see them.

We don’t talk for the next three songs. We simply hold each other, our bodies swaying along to the music as I build a wall around my heart, needing to protect myself from the inevitable loss of him.

When I’m sure I can look at him without my devastation showing, I lift my head and tell him I need to use the ladies’ room. He eyes me warily but leads me to the edge of the dance floor where I tell him I’ll find him when I’m done.

I lock myself in a stall, holding my head in my hands as I take deep breaths, trying to calm the storm inside me. I feel seasick, like I’m on a boat in the midst of a storm as waves crash over the bow, and my insides roil from the choppy motion.

This time, when the tears sting my eyes, I let them fall, giving myself this moment to grieve the loss of what could have been if things were different.

“Emory,” a familiar voice says from the other side of the door.

Shit, it’s Storm. I take a deep breath and hope like hell she can’t hear the quiver in my voice when I say, “Yes?”

“Are you okay?” she asks. “I saw you come in here, and you looked off...”

That’s one way to put it. I bite down on my bottom lip as a sob tries to wrench free from my chest. I’m being ridiculous; we aren’t even a real couple, and I’m reacting like I’ve just lost my soulmate.

“Em?” she says again.

I can see her pretty white heels beneath the door and berate myself for making the bride-to-be worry about me. I swallow and once again take a deep breath then clear my throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be out shortly. Go back out to your guests,” I say, crossing my fingers, praying that she listens to me.

She hesitates then stomps her foot before finally saying, “Okay.”

If I wasn’t so upset, I’d laugh at her little foot-stomping action. Instead, I wait until her feet disappear from view, and I hear the door open then close as she leaves.

I heave a sigh of relief. I pull myself back together, flush the unused toilet, then clean up my face in the mirror.

I’m just about to step through the door to rejoin the festivities when Jayla steps in front of me, blocking my exit. “Excuse me,” I say, wanting nothing more than to shove her out of my way, but I refrain.

“You know this thing with you and Seb is only temporary, right?” she says, fake-ass concern blanketing her features. “He and I—we’re inevitable. After seven years together, do you really think he could have moved on already? I’m not telling you this to hurt you, Emily. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

Ignoring her deliberate dig at my name, I scoff, indignation rising to the surface. “Right, you’re simply looking out for me. How nice of you.”

She nods, clearly not picking up on the sarcasm in my tone. “That’s right. Us girls have to stick together.”

I close my eyes. I’ve had enough of her and this stupid conversation. I shove past her, making her wobble on her sky-high heels.