The knowledge was one that constantly knocked at my thoughts. Maddox probably didn’t want to get married and have kids for another decade. He still had the majority of his twenties ahead of him to have fun, establish a business, date around and get married. I was really going to miss him when he left. There would be a lucky woman in his future.
Which made me sick to my stomach every time I considered it.
Isla greeted Maddox, but she also gave me a long, searching look that made my cheeks feel hot. What did she see? Did she know that I was completely full of shit when I said my feelings for Mad were one hundred percent platonic and familial?
They already all knew we were having sex, but I’d thought only Felicia had caught on to how much deeper it was going than that. But given the look on Isla’s face, she was onto me as well.
“It’s great to see you again,” she told Maddox. “I think it’s great you’d give up your Friday night to protect Savannah from the evil clutches of a dick she went out with once weeks ago.”
I glared at Isla. “Don’t be so sarcastic. You sound rude.”
“I never turn down an invitation to an open bar,” Maddox said, mildly.
“Dude,” Dakota said. “Right? Speaking of, I say we head over there and do some shots to kick this party off on the right note.”
“Dakota, I can’t drink,” I reminded her for the hundredth time in the last year plus.
“Oh, fuck, I always forget that. Well, you can go find our table while we do shots.”
“You’re so good to me,” I said to her, rolling my eyes and laughing.
“What? I’m sorry. You know I’m not mom material. I’m not trying to be a jerk.”
“I know.” I pointed. “Go. Go do a shot. Do one for me. I will find the table.”
“I’ll go with you,” Maddox said.
“No!” Dakota said. “Open bar, remember?”
“I can get something later. My job is to visibly adore Savannah.”
Hell, yes.
“Oh, that sounds kinky,” Dakota said. “I’m jealous.” But then she turned. “See you later!”
“Sorry,” Felicia said. “I really want a drink.” She gave me a finger wave and followed suit.
“Are you abandoning me for booze too?” I asked Isla.
She nodded. “You don’t need me anyway. You have Maddox.”
Except I didn’t have him.
“It’s you and me, kid,” he said. “Are you hungry? It looks like there’s enough food to feed the entire eastern seaboard.”
“I’m going to smash on all of it,” I said cheerfully. “And not feel remotely guilty. A party like this is all about the food and the DJ.”
“Wait until you see my dance moves,” Maddox said.
He did a hip swivel that made me laugh. “What was that?”
“The Elvis. I can floss too but I’m saving that for the end of the night.”
“Can’t wait.” I maneuvered around some tables and scanned the first food station. “I am a terrible dancer. Which was why my original career choice when I came to New York was to be an actress. I can’t dance and can’t sing, so that limited my options considerably.”
“I remember you wanted to make it big.”
“I was delusional,” I said laughing. “I used to tell my father I was an optimist, a dreamer, and he would tell me I needed to get my head out of the clouds. Turns out in that particular instance he was right. I couldn’t see that I wasn’t good en