Page 21 of Lie With Me
Time slows.
My stomach does a somersault.
Ginny is talking, but I barely register her words. “Better late than never! I’m so excited tofinallyintroduce you guys! Tripp, this is my best friend–”
“You!” I cry out.
“It’s you!” he exclaims in surprise at the same time.
Ken stands before me, mouth hanging open, looking devastatingly handsome in a black Brunello Cucinelli suit.
“You said your name was Bianca!” He looks confused, but it’s edged with annoyance.
“Yousaid yours was Ken!” I parry. Sorry, buddy, you don’t get to be the only one upset here.
Jackson and Ginny’s eyes bounce back and forth between us asTrippdeclares, “I’ve been looking for you for the last week! Do you know how much trouble I’m in because of you?”
“Me? What did I do besides give you the best night of your life?” I ask smugly.
His eyes sweep down the length of me with a look that tells me he can’t argue with that statement, but before he can answer me, Jackson interrupts, “Wait,she’sthe girl you hooked up with?”
Ginny begins to laugh. “Oh, this is too good.”
He gets heated by our friends' comments and looks like he’s about to explode when Jackson grabs his arm and pulls him away, muttering something about not ruining his engagement party. Tripp and I hold each other’s gazes while they head to the bar.
My heart pounds erratically behind my rib cage.How is it, that out of the millions of people in Manhattan, it’shimthat ends up being Jackson’s best friend?
My Prince Charming for one earth-shattering evening.
The man who made me come more times in one night than I thought humanly possible.
Why the fuck did I never think to Google Tripp Kennedy?
Ginny continues to giggle, and even though it’s her big night, I snap, “Stop laughing!” before tossing back the rest of my champagne. “This is why I don’t sleep with men outside the club.”
All the illusion of anything happening between us shatters as I realize we will always be in each other’s lives now.
Our two best friends are getting married. It’s inevitable.
I’ll be forced to watch as he eventually settles down, always wonderingwhat-if.
Wondering if I’d just shown back up at his house last Friday night ifmaybe, somehow,this could have worked out differently.
“I love you, but this is hilarious. Do you know Jackson hasactivelytried to keep you two from meeting because he thinks that if you guys met, you’d be the most annoying pair in the world?”
The bitter sting of betrayal rushes through my veins as I watch Tripp unload on Jackson at the bar. “Gee, thanks, bossman.”
It would have been better if they’d justintroduced us. None of this would have happened. It would have been better that way.
“You know he means it affectionately when he calls you annoying,” Ginny says soothingly.
Grabbing another glass from a passing server, I muse, “Wonder what he’s so worked up over?”
He looks pissed, and I can’t imagine what I possibly could have done to warrant this level of anger.
“You told his ex that you two are engaged. I would assume that’s probably it.” She shrugs.
My gaze snaps to her. “How doyouknow that?”