Part 16 (1/2)

You'd think after witnessing the h.e.l.l Billy went through with Rene, I'd get over this guy instead of falling for him. The chemistry I feel with him surpa.s.ses anything else I've ever known, making it impossible to live life without thinking about him every second of the day.

I feel his erection pressing against my side when I get too close, and I start throbbing immediately. I want to jerk his face down to meet mine, but I can't. I know he has a date, and I can't keep doing s.h.i.+t to torture myself.

”What have you done to me?” he whispers as his lips take mine without warning.

Tag I can't help it. I have to have her. I can't touch her without wanting to be with her. I can't see her without aching for her touch. It's an incredulous cycle, but I know this can't work.

She wants love, commitment... all the things I can't give her. I wouldn't even know how to fall in love with someone.

Her lips break free from mine, and she pushes me back slightly.

”I'm sorry, Tag. I can't do this... whatever this is, anymore.”

Tears drip from her eyes, and she wipes them away while rus.h.i.+ng to the bar. I start to follow her, but Crystal steps up to slap me across the face, shocking the f.u.c.k out of me.

”What the h.e.l.l?” she barks as I rub the stinging side of my cheek.

”What the h.e.l.l what? You're a date to a benefit, not my d.a.m.n girlfriend. Get over it,” I mutter with a cold tone I could never use on Ash.

”You brought me. You asked me. And then you kiss another girl? A girl with a pudgy belly?”

Pudgy belly? Okay, great. I brought a crazy girl to the party. The last thing Ash has is a pudgy belly.

”Get over it,” I repeat while walking off. ”Enjoy the free s.h.i.+t, honey. I've got to mingle and take care of something.”

She rolls her eyes and huffs away. I shouldn't have brought some random b.i.t.c.h.

As.h.i.+ara ”Tag just got slapped,” Erica giggles as she walks over to me.

”I saw. I guess his date didn't appreciate our accidental kiss.”

”Accidental?” she asks suspiciously as she sips her gin.

I'm so jealous. I really wish I could have a drink right now.

”Yeah. It's always accidental and rash with us. I'm not sure why I can't seem to think straight around him.”

”It's the same with him. I've never, ever seen Tag so out of control around a girl. He never kisses girls in public, but with you, he never stops. Perhaps our bachelor of the century has finally fallen for a girl.”

”No. What we had was just intense and hot. He's still no different.”

The bartender walks over to finally take my order, and I smile as I say, ”Can I get a bottle of water, please?”

He nods and quickly fills my request.

”Water?” Erica muses with a tilted head. ”The whole point of spending the night is to get wasted.”

I force a smile.

”I'm just not in a drinking mood right now. Maybe some other time.”

My eyes flash over to Tag while he talks to the guy who bought all of my mother's paintings. The skinny, pale guy smiles and nods before walking away. Tag's eyes find mine, and I promptly look away before Wren joins him.

”If I didn't know any better, I'd say Tag is actually a little in love with you,” Erica says in a low, hushed tone.

My heart flutters and drops in one beat.

”I guess it's good you know better,” I attempt to say evenly, but the emotion in my voice gives me away.

”Oh, Ash, I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much you-”

”It's fine. I just need some air.”

”We're outside,” she says in bemus.e.m.e.nt and I let a laugh out while holding back my tears.

She starts to hug me, but in her drunken haze, she accidentally staggers and b.u.mps into me. Her hands press against my belly, and her eyes widen in shock.

”Holy s.h.i.+t! You're pregnant!” she shouts.

Tag coughs and spews his drink all over the place, and then Wren's gla.s.s drops from his hand to shatter against the patio.

”d.a.m.n it,” I growl while walking away.

Everyone - and I mean everyone - is staring at me as I try to make a hasty exit. Billy rushes to be at my side, and he wraps his jacket around my shoulders as we head to the house.

”What the f.u.c.k?” he whispers.

”Everyone, please get back to the party. It's not like it's something ridiculous to see a pretty, pregnant girl,” Melanie says to defuse the eyeing crowd.

The music starts playing again, and I keep my head down as Billy holds me tightly to his body.

”d.a.m.n it, why didn't you tell me?” he growls.

”Because I didn't want Tag to know.”

His breath leaves his lungs for a minute, and his face goes pale. I'm praying we can get out of here before Tag comes to question me about it.

”It's his?” he asks in a higher octave.

”Not it, Billy. I'm having a boy. And yes. He's Tag's.”