One Night with Calvin (One Night Series Book 2) Page 9

  It took a while to convince her, but I finally broke her. When they got up to leave, I gave her a quick hug, and before she walked out the door, she turned to me.

  “Sara was wrong about you. You’re not a complete wanker.”

  My lips turned up into a smile until the intimidating brick shithouse spoke.

  “Sara? My

  Sara?”

  My face dropped. What. The. Fuck. His Sara? “Your Sara?” my stupid mouth blurted. They both turned to glare at me. “I … I didn’t realise she was seeing someone.”

  I couldn’t get them out of the apartment fast enough. Paige kept talking but I just wanted them gone as soon as possible. It may’ve bordered on rude the way I shoved them out the door.

  As soon as they were gone, I went to check on Cole. Still passed out. Good, I need privacy.

  If I didn’t have to look after him, I’d be in my car and over at Sara’s so freaking fast. I had to settle for calling her instead.

  She didn’t answer.

  Fine.

  Hunter:

  So was it all an act? String Hunter along for payback? Is that it?

  Sara:

  WTF?

  Hunter:

  Generally, if ur dating someone, u shouldn’t be texting other guys. Especially when u know the guy ur texting is interested in something more. Just sayin

  Holy shit, she’s calling me. She’d never done that before.

  “Uh … hello?” Real smooth.

  “What are you talking about?” she snapped.

  “Paige’s brother,” I bit back at her.

  “Oh.”

  Then silence.

  “Yeah, oh,” I said, more calmly. “Is he your boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  “Are you dating him?”

  “He’s sorta my ex. And we caught up and … no, you know what? I don’t owe you an explanation. You probably slept with a million girls while you were in Sydney.”

  “Sara,” I said with warning to my tone. “Are you dating him?”

  “I … I don’t know.”

  “What does that even mean? Why didn’t you just tell me? The times you have actually replied to me or we’ve talked, you didn’t say a thing. Am I the idiot for even pursuing this? I thought … I don’t know what I thought.” I shook my head even though I was on the phone. I calmed down before I spoke again. “I wouldn’t have liked it, but I would’ve stepped back. Now I feel like a complete idiot. If you had told me, I would’ve backed off.”

  She was silent for a bit before she muttered quietly, “I didn’t want you to back off.”

  Even though I was ecstatic over that fact, I was pissed at the thought of her with someone else. “Well, I’m out. I won’t go for someone else’s girl. And I’m glad you liked the attention and all, but that’s not fair on me. So, I’m done.”

  “Why does that not surprise me? At least you gave up on me before we slept together this time. Will you even last four hours before you’re inside someone else?”

  “I thought you stood me up.” My patience was wearing way thin.

  “Four hours, Ryan. Four fucking hours. If we were to go out, I’d end up worrying you were with someone else every time I was running late. Are you really wondering why I’d choose Danny over you?”

  “Fine, date Danny. Don’t care anymore.” I hung up.

  What the fuck is wrong with me?

  It took all of ten seconds for me to realise what a complete ass I was being.

  What was it about this girl that rattled me? I began to understand why Cole was drunk. I’d give anything to make the angry feeling go away. Was this what jealousy felt like? I’d never cared enough for anyone to feel it before. I didn’t like it.

  I understood where Sara was coming from. Twenty-three-year-old me was a self-entitled prick who thought my charms won her over. I was crushed when she didn’t turn up. Getting the girl was always easy for me. It was usually getting rid of them I had issues with. And if they did go easily, I never cared. I didn’t need to. Yup, I was an asshole, and my behaviour over the past four years didn’t exactly counteract those actions. If anything, I became worse. All because of Sara.

  If she was going to choose to be with Danny, I had to respect that. Even if I hated it. With any hope, it’d fizzle out and I’d still be there waiting. Wow. Now I’m the asshole hoping a relationship breaks down.

  I was never one for believing I had to atone for my sins, but if watching her with him was my punishment, I’d suck it up and do it. There was a niggly feeling inside me that still screamed at me to go and claim her like some caveman, but from what I knew of Sara, that would only drive her away.

  There was only one thing I knew for sure. Fate was an asshole.

  ***

  Scoping the pub for any type of distraction to stop me from thinking about Sara was proving to be fruitless. I was sticking by what I said and I’d backed off. I wanted to apologise for getting angry and hanging up on her, but I figured it would be easier for me to stay away if I knew she was still pissed at me.

  Dude logic. Pretty fucked up.

  “There is no potential here tonight,” I complained. Not that I could take anyone home anyway. Cody was with Cole at home, and we had a rule—no hooking up with the seven-year-old in the house. Cole didn’t want to have “the talk” with Cody yet.

  It was the first time I’d left Cole by himself since his relapse—apart from when he was at work—but I knew him, and he would never endanger Cody by drinking while looking after him.

  “What are you talking about?” Blair said. “There’s one”—he pointed to a girl in a super tight blue dress with killer legs—“there’s another …” His finger aimed at another girl in a tight black dress … I started to sense a theme.

  “Not interested,” I said.

  “Oh my God, it’s happened. He’s run out of women.”

  Spencer sat down in the booth next to us. “Did I just hear you say Hunter’s run out of women? As in he’s screwed them all?”

  I shook my head at them. “You’re both dicks.”

  “The only reason you’re not interested in someone is if you’ve already done them, right?” Blair asked.

  “I don’t get it,” I said. “You guys take home just as many girls as I do. And it’s not that many. How did I get the manwhore reputation?”

  “Are you really asking that?” Blair said. I think it was rhetorical. “It’s because you don’t even have to work for it. You’re basically The Fonz. You snap your fingers and girls come running.”

  “Happy Days reference? Really? How old are you?”

  I found it fascinating that he thought I never had to work for it, but thinking it over, he was pretty much on the money. Except for when it came to Sara. Even the night we met, it felt as if she was trying to resist me at every turn.

  Maybe that was why I wanted her in the first place.

  “Seriously,” Spencer said. “All you have to do is purse your pouty lips and squint your damn eyes, and the girls swoon.” He shook his head. “Fucking models. Don’t even get me started on your hair which has looked the same way since we were teenagers. Do you wake up like that, or are you keeping the hair gel companies in business?”

  Blair laughed. “Someone’s in need of a serious lay.”

  Spencer scowled. “That is the last thing I need right now.”

  “Whatever, dude. I’m heading to the bar. Anyone want anything?” Blair stood. At Spencer’s and my headshakes, he left.

  “Okay, what’s up with you?” I asked Spence.

  “Nothin’.”

  “I call bullshit.”

  He groaned and threw his head back, looking up at the roof. “She’s actually going to marry the old guy.”

  “Who? … Wait … Reece?”

  “Who else?”

  “How can you still have a thing for her?”

  “I don’t,” he snapped and then sighed. “Fine. Maybe I do, but it’s all recent. I haven’t been pining for her for ten years.
I’m not that sad.”

  When we were in high school, Cole and Reece had a huge fight and broke up. Spence and Reece shared a kiss at a party, and then the next day, she and Cole were back together. I was the only person to know what happened between Spence and Reece, both of them swearing me to secrecy. And the only reason I knew was because I walked in on them when it happened. Cole may’ve been my bro, but I didn’t see the point in telling him. It would’ve only hurt him, and they were broken up anyway. Plus, it was high school. I didn’t think they’d actually get married and have a kid.

  “Okay, but she’s been engaged to Paul awhile now. Her wedding is in a week. What’s suddenly changed?” I asked.

  He grumbled. “Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Is this why you wouldn’t check on Cole for me a few weeks ago?”

  “Fuck me,” he muttered into his drink.

  “I’m not into dudes. Sorry.”

  “Ass.”

  “Dick.”

  “Mature as always, boys,” a feminine voice cut in.

  “Reece.” I nodded a hello. Philippa trailed in behind her. “Pip.”

  Spence tensed in his seat. “You ladies want a drink? A cocktail, no doubt?” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat.

  “Did you seriously offer a pregnant lady a cocktail?” Pip asked.

  I could see the confusion and thoughts running through Spencer’s brain. He didn’t know Reece was pregnant. “Pip … you’re?”

  “Me?” Pip explained. “Hell no … wait …” She turned to Reece. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I thought everyone knew after your big announcement at Cody’s party. I just blew your news, didn’t I? Bad friend award.”

  Spencer’s face paled and he gripped his drink so hard his knuckles became white. “What? Since when? How far…?” He cleared his throat again. “Congrats.” His voice didn’t match the distraught look on his face. He must’ve had it worse than I thought.

  Really? Reece? I shuddered. She was way too much drama for me to even look at in that way. Plus, being Cole’s ex, it would’ve broken the bro code to even consider it.

  “Uh … thanks,” Reece muttered to Spence without looking at him. Her skin flushed.

  Before I had a chance to analyse that reaction, my phone rang and Georgie’s name lit up the screen. “Excuse me,” I said, climbing out of the booth.

  “Hey, sweetness. What’s up?” I walked outside so I could hear her.

  “Nothin’ much. Uh … umm …”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, good. Umm … so I’m setting up a photoshoot for my line and I want you. I mean … to be in it. I want you to model my clothes … not my clothes. My designs.”

  Her stumbling for words amused me. “I don’t think I’d fit into your clothes anyway. You have short legs and a tiny waist.”

  She laughed on the other end of the line.

  “But I definitely want in. You’ll have to go through my management team again, though.”

  “I know. I figured I should call you and double-check you’d be okay with it after I embarrassed myself at Fashion Week.”

  I pursed my lips. “You got drunk and we had some fun. You didn’t do anything embarrassing. Well … apart from throwing up throughout the entire show the next day. Total rookie mistake, by the way.”

  “You could’ve stopped me from drinking!” she shrieked.

  “I tried. You’re stubborn when you’re drunk.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like me. You might need to come to Brisbane for the shoot. We haven’t picked a definite location or anything yet, but my people will get the deets to your people.”

  “How awesome is it that we have people? It makes us sound way more important than we are.”

  “I know, right?” She chuckled. “Well, I look forward to working with you again. I won’t drink so much this time.”

  “No worries. Thanks, sweets.”

  10

  - SARA -

  Danny:

  Will u be my date to my Dad’s wedding on Saturday?

  Sara:

  To the evil stepmother? I guess I should be there for Paige.

  Danny:

  But not me? I need moral support too u know.

  Sara:

  I didn’t realise you were having sex with Cole too.

  Danny:

  Ha Ha. Dying with laughter over here. Pls? We were meant to hang out but ur still avoiding me.

  Sara:

  I’ll be your date.

  “Who was that?” Paige asked from my couch. She had her head in a torts textbook, and I was across from her in my single armchair nursing a legislation book.

  “Looks like I’m going to your dad’s wedding.”

  “With Danny?” Her entire face lit up.

  “Yeah.” I didn’t mean to sigh, but apparently, I did.

  “You don’t sound too excited.”

  “I like your brother. I do. It’s just …”

  “He’s not Calvin-worthy?”

  I cringed at his name. “He’s certainly the closest I’ve ever come to feeling a smidgen of what was between Ryan … Calvin and me.”

  “So why don’t you just go out with Hunter? Also, I think we need to pick a name and stick to it. This whole Hunter, Ryan, Calvin thing is confusing.”

  I ignored the name comment, although she had a point. “So, just like that? I should go out with the guy who slept with me and then someone else less than twenty-four hours later?”

  “Yeah, it was a dick move. But it was four years ago, and he thought you stood him up. To him, you guys were over.”

  “I can’t go there. I was devastated after only one night with him. Could you imagine if I had an actual relationship with him and it didn’t work out? I wouldn’t recover.”

  “Melodramatic much?”

  I threw my couch cushion at her. “Says the girl who had sex with her stepmother’s ex-husband and has been moping ever since it all blew up in her face.”

  “Hey, I never said I wasn’t being hypocritical. At least Cole and I gave it a shot. I’ll always have those six weeks with him. Six blissfully hot, sweaty, sexy weeks.” She sighed. “Damn you. Now I’m all depressed again.”

  “Welcome to the club.”

  There was silence for a beat. “What are you going to do about Danny? You can’t lead him on.”

  “I’ll tell him after the wedding I just want to be friends. I don’t want him to throw away his life in America for me. Not when my feelings for him are only lukewarm.”

  “As much as I would love to have Danny home, it’s unfair to pimp you out to him so he’d come back. Although, I could do it …” She possessed a conspirator’s smile.

  “You’re lucky I have no more couch cushions left.”

  ***

  Paige looked pale … and a little constipated during the whole wedding ceremony. I sat by myself in the back row of the small chapel, seeing as Danny was best man and Paige was maid of honour. I couldn’t believe her stepmum forced her into that position. Their whole dynamic was insane.

  Throughout the entire ceremony, I felt his eyes on me. Ryan was sitting a few rows up and across the aisle from me. Every time he turned his head to stare, I tensed. I didn’t even need to look at him to know he was staring. My gut pinched when he pinned me with those chocolate eyes.

  To add insult to injury, I found I was seated at the “young” table at the reception, meaning Ryan was right there at my table along with all of Reece’s other friends. Danny and Paige were too, but they were still getting wedding party photos when I arrived at the reception hall.

  I dumped my purse on my chair and took off towards the bar, refusing to make eye contact with Ryan.

  Unfortunately, before I was out of earshot, I heard “Damn, who was that?” from one of the guys at the table followed by “Don’t bother. Been there, done that,” from Ryan.

  Asshole.

  I turned back towards the table. “And it wasn’t worth the penicillin. Just sayin
’.”

  Feeling smug, I walked away again to sounds of “Ooooh” and laughter at Ryan’s expense. If he was going to be a dick about it, then I was too. An STD joke may’ve been below the belt—pun intended—but I knew of his reputation. I knew it’d get the biggest reaction.

  I hadn’t heard from him in weeks, ever since he told me he’d back off. That’s not to say I wasn’t still checking my phone, hoping for something. Anything. At least I hadn’t caved and messaged him instead.

  Naïve as it was, I thought we could at least get through today without drawing attention to ourselves. I was hoping I could ignore him. Apparently, that wasn’t going to happen, because my entire body was wired from just being around him.

  Paige suggested the only reason I accepted Danny’s offer to be his date at this wedding was because I wanted to make Ryan jealous. And up until I saw him, I thought she was wrong. As it turned out, Paige knew me better than I knew myself.

  I hung out by the bar until a warm arm wrapped around my waist.

  “Hey,” Danny said in my ear.

  I was on my fourth wine, so I leaned back into his chest.

  “Ready to find our table?”

  “Sure.” Only, I wasn’t. Because he was still sitting there.

  We took two steps towards it before I paused.

  Danny looked at Ryan and then back at me. “Oh. Is it going to be weird sitting with Hunter?”

  I tore my gaze from the table to make eye contact with Danny. “Paige told you?”

  “Not the whole story. Just that you guys have a history.”

  “It’ll be fine,” I lied.

  But it was fine. Because as soon as we reached the table, Ryan stood to take himself to the bar and his friends followed him.

  Paige joined us a short time later, and she placed three drinks on the table before taking her seat.

  “Oh, did you get us a drink?” I asked, reaching for one.

  She swatted my hand away. “Get your own.” Her voice was slurred already.

  “P, how much have you had to drink?” Danny asked.

  “Just a wittle bit.” She giggled.