No Bad Days (Fisher Brothers 1)

“You do not. Do you really?”

“Kinda.” I shrugged. Nick was hot as hell, but something about him in a baseball hat really worked for him.

“Can I wear it? My hat?” He sounded almost timid, like I might yell at him for even suggesting such a thing.

“I don’t care. Why not?”

His face lit up like a little kid who’d just been told he could have a puppy.

It was just a fraternity formal in college; it wasn’t like we were going to an event at the White House. Who cared if he wore a baseball hat or not? Certainly not me.

“You’re the best damn girlfriend in the world,” he said before kissing my cheek and disappearing into our room. He walked back out a second later, wearing his black baseball hat turned backward.

I smiled. “You look even hotter now.” And he did.

“No other girl would ever let me wear a hat to formal. I fucking love you,” he said, and we both froze as his words sank in. “Y-you know what I mean.”

I averted my eyes, pretending my heart hadn’t just soared out of my chest and was currently playing hopscotch in the clouds.

“I know what you meant,” I said, biting my lip to keep the dopey smile off my face as I tried to rein my heart back down from the sky.

Nick gathered our group and we headed downstairs. We took a ton of pictures in the courtyard of the hotel, surrounded by lush flowers and green shrubbery. I was secretly thrilled at the idea of having pictures like this with Nick. His arm was tight around my waist, pulling me close against him at all times.

“Let’s eat,” Trevor announced in a loud voice, then reached for Rachel and tugged her toward the double doors.

“Guess we’re done taking pictures,” Nick said with a laugh as he took my hand.

The ballroom where the event was being held was decorated like for prom, but with less fanfare. A DJ was set up in one corner, spinning tunes in the background that were pretty low-key. The round tables were covered with dark blue cloths, with centerpieces of multiple ivory candles in various heights. The decor was elegant in its simplicity.

Nick and I took our time wandering through. When we reached our table a few moments later, I was thankful to see Rachel and Trevor already seated, eating salads.

“Guess he really was hungry,” I whispered to Nick, motioning toward Trevor.

“Never stand between a man and his stomach.”

“Good tip.”

Nick pulled out a chair for me next to Rachel, and I smoothed the back of my dress as I sat down. “Thank you.”

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the side of my head before sitting to my left and placing his napkin in his lap.

Glancing around at the rest of our table, I might not have known anyone else by name, but I recognized the evil eye when I saw it. And boy, was I seeing it. The girl across the table kept staring at me through a narrowed gaze, her upper lip forming a snarl every so often. I would have bet money that I’d never seen her before now, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little unsettling.

The last two empty seats at our table filled as my stomach instantly dropped. Carla Crawford, the girl Nick’s dad had asked him to take out, took the empty chair on the other side of Nick. I tried to control the pangs of jealousy that worked their way through me, but she was so striking that I couldn’t help but compare her long list of beautiful features to my much shorter one.

Her naturally tanned arms enveloped Nick’s neck in a tight hug as her exotic almond-shaped eyes met mine over his shoulder. I tried to give her a small smile, but an evil grin appeared on her face before she touched the scruff on Nick’s jaw and leaned in toward him. Nick pulled away, removed her hand from his face, and then turned his back on her and his attention toward me.

“I didn’t know she would be here. Sorry about that,” he said in a low voice.

I softened, my jealousy flitting away as he leaned in to kiss my lips. My eyes closed at his touch, and everyone else in the room disappeared.

“You okay?” Nick asked when he broke the kiss.

I nodded. “I just think I might hate her,” I whispered, and he laughed.

“No need,” he reassured me before forking a bite of Caesar salad and feeding it to me.

“You two are gross,” Rachel said with a frown.