Emotion stung my eyes as my heart fell hard like a boulder tumbling down the side of a mountain. “You’re my favorite everything, Roe,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
All I could do was nod in reply to keep from crying like a fucking baby in front of our friends. For a moment, I realized I didn’t deserve her love. And that scared me to death.
She released me, took my hand, and tugged me toward the limo.
“Hey, old lady.” Graham smirked as she walked into his arms.
I tried not to read into her smile, wondering if she smiled bigger for Graham, but I couldn’t help it. For the first time in over five years of marriage, I felt like we weren’t invincible. And that hurt worse than any pain I tried to numb with medication.
“Roses …” She took them from Graham and sniffed them. “My favorite.”
He stepped aside so she could climb into the limo. “Did you have a pleasant flight?” Graham patted me on the shoulder and smirked.
I returned a stiff smile. No. I didn’t nail Evelyn to the leather seat in the plane. She nailed me to the cross and informed me my only salvation involved checking into treatment for a disease I didn’t have. Could he read all of that from my smile? Doubtful.
Lila and Evelyn giggled as they tried to maneuver Lila and the balloons back into the limo.
“Screw it.” Lila let go of the balloons, sending them into the air.
“Brilliant, babe. We’ll probably get fined for releasing balloons into the air at an airport.” Graham grabbed her waist to guide her back into the seat as she lifted her casted leg, propping it up on the seat between Evelyn and the door.
Evelyn rested the long-stemmed roses on her lap and grabbed my hand. It felt like a fucking lifeline. She had no way of knowing just how emasculating it was to have her give me that ultimatum on the plane.
“Are you tipsy already?” Evelyn cocked her head at Lila.
“No.” Lila jerked her head back, but at the same time she fell into a fit of giggles. “Maybe.” She grabbed a bottle of champagne and poured a glass, miraculously without spilling it, and handed it to Evelyn. “For you, birthday girl.”
Evelyn took a sip. “Thank you.”
“And for you.” Lila handed me a glass.
“Thank you.” I took it, feeling the full weight of Evelyn’s gaze on me, further emasculating me.
“Your dress, dear.” Graham frowned, covering Lila’s lap with his jacket.
She wore a short, black dress that hit just above her cast which ended pretty close to the top of her leg.
“Yes, my husband doesn’t need to see all of you.” Evie rolled her eyes.
“Such prudes.” Lila sipped more champagne, probably the first time she’d had the chance to kick back and throw caution to the wind again since the accident. I couldn’t blame her.
“Besides …” Lila shot Evie a mischievous look. “We’re all friends.” She slid her drunken gaze to me for a second while rubbing her glossed lips together. “Well, except Ronin. We really need to bring him into our circle. Don’t you think?”
“Lila.” Graham said her name like a warning.
She had too much alcohol in her blood to heed any warnings at the moment.
“So where are we going for dinner? I’m starving.” Evelyn changed the subject, or so I thought.
I wasn’t sure. Lila seemed to have a secret she was dying to share, while Graham and Evelyn exchanged a few uncomfortable glances with each other.
Yes, I knew they had sex in college. Surely, Lila knew Evelyn shared that with me.
“Evie, you’re forty!” Lila leaned forward, resting one hand on Evelyn’s knee while taking another sip of champagne with her other hand. “Carpe the fucking diem! We should all get deliriously drunk later and replay Vancouver with a plus one. Ronin really should have stayed that night.” Lila winked at me while sliding her hand up Evie’s leg a few inches beneath the flowers and her skirt.
What … the fuck?
Evie grabbed Lila’s hand, stopping its ascent and squeezing it while smiling past her gritted teeth. “I thought the four of us were already having dinner tonight … like we did in Vancouver.” She pushed Lila’s hand away.
“Time to sober you up before the—” Graham caught himself before saying party as he took Lila’s champagne from her hand and shoved a bottled water into her hand instead. “Dinner. Time to sober you up before dinner, Mrs. Porter.”
“Humpf!” Lila stuck out her lower lip.
It was actually quite funny. I’d seen Evelyn do it a few times over our years together. It must have been a move they perfected together as young girls.
After a few seconds, as if everyone else was waiting to see what would come out of Lila’s mouth next—because we were—she smirked at Evelyn. “I bet you still think of me when Ronin sucks your nipples.” Lila slid her tongue out to show us her tongue ring and tapped it against her teeth a few times while looking at my wife in a way I had never seen her look at Evelyn.