Two to Tangle (A Tangle Valley Romance #2) - Melissa Brayden Page 0,106

casual glance over Ryan’s shoulder had her chest tightening. As the two approached, Madison’s gaze landed on Ryan’s and they exchanged a pleasant enough nod. Gabriella, at her side, already came with a smile. One that dimmed when she saw Ryan. Then Lana.

“Hey, guys,” Madison said. That’s when Ryan saw it. They were holding hands. She swallowed, understanding that they’d just run into Madison and Gabriella on a date. She felt sick, and hurt, whether she had any right to or not. She flexed her fingers, which had gone numb. Gabriella released Madison’s hand and folded her arms, looking every bit as uncomfortable as Ryan felt.

“Well, it’s awesome running into you two like this,” Ryan said in an overly cheerful tone. She turned up the wattage on her smile. “Nice night, no?”

“It is. Enjoying my night off.” Gabriella eyed Lana and seemed to make a choice. “You’re Lana. We haven’t officially met. Gabriella Russo.” She raised a hand in greeting.

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you. Nice to meet you officially.”

Gabriella winced. “That sounds dangerous.”

Ryan shook her head. “Not at all. Right, Lana?”

“Quite true. Only good things.”

The line inched forward, and they faced ahead, which bought Ryan a moment of reprieve. Everything about this felt wrong, and she wanted to scream or toss a chair. That’s when she felt an arm snake around her waist and rest there. Lana. She smiled up at Ryan and leaned against her. What was going on here? This wasn’t customary of them at all. Apparently Lana was putting on a show, and Ryan wasn’t going to stop her. In fact, behaving like a child, she leaned in to the touch.

“What brings the two of you out tonight?” Gabriella asked loudly.

Ryan turned back, breaking contact with Lana. “Just thought it would be a nice way to spend some time together.”

Gabriella narrowed her gaze. “Oh, so this is a new development?” She looked from Ryan to Lana expectantly, not really backing down an inch.

Ryan stared. “Lots of those going around, it seems.” She didn’t know why she was being petty, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Her emotions were like a runaway train, running over logic, maturity, and grace.

Gabriella lifted a shoulder. “New seasons and all. Why not?” The only one not smiling like this was the happiest of occasions was Madison, which Ryan had to give her credit for.

“You guys have plans for the weekend?” Lana asked.

Madison and Gabriella looked at each other. Gabriella looped her arm through Madison’s. “I have a feeling we’ll be playing it by ear. You guys?”

“We usually decide in the moment,” Lana offered.

The line inched forward. Ryan and Lana were close to the front now. The seconds ticked by with excruciating tension. When it was time to place their order, Ryan exhaled in relief. She considered pivoting and taking it to-go, but her pride refused. Because the tables were full, they grabbed two stools along the corner of the bar and waited. Ryan eyed the room, trying to predict the next thirty minutes of her life, and realized that the only two available seats were the stools catty-corner from theirs at the bar. Fuck her life. Seriously? No.

As if on cue, Madison and Gabriella, ice cream in hand, surveyed the room briefly before learning of their fate. They exchanged a look and made their way over reluctantly, probably wishing they’d realized before ordering.

“We meet again,” Madison said, as they sat.

“Meant to be, I guess,” Lana chimed in. She looked down at her sundae. “You need to try this.” She took a spoonful of ice cream and offered it to Ryan, who stared, stunned. Not knowing what else to do, she accepted the bite Lana fed her and felt even more awkward when Lana dabbed an errant bit of hot fudge from Ryan’s lip with her forefinger and licked it after. She caught Gabriella watching the scene with interest. If Ryan’s goal had been to make it look like she’d moved on, she was likely succeeding. Only, it wasn’t at all true.

While Ryan and Lana made small talk, discussing their days and Ryan’s opinion that available carpenters were scarce in the area, Madison and Gabriella turned to each other, staggering their knees and speaking quietly. They appeared cozy, intimate, like any other couple enjoying a night out. Okay, so this was something she was going to have to get used to seeing apparently, this fucked-up torture show. When Gabriella gave Madison’s hair a playful tug and Madison blushed, Ryan had