“And that, boys, is what I’m talking about. You were great. I’m proud of you.”
I wanted to tell Neo to fuck off for being condescending, but I couldn’t deny how nice it was to hear someone praise me for a change, so I forced my lips together and nodded.
As he leaned on his cane, talking with Archer and Fox, Fern appeared from the crowd, placing her head on Neo’s shoulder as she smiled at us. I was still fuming about our conversation earlier, but whether it was the lighting, the lack of alcohol in my bloodstream, or that I’d suffered a catastrophic head injury I couldn’t remember, I had to fight not to let my mouth fall open, as I took her in.
Dressed in a super short, black, A-line dress, her silver curls spilled midway down her back. Black heels made her look even taller than she had earlier, their thin straps wrapped around her ankles, drawing my eyes to her long, toned legs.
Fern was the total opposite of the women I usually went for, so I had no idea why she was suddenly piquing my interest. I mean, she looked like butter wouldn’t melt in her innocent mouth.So not my type.
“You owe me a dance,” Archer demanded, pulling Fern into the center of the dancefloor and all I could do was stand by and watch as my best friend made her laugh with his effortless charm that I’d missed seeing in him since his fiancée went missing.
“I’m going to the bar,” I declared to whoever was listening when Fox joined them, picking Fern up and spinning her around, making me feel like an outsider in my own band.
Stalking across the floor, annoyed at something I didn’t understand, I found a stool at the bar and yelled for the barman to get me a double whiskey and a beer. I downed the whiskey and twitched my head for a refill. As he poured me another, my phone beeped in my hand.
Sperm donor: Will we be seeing you for Christmas?
I sighed, putting it facedown on the bar, and slamming back the fresh whiskey. Suddenly, a shadow moved over me. I looked left to find Neo standing there.
“This seat taken?” he asked, pointing to the stool next to me.
“Knock yourself out.”
He sat, and I pretended not to notice the look of relief as he took the weight off his damaged back and legs. Nodding to the barman, he poured Neo a couple of glasses of champagne, obviously knowing what he was drinking, before placing them down in front of him. He twisted his head, frowning at me.
“Look Charlie, your life is your own and I can’t tell you how to behave, but you can have fun without being a prize dick.”
I spluttered, my eyes wide. “I think the half a mill fine told me what you think of me, Neo.”
“It should, because like Fern and I said, anyone else and you would have been gone. We like having you around, Charlie. Don’t fuck it up.”
He stood, slapping me on the back before holding up a glass toward his husband, who’d appeared at his side to help him with the drinks like they had an unspoken agreement, and for some reason, it made me jealous as hell. For a moment, I wondered what that would be like; to have someone know you that well, they could read your body language or your face without you saying a word. I had a good relationship with my boys, Fox and Archer, but to have that with someone else felt impossible. I was too fractured, too selfish, and as my dad showed me over and over again, impossible to be around for long.
I wasn’t sure how many drinks in I was when a breathless Fern appeared next to me.
“Take a seat,” I suggested, noticing how my speech slurred. She looked at me and the vacant seat and then back at me, before shrugging and sitting. “So, big promotion, eh?”
She blushed, running her hands over her skirt, looking happy to change the subject as the barman came over and she ordered a round of drinks. I opened my mouth to speak as my phone buzzed again. Turning it over, I read the message.
Sperm donor: I know you’ve read my message. Are you coming? Your mother wants to know.
I typed out a reply.
Me: She’s not my mother. And no, I won’t be there. I don’t want to play happy families.
I slammed my phone down.
“Everything okay?” Fern asked, the cadence of her voice sliding over me like a fleecy blanket on a cold night.
“Yep, just family stuff. You know how it is?”
She laughed, throwing her head back. “You have no idea.”
I wanted to ask her to tell me more when Neo appeared next to us again, using his cane, holding on tight to Aaron’s hand. It was in moments like this that the guilt hit me. Seeing him still limping after all these years, I wished I could have changed our behavior in Miami. Behavior that made Neo and Addi get on the plane that crashed. Behavior we were well aware nearly killed them both. Yes, I’d hit the hotel manager, but no one had ever asked us to explain and none of us had ever tried to tell our side of the story.
“Hey, Sweets, I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” Neo announced as she stood, offering him her seat.
Her eyes flared. “Problem?”