“No, sir. Your daughter invited me.”

I spot Beth in her same spot, but now being engaged into conversation by the bartender. A lot of conversation. The asshat apparently doesn’t have a shit ton of other guests to serve.

Fucker.

I jerk my chin in her direction as I release Mr. McCafferty’s hand. “I’m here with someone. It was good talking to you.”

He says in return, “you too” or “take care” or something. I’m halfway to Beth before he finishes whatever the hell it is.

She’s holding a drink in her hand, sipping through a straw. Asshat behind the bar can’t stop looking at her.

“Hey.” I get as close to her as I can without knocking her over.

She looks up at me, still tasting her drink. I slide my hand along her back to her hip, pulling her a little so her shoulder hits my chest. I look up at the guy still staring at Beth, not registering my presence at all. My stomach churns with a foreign possessiveness as my fingers flex against her hip.

Can you not fucking see me with her?

Beth makes a noise in the back of her throat that grabs my attention. Her nose wrinkles as she swallows, pulling the drink away from her mouth. She shakes her head. “No, I definitely don’t like that. It’s a little strong.” She sets the drink on the bar and slides it away from her.

“Aw, come on. I pegged you for a girl who liked sex on the beach.”

My head snaps in the dead man’s direction. “What did you just say?”

He smiles, amused at himself as he picks up the glass. “Sex on the beach. The drink. I thought she’d like it.”

“Well, she doesn’t. And don’t assume she likes anything. You don’t know her.”

He holds up his free hand, palm out, and takes a step back. The drink Beth didn’t like is still in his other hand. “Easy, man. She didn’t know what she wanted. I was just letting her try it.”

I feel Beth’s hand on my chest. When I look down, she’s giving me the most puzzled expression, like she can’t understand my reaction. I can’t understand it either. I’ve never wanted to rip someone’s arm out of their socket and beat them with it, but I sure as hell want to now.

I pinch my eyes shut, take a deep breath to calm the rage boiling inside me, and open my eyes to look at her.

“What do you like? Fruity stuff? Like strawberries?” A part of me wishes I already knew this answer.

“I like strawberries,” she says, tilting her chin up.

I acknowledge her with a nod before looking over top her head. “Make her a daiquiri. And don’t make it that strong.”

Asshat jerks his head to let me know he’s heard me. He grabs a blender, half-filled with a red slushy consistency, and pours it into a glass. Grabbing a small napkin, he sets the drink down on the bar and sticks a straw in it.

“There. It’s not strong. There’s barely any liquor in it.” He steps away to help another guest, not giving Beth another look.

She turns around, moving my hand along her back, and picks up the drink. I watch her take a sip, then another.

“Mm. Wanna try it?” She offers me the straw but I decline with a shake of my head.

I hadn’t planned on drinking at all tonight. And if I was drinking, I wouldn’t be throwing back anything that looks like a 7-Eleven Slurpee.

The straw slips out of Beth’s mouth as her eyes focus in on something, or someone behind me. Shifting her weight on her feet, she stares for a few more seconds before blinking away.

“We should probably go say hi,” she says on a rushed exhale. Spinning around, she sets her drink on the bar after taking another sip.

Maybe I should pick that up and down it.

I crane my neck around and spot Molly talking to a group of people across the dance floor. Might as well get this shit over with now. The sooner she sees me here with Beth, happy and not caring about anything besides the woman on my arm, the sooner we can get the hell out of here. I don’t want to be here a minute longer than I have to.

“Come on.” I take Beth’s hand in mine and lead her across the floor. Looking over, I see the nervousness twitch across her face as we move through the crowd. “Ready to be my girlfriend?” I ask, and so quickly I shock her, drawing that smile out I’ve gone too many minutes without seeing.

She nudges playfully against my side, her profile still lifted as her eyes train ahead of us. “I’m ready.”

Molly sees us coming before we get halfway across the dance floor. She slowly lets her mouth fall open, the whites of her eyes growing as she looks down my arm to where I’m holding Beth.

Yeah, take a good fucking look.

She taps the suit behind her who’s engaged in conversation at a table, then leans in to say something to the three women surrounding her. They each give her a hug before walking away together.

As we close the gap between us, Molly wipes any telling emotion from her face, keeping her expression stoic. I’m expecting the first words exchanged to be a concealed insult from Molly. But it’s Beth who speaks first.

“Congratulations again. And thank you so much for inviting us.” She leans into me, tipping her head back until our eyes lock. “We’re having the best time.”

Nothing but honestly in her voice. In her face, the way the blush creeps up the length of her. She’s not saying that for Molly to hear. She’s looking at me, making sure I hear it.

Sweetheart, I hear it.

“What’s up, babe?”

A man’s voice has me looking up at the suit who still has most of his back to Molly, his head partially turned to look down at her.

“Did you need something?” he asks, sounding bored, and I swallow down the laugh that wants to erupt from my throat. If this is the guy she’s marrying, he’s more interested in whatever conversation she’s trying to pull him out of than anything to do with her.

Karma. God, you sweet, sweet bitch. I could fucking kiss you.

She grabs his shoulder, pushing, urging him to spin around. “Yes, babe, I wanted to introduce you to some of our guests. Can you give me a few minutes?”

I jerk my head to shake the hair out of my eyes as the man finally obliges her.

He turns while keeping one hand on the front of his suit jacket, throwing the other over her shoulder. Looking like something the two of them practiced for public appearances.

I look to his face, ready to offer my hand so we can get these introductions over with. Recollection hits me like a two-by-four to the gut. My body tenses, squeezing the air from my lungs. Beth hisses next to me when my grip on her becomes painful. I loosen it but can’t look at her. I can’t look anywhere but at the man staring back at me, ignorant to who I am. Ready to shake my hand like he didn’t have his dick in my girlfriend nine years ago.

Fuck.

I should’ve taken that drink.

Beth

REED GOES PERFECTLY STILL NEXT to me.

His face pales, a harshness tightening his profile and removing any trace of the playful man I walked over here with. His breathing grows louder, seething against his teeth. I hiss when he bears down against my hand, wiggling my fingers when the pain dulls out. He has to be reacting to the man standing with Molly. I’m guessing it’s her fiancé. I’m also guessing based on the swift change in Reed’s mood that he might already know him. A thought stirs in my head, another possibility. Reed said he was over Molly. He said he stopped caring a long time ago. But maybe this is the first time he’s seeing her with someone else, and it doesn’t matter who it is standing next to her. He always thought it would be him.