Rebound Envy: A Novella (Rebound Series Book 2) Read online

  I follow her to the tables set up near the bar laden with trays and chafing dishes of delicious bite-sized foods. I manage to regain some composure while I'm loading up a plate. Cate keeps eyeing me, but seems to accept that I'm okay again for now.

  The rest of the evening passes without incident. There was one dicey moment where Adam almost cornered me when I came out of the bathroom. He was waiting for me at the entrance to the hallway, looking like he wanted to speak to me. Brian pulled him away while I stood by the door trying to decide what to do.

  Now, if only I can survive the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself with the same amount of contact. Of course, I'll have to be near him while we're walking back down the aisle at the end of the ceremony. Hopefully I can manage to keep him from talking to me more than necessary. If so, I just might survive this week.

  * * *

  "Should we get a little pre-party going while we get ready?" I pull out a bottle of wine and brandish it at Cate and Jenna.

  We're getting ready for the pub crawl bachelorette party at my house so Jenna doesn't have to get ready in front of Brian. The other ladies that are joining us are meeting us downtown in an hour.

  Jenna's mouth turns down a little in disapproval. "Won't we be drinking enough later?"

  Cate laughs and grabs a slice of the pizza we're sharing before we go out. "Loosen up, Jenna. It's your bachelorette party. We're celebrating the end of your days as a single woman. Have a drink!"

  I smile at Cate. "Exactly! I'll get the glasses."

  Jenna sighs, pretending to be exasperated, but she can't quite hold back the smile that's fighting to take over her face. I pass wine glasses to both of them and fill them from the bottle I just uncorked.

  Cate's face lights up in appreciation. "This is really good. Does Brian know about this?"

  I snort. It's very unladylike, but I can't help it. "Of course he does. He's the one who gave it to me."

  Cate turns to Jenna. "What about you? Don't you like this wine?"

  "Uh, sure. It's nice." Jenna's answer about the wine is as lame as ever.

  I laugh at Cate's expression. It's a mix of confusion and horror, her eyebrows scrunched together and her mouth hanging open in shock. "Haven't you figured out Jenna's dirty little secret yet, Cate? She doesn't know anything about wine and has the most undeveloped palate you'll ever encounter. She drinks whatever we give her. It used to be my job, but now it's Brian's."

  Jenna narrows her eyes in a glare and sticks out her tongue at me. I just laugh some more. Cate's opening and closing her mouth, but words still haven't managed to come out. Finally she gives up and just shakes her head, taking another drink of her wine.

  Jenna shrugs. "I know. You'd think more would have rubbed off given all the time I spend with Brian at home and at The Barrel Room, but …" She trails off. No one knows exactly how to end that sentence. "At least Brian doesn't hold it against me."

  I mutter something half under my breath about what Brian does hold against her, and Cate sputters, choking on her wine. Her face is bright red, and her eyes are wide, staring at me.

  "Oops. Sorry. You probably don't want to hear me saying stuff like that about your brother."

  She shakes her head slowly, her face solemn. "I do not. At all. No. Just no."

  I can't help cackling at that, and she finally gives over and laughs along with me. This girl fits right in with us. Too bad she lives so far away.

  * * *

  We're between bars two and three (or maybe it's three and four) when a voice booms out behind us. "No! We're not supposed to see you tonight!"

  Our party stops and turns, looking behind us to search out the loud voice in the twilight. Adam and Brian are leading the way, with Connor and a few other guys trailing behind them.

  "What are you guys doing here?" Jenna pushes her way forward, meeting Brian for a searing kiss. Both of them have had a bit to drink, though from the looks of it, Jenna's a little more tipsy than Brian, since he seems to be holding her up.

  An arm is flung around me, and before I can do anything, lips are pressed against mine, hot and hungry. I melt into the embrace, recognizing the scent of Adam's cologne and the feel of his mouth on mine. When his lips part, mine follow, and a tongue slips into my mouth, teasing and sliding against mine. I can taste the remnants of something alcoholic—whisky maybe?—on his lips and tongue.

  The still sober part of my brain wakes up and realizes this is Adam. I freeze, then push him away with a little more force than I meant to use. Adam stumbles back and I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, my eyes locked with his.

  Jenna is gawking at me, eyes wide and round as saucers, Brian's arms still around her.

  "Holy shit!" That was Cate, standing off to one side. I can hear giggling from the rest of the group.

  I finally tear my eyes away from Adam, not giving voice to the What the hell? that is bouncing around in my head. I clear my throat and gather myself, still feeling light headed from the combined effects of alcohol and Adam's kiss. "C'mon, ladies. They're right. We're not supposed to see them tonight. On to the next pub!"

  I march to the front of our little group to lead the way, Jenna not far behind me.

  "What was that?"

  "Hell if I know."

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  "He is hot. If I hadn't seen him kiss you last night I'd be tempted to go after him myself."

  I glance down at the petite brunette standing next to me while we wait to walk down the aisle at the wedding rehearsal. Cate's giggling, glancing at Adam and Brian up front, still hung up on how Adam kissed me last night when we bumped into the guys on our pub crawl. I can't help the scowl forming on my face when I look at her.

  "And here I thought you were cool." I'm glaring at her now, which just sends her into further paroxysms of mirth, like I said the most hilarious thing in the world. I watch her in bemusement. "You know, Cate. You have the weirdest reaction to a hangover I've ever seen."

  She doubles over at that. It's a good thing they're taking so long talking things out with Jenna, Brian, and the minister up front so Cate can laugh her head off and get it out now.

  She straightens up after a moment, wiping tears from her eyes. "Amy, I think you're the only one with a hangover. No one powered down as many shots as you did last night after we saw the guys. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to wash the taste of him out of your mouth and sterilize it at the same time."

  I squint toward the front of the chapel. "Maybe you don't know better."

  Another laugh comes bubbling out of Cate, but she quickly tries to stifle it when Jenna starts walking toward us.

  Jenna gives me a questioning look, and I force a smile, Cate still snorting and sputtering next to me.

  I hand Jenna the bouquet stand-in made of all the ribbons and bows from her wedding shower earlier this week. "Are we all set?"

  Jenna nods. "We are." She takes her place behind Cate and I just outside the door where her dad is waiting.

  "Alright ladies." The minister motions for us to start walking. I go first, and then Cate follows along once I reach the front.

  "All rise." The moms stand up at the minister's words, and start humming "Here Comes the Bride" while Jenna and her dad walk in.

  I zone out while the minister talks to Jenna and Brian, giving a quick summary of what will happen tomorrow and confirming details with them. They insist on practicing the kiss, which goes on longer than the customary peck, and leaves Jenna blushing. Brian smiles, pleased with himself.

  The minister turns them to face the empty chapel. "I'll introduce you as a couple and then the recessional will start. That's your cue to start walking." Brian and Jenna both nod, and head toward the chapel door, arm in arm. When they're a few pews from the door, Brian scoops Jenna up and throws her over his shoulder fireman style. Jenna squeals and laughs, yelling for him to put her down while he jogs the last few feet to the door.

  Now that they're out of the room, it's time for t
he rest of us to leave. I step toward the center aisle at the same time as Adam. He offers me his arm, and I place my left hand in the crook of his elbow. His other hand comes around and covers mine, warm and soft. I can feel his eyes on me, but resolutely look forward, trying my best to ignore him and the way he's stroking my hand.

  When we get to the door, I try to pull my hand away, but Adam keeps ahold of it, not letting me go. "Amy, I'd like to talk with you."

  I shake my head, stepping back at the same time I pull harder, using my body weight to wrench my hand from his arm. "My head hurts. I need a drink of water."

  Adam doesn't try to stop me, his eyes unreadable as he watches me turn and flee his presence.

  * * *

  Cate smooths her skirt behind her before taking the chair next to mine. "So, fill me in. What's the deal with you and Adam." She gestures with her wine glass to where he's sitting at another table halfway across the room.

  I shrug, and take a bite of my chicken. The rehearsal dinner is winding down and I'm still picking at my food. Lingering nausea from my hangover makes me not even want to try the chocolate cheesecake that would normally tempt me. People are drifting around talking and mingling. "What do you mean?"

  She laughs. "Come on, Amy. You don't expect me to buy that. He kissed you last night, and you ran away and got drunk. You ran away again after the rehearsal. Did he give you an STD or something?"

  My head snaps up. Humor dances in Cate's eyes as she drinks her wine. "No." I sound sullen and mumbly even to me. Cate just waits for me to elaborate. I heave out a sigh, setting down my knife and fork. "We went on a couple of dates. Nothing happened."

  She waits for a moment before prodding further. "But? There's more to the story, obviously."

  I shake my head, wiping my mouth with my napkin, what little appetite I had left deserting me. "Not really." My eyes flick to where Adam is sitting. He's laughing at something with Connor, not looking at me, meaning I can look my fill without being caught. But I bring my eyes back to Cate, who has a knowing smirk on her face. "I haven't seen him in a couple months. Before that he was acting weird and not very nice. I don't know what his problem is."

  "He likes you." She says it definitively.

  "I don't think so." My answer is just as definitive.

  "He kissed you last night."

  I shrug, looking down at my hands. "He was drunk."

  "Not that drunk."

  I reach for my glass of wine, not wanting to look at Cate, not wanting to have this conversation. I drain the last of it, feeling Cate's eyes on me the whole time.

  She stands, and I finally look at her. "Okay. I get it. I won't push for more when you obviously don't want to talk about it. We don't want you drinking as much tonight as you did last night!"

  I manage a weak laugh in response to that. After she's gone I decide I need to use the ladies room, more to escape than anything else.

  After washing my hands I stare at my reflection and give myself a little pep talk. "Get it together, Amy. This weekend is about Jenna and Brian. You can wallow in your awkward self pity after she's on her honeymoon. You're the maid of honor and you have responsibilities." I give my reflection a sharp nod, smooth down my dress, and push open the door to the restroom.

  Adam is leaning against the wall, staring right at me. I freeze when I see him. "Are you stalking me?"

  He straightens up and laughs, even though I wasn't being funny at all. He catches my arm when I try to storm past him, not letting me get away. "Please, Amy. I just want to talk to you."

  I pull my arm away from him, crossing my arms over my chest. I see his eyes flick down to my breasts, but he manages to pull them back to my face before I can get more annoyed with him. "Fine. Talk."

  He shakes his head. "Not here. The dinner's almost finished. I thought we could go somewhere more private."

  I consider him for a moment. He seems sincere, though I can't fathom what he could possibly want to talk to me about that requires privacy. With another sigh, I nod. "Alright. Let me say goodbye to Jenna first."

  "Sure." He reaches for my hand, but I pull away and head back to the hotel restaurant's private room where the rehearsal dinner is being held, leaving him behind.

  I make my way to Jenna, sitting and laughing with Brian and both sets of parents. "I'm going to go up to my room. Headache."

  Her eyes search my face, then flick to Adam who is also taking his leave. "Okay."

  She stands and I hug her. "Get some rest tonight. Text me if you want to hang out just us girls tonight."

  She laughs. "Okay. You get some rest too. I need you fresh for pictures tomorrow!"

  I smile back, it's a little forced, but not too bad I don't think. I head for the door, once again leaving Adam behind. He catches up to me, though, opening the door for me right before I get to it.

  We walk silently to the elevators, Adam keeping pace with me. The wedding party, along with the family and out of town guests, are all staying in a block of rooms at the Mountain View Resort.

  "Your room or mine?"

  I glance over at Adam standing next to me. He's staring straight ahead at the elevator doors.

  I think for a second before answering. The elevator opens and we step inside. "Yours." I figure it's easier to leave than it is to kick someone out.

  Adam pushes the button for the fourth floor, where the groom's side is staying. The bride's block of rooms is on the sixth floor. Brian and Jenna will spend their wedding night in one of the honeymoon suites on the top floor before leaving for their honeymoon.

  I stand facing the elevator doors, arms crossed. Adam's leaning casually against the wall of the elevator, eyeing me. "I heard you broke up with your boyfriend. I was sorry to hear that."

  I turn to face him and can't help the snort of derision that comes out. "Were you really?" He opens his mouth to respond, but I wave away whatever he was going to say. "Anyway, that was a couple months ago. It's not a big deal."

  He nods slowly. "Yeah. I haven't seen you in a while. Have you been avoiding me?"

  I snort again, but it's forced this time. "No. Why would I do that?" The heat creeping up my neck to my cheeks gives away my lie, and Adam smiles. He looks almost predatory when he smiles like that.

  The elevator dings and the doors open, letting us off on Adam's floor. He walks next to me with his hands in his pockets, not saying anything else. He slips a key card out of his pocket and lets us into his room. It's a mirror image of my room two floors up. There's a large king size bed in the middle, piled high with a white duvet and mounds of pillows. To the right is a seating area with a desk, couch, and chair. There's a flat screen TV mounted on the wall across from the bed. The bathroom is off to the left.

  Adam gestures me toward the seating area. "Can I get you a drink or anything?"

  I shake my head, crossing my arms and remaining standing just inside the doorway. "No. You said you wanted to talk. I'd like you to just say what you want to say so I can leave. I wasn't lying when I told Jenna I have a headache." In fact, I can feel my pulse throbbing in my temples with each beat of my heart. Being here with Adam after months of dealing with him being hot and cold and rude, then last night's drunken kiss, isn't helping at all. I just want a shower and some Tylenol.

  He nods, but heads for a mini fridge concealed under a cabinet by the sink. He retrieves a bottle of water and holds it out to me, his brows raised in question. I shake my head, and he opens it and drinks. Since I won't sit, he props his hip on the sink counter, surveying me while he drinks his water.

  I wait, arms crossed, our eyes locked.

  Finally, he screws the cap back on the water bottle. "I want to apologize."

  "For?"

  He drops his gaze, running a hand through his hair. "For the way I acted when you were with, what was it, Scott?"

  I nod, confirming the name.

  "Scott. I was an ass and I'm sorry."

  I drop my arms, my eyes examine his face, but his expression is unreadable. "Why?
"

  "Why what?" He's looking at me again, surprise on his face.

  I throw my arms out. "Why are you sorry? Why now? Why bother apologizing at all?"

  I can see the muscles in his jaw bulge as he clenches his teeth, then he relaxes. "The last time we talked, you told me off and left before I could apologize. Then you avoided me for the last two months. I kept hoping you would come back to The Barrel Room with Jenna at some point, but you never did. I wanted to talk to you at the party last week, and since you didn't bring a date it seemed like I might be able to, but you avoided me still and seemed to have help. Did you put Brian and Jenna up to keeping me away from you?"

  I step back a little, even though he hasn't moved, reacting to the naked frustration in his voice. "What? No. I wouldn't do that. Why would you even ask that?"

  His golden eyes are glittering with suppressed emotion. "Because, every time I got close to being able to talk to you, one of them swooped in and pulled me away." He crosses his arms. "They were very clever, too. I didn't even realize what had happened until after the night was over and everyone was gone."

  "How did you even find out I wasn't dating Scott anymore? Are you talking about me to Brian or Jenna?"

  "When you didn't have a date last Friday, I asked Brian why not. He said you weren't seeing anyone, but that's all. I didn't know you'd been broken up for that long. Have you seen anyone else since then?"

  "What difference does that make? That's not any of your business." I cross my arms again, eyes narrowed, chin lifted, getting more riled up the longer this conversation continues. "You've explained why you're apologizing now for something you did over two months ago. But why apologize at all?

  "Because I was an asshole!" His voice has gotten louder and he's almost shouting. "Dammit, Amy. I have to explain an apology? I don't want you to hate me and I don't want you to avoid me. I want things to be good between us again."

  I throw my head back and start laughing at that. A full on belly laugh. That is perhaps the most ridiculous thing he could have said. He wants things to be good between us again? When were things ever that good between us? Things were maybe good between us for about five minutes.