Winning my Best Friend's Girl - Piper Rayne Page 0,27

keep my distance. Everyone thinks being nice to Stella means something.

“I can see the sexual tension between you guys. It’s clear you two still have a thing for one another.” She nods and grips her stomach.

I glance down. “You good?”

She shoos me. “Fine. It’s my fourth, I know the signs of labor.”

I nod. She knows more than anyone here probably, the way her and my brother keep popping out kids. I tip the coat check guy.

“Ask her to dance tonight? Start slow,” Harley says.

“Okay, thanks for the advice.”

I head back over to Stella and my niece, Harley joining me.

“And maybe you should drive her home? Or is that too awkward?”

I walk a little faster, hoping to lose her because there are already enough people up in my business.

“Here’s your coat.” I hold it out to Stella. “Want to ride together to the reception?”

Jesus, I just can’t help myself.

“Sure,” Stella says, which surprises me.

Harley gives me a thumbs-up behind Stella’s back.

“Me too!” Phoebe yells and raises her hand.

“Oh no, you come with me and Daddy.” Harley reaches for Phoebe’s hand, but she runs and hides behind Stella.

Then there’s an awkward game of “catch me” between Harley and Phoebe that occurs around Stella, but Rome comes over and swoops Phoebe up in his arms, pretending she’s a plane even though she’s crying and screaming “Stella” as though she’s in the cast of A Streetcar Named Desire. If we weren’t the focus of everyone’s attention before, we are now.

We’re finally free to go, so I escort Stella down the stairs. As is typical of my luck, we run into the worst possible person we could—Stella’s ex-boyfriend.

Eleven

Kingston

“Owen,” Stella says. I hate the way her voice sounds breathless.

“Well, look who I found.” Owen smirks at my hand on Stella’s lower back.

I retract my hand as if we’re back in high school again, but I have to remember, she’s not his anymore.

“Juno and—” I start, but he cuts me off.

“Colton. Yeah, I heard.” Owen rocks back on his heels. “You’re looking great, Stella.”

Is it bad that I’m happy she’s covered up with her coat? That he doesn’t see her stunning figure in the dress she’s wearing?

“So do you. What do you do now?” she asks.

“I own my own fishing boat.”

She nods. “That’s awesome.”

“I heard you’re a doctor now?” Of course he heard. It was all over Buzz Wheel.

“I’m in my residency.”

“Congratulations. Tell Juno and Colton I said congratulations, okay? I gotta go. I’ll call you next week, King.” He heads down the sidewalk before either of us can respond.

Whatever level of comfort Stella and I had reached vanishes, and just like that, it’s awkward and weird.

After senior year, it took a while for Owen and me to find our way back to friendship, and even then, it’s never been the same. He blamed himself for my shoulder, and I blamed myself for hitting on his girlfriend—even if she wasn’t technically his girlfriend in that moment. There’s still this level of competitiveness between us that wasn’t there before we both fell for Stella.

Stella glances at me. “Awkward.”

“Come on.” I guide her down the remaining steps and to my truck, which is around the corner.

After I close my passenger door and round the back of my truck, I spot Owen sitting on a park bench, watching us. I act as though I don’t see him sitting there and climb into my driver’s seat. I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but we can talk about it later. Maybe by then my head will be on straight and I’ll remember all the reasons I promised myself I’d get over Stella.

We ride to the reception hall in silence. Unless you count Radio Ralph’s show from Sunrise Bay’s local radio station. He’s busy arguing with people who say they liked a band before they became popular. Stella laughs a few times. For some reason, it feels safer to listen to Radio Ralph than to turn the station to music. A lot of songs pull me back to that vortex of our high school years, and though I have no idea if it’s the same for Stella, I’d rather not chance it.

We park outside the reception hall, and I walk her across the parking lot, her arm in mine. Her perfume stirs up a craving for that scent to be soaked into my bedsheets. To know she was in my bed and my hands were on her. Jesus, I sound like a fucking creeper.

We pick up our table assignments, and sadly, she’s in