Nothing Left to Lose (Guarded Hearts 1)

A blond guy, probably in his early forties, stood and smiled at Anna affectionately. “Hi! Oh you look beautiful, Anna,” he cooed as he stepped forward and wrapped her into a tight hug.

She smiled as she stepped back after a second. “Thanks, Steve, you’re looking pretty good yourself there,” she answered, looking him over. She turned as Jack’s mom stood too. “It’s so nice to see you again. It’s been a while.”

The lady engulfed her in a hug too, patting her back as she closed her eyes and clearly cherished the affection from someone whom she cared about deeply. “It’s been way too long,” the lady gushed. I tried desperately to remember her name, but I couldn’t recall it. When I was introduced to her in the café, I’d been too concerned with Anna to listen to her name.

“This is Ashton Taylor,” Anna smiled, motioning towards me.

The guy she’d called Steve smiled. “Right, yeah, we’ve heard about him. He’s the one with you at college?”

“Yeah, he is,” Anna confirmed.

I reached out a hand towards him. “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” I greeted politely.

He grinned, placing his hand in mine and shaking it firmly. “You too. You can call me Steve,” he replied, waving a hand dismissively. I nodded. He seemed like a nice guy.

My body unconsciously stiffened as Michael jumped up from his chair. He looked so much like Jack that it was scary. I was pretty used to what Jack looked like from the photo Anna had in our bedroom – even though it wasn’t on the bedside unit anymore. She’d moved it onto one of the shelves, and the photo on the bedside was now of me and her and my friends in LA at one of the bars we went to.

“Hey, Michael,” Anna greeted, smiling.

I frowned in confusion, again flicking my eyes over to Dean, who looked just as stunned as I felt. I had no idea what was going on. This wasn’t how I would have predicted that this meeting would have gone.

He pulled her into a hug and said something in her ear which made her chuckle in response. When the embrace broke, he stepped back and motioned towards a young girl who was sitting at the table with him. “This is my date, Lisa. Lisa, this is Anna,” he waved a hand between his date and Anna in introduction.

“Hey, it’s nice to meet you,” Anna said.

Lisa stood, looking a little awed, probably by the ambience, the setting, the celebrities and the sheer luxury of the party. “Hi. I love your dress,” she replied, looking Anna over a little jealously. I wasn’t surprised that the girl was jealous; Anna’s dress was killer and made her look like a runway supermodel.

Anna nodded quickly in agreement. “I know it’s hot, right? Did you see my shoes? I love my shoes,” she gushed, lifting her dress up past her knees. I looked down at her perfect legs and groaned internally because dirty thoughts immediately clouded my mind. Jack’s mom and the girl gasped as they both stared at her shoes longingly. I noticed Michael was looking too, but I didn’t think he could even tell you what colour the shoes were – he was looking at her legs the same way I was.

“Oh goodness, those are beautiful,” Jack’s mom gasped.

“I know. I have to return the dress and shoes, but I’m going to accidentally lose the shoes in my suitcase,” Anna stated. I grinned at that. She was totally serious – I could tell by her voice.

“I’d lose them too,” Lisa chirped, laughing.

Anna nodded, dropping her dress back to the floor again. “Well, it really is great to see you. I’m going to go dance some more, but I’ll come and see you again before you leave.”

Jack’s mom reached out and touched Anna’s face adoringly. “I’d like that, honey. I’ve missed you.”

Anna nodded sadly, before slipping her hand into mine and giving me a little tug in the direction of the dance floor as she waved over her shoulder to Jack’s family.

I watched her warily as she wrapped her arms around me. She looked happy though, and I just couldn’t comprehend it. “You really okay?” I asked.

Her lips pursed as she seemed to think about it for a few seconds. Finally, she nodded, seeming a little shocked about her own feelings. “Actually, I’m fine. Strange as it may seem, I really do feel fine.”

Happiness exploded within me, because maybe, just maybe, she really was getting over him… maybe I did have a shot after all. “Great. That’s really great, Baby Girl,” I said, rubbing my hand across her skin on her back, sending little tingles of pleasure through my hand. I was so proud of her, I could barely stop myself from grabbing her and spinning her around in a circle. She truly was getting over him, and I didn’t even think that she realised it.

We danced for another couple of songs in silence before she set her head on my shoulder and sighed deeply. Tracing my hands up her back, I gripped the back of her head, feeling her soft silky hair under my fingertips. My heart sank, knowing what this would be about. The Jack thing was finally catching up to her. “What’s wrong?” I whispered, bending and resting my head on the top of hers.

Her arms tightened around me as she spoke with her face pressed into the side of my neck. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just having a nice time with you tonight.”

It hadn’t been a sad sigh. It was a sigh of contentment. My heart started back up in double-time. “I’m having a nice time here with you too,” I replied, pressing my nose into her hair, breathing her in.