Third Chances (Men Of Manhattan #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,93
take a sip. His demeanor completely gave him away.
I laughed awkwardly. "So, last night then?" Really? I tried to take a deep breath. We got in a fight and he went and had a threesome? I had walked all over the resort crying like an idiot and he had had a threesome? God, we were so different. How did I ever think there could be more than this weekend between us?
"No, it's not what you think."
I didn't want to stand up and storm off. I didn't want to give him the impression that I cared more than he did. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. I laughed again. "How could you possibly think you know anything about what I'm thinking? We don't know each other."
"Daphne, it was before I met you." He leaned forward and put his hand on my thigh.
Don't touch me. I tried to ignore the tingle his touch gave me. "Yeah, sure whatever. It's fine." But it wasn't fine. Had he had sex that morning right before he met me? Why the hell was he so persistent then? Why hadn't he just left me alone? I didn't need this. This was why I didn't do stupid shit without thinking.
"Never have I ever seen my brother happier than he was a few minutes ago," James said.
I looked over at him. I knew James was trying to help. But he didn't realize that what he said just reminded me of my brother. Of how Derek never got to be happy again. About how I couldn't even remember his smile without looking at a photograph.
I couldn't believe I had gone up to Rob's room with the idea in my head that I was going to tell him about my brother. Rob didn't deserve to know anything about Derek. He wouldn't understand. He couldn't understand because his brother was still alive. And James was a whole lot nicer than Rob was.
"That's very sweet of you to say." I gave James what was probably the most un-genuine smile ever. "It's actually getting kind of late guys. And I know you probably have some more stuff planned for your bachelor party. I have to get back to my friends too. They're probably worried about me."
"Can I walk you?" Rob said. His face looked so guilty. Or upset. Or I don't know, because I didn't know him well enough to tell.
"Don't you dare fucking follow me," I said quietly enough for only him to hear. "You got what you wanted from me. Just...please leave me alone." I stood up. "It was nice meeting all of you," I said without looking at any of them. I walked as quickly as I could toward the hotel.
Chapter 32
Rob
"Daphne!" I yelled, but it just made her walk turn into a run.
I turned around to glare at my friends. They were all silent. I clenched my hand into a fist. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"What? She deserved to know the truth," Matt said.
"The truth? I didn't even get a chance to tell her the truth thanks to you."
"Calm down, you weren't going to see her after tonight anyway."
Fucking idiot. "I like her."
"I don't really see why that changes anything."
"It changes everything." I stood up.
"I don't understand why, it's not like it was going anywhere."
"Matt, stop," Mason said.
I didn't want to tell my friends that I had had a crush on Daphne for over a year and that I didn't have the balls to talk to her on campus. This was my one shot. I didn't just like Daphne, I really liked her. And Matt had just blown it for me.
"Fuck all of you." I stood up and started to follow Daphne. I could explain what happened to her. It was just one of those stupid cards. It didn't mean anything. And it was before she showed up. I would never hurt her.
"Rob, wait up." James grabbed my shoulder.
I shook his hand off. "I don't need your help."
"But I think if you..."
"You know what? I don't need saving, so stop fucking trying to save me."
"I didn't say that you did." He looked hurt by what I just said. But I didn't have time to care about his feelings. I was just pissed off, and I wanted to find Daphne. I wasn't going to lose her like this. I had blown my first chance with her by never speaking to her back on campus. There was no way in hell I was going to blow my second chance too.