Say Love (Lost & Found #2) Page 3

  Unfazed by the trio of angry women before me, I cast my gaze down to the face of my watch. “Lexi, we’re going to be late.”

  “Shit, my appointment!” Lexi gasps, hands shooting up toward her face. “It was great to see you, Ariana. I’ve gotta run, but please come tonight.”

  Ari nods in agreement. “I will see you there, Lexi. It was nice to see you, too.” Then, as she shoots me another one of her distasteful glances, Ari bids me farewell with a simple call of my name. “Caleb.”

  “Ariana,” I parrot.

  Lexi walks up to me with a dissatisfied frown. “You’re fucking weird today. What the hell is the matter with you?” she asks on our way out the door. “You were really rude to my friend, that’s so unlike you.”

  “Is it?”

  “Yes! You’re usually friendly with women.”

  “Am I?”

  “YES!” Lexi snaps, turning a few heads our way. “Quit turning my statements into questions to avoid talking about them. What the hell was that?”

  We stop at the elevators, and I reach out to press the button before shoving my hands into my pockets. “Let’s just say that Ariana and I go way back.”

  A look of both confusion and surprise take over Lexi’s face, pulling her brows close together. “How far back?”

  “About ten years,” I answer easily.

  “Whoa-ly shit!” Lexi’s mouth drops open just as the doors do. “Seriously?”

  I hold out my arm, gesturing for her to board first before following her inside. “Yep.” I press the number for our floor.

  “Yep?” Lexi repeats. “That’s all you’re going to give me? Yep?”

  “Yep.”

  While I do consider Lexi one of my closest friends, Ari will always trump all. This is our private business. It’ll take way longer than a short elevator ride to get through telling our story. There’s just too much history there.

  “What happened between you two?” Lexi tries again.

  I stand, my shoulders square with the doors, while Lexi stands facing me, impatiently waiting for me to answer her. “A lot,” I give yet another vague reply.

  “Caleb!” Lexi stomps her foot out of frustration.

  The suspense must just be killing her… Lexi is shockingly nosy.

  Women.

  My exchange with Ari was awkward at best. I didn’t even get the chance to ask what she was doing here with Bree. Is she sick or something? Maybe she answered that question for Lexi when I checked out during their reacquainting period.

  I turn, finally giving Lexi some of the attention she’s looking for. “Did Ari say why she was visiting with Bree?”

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  As always, I’m quick with my defense. “I’m not. The subject is Ari. I’m still on it.”

  Lexi’s face twists with her scowl when I make a valid point she can’t argue. “You’re so annoying!”

  “I accept. Now, tell me. What was she doing here?”

  “All Ari said was that she came to pay her friend a visit, said they knew each other for a while now…” The lift comes to a stop, and we step off when the doors open to our floor. “This is insane, I can’t believe you all know each other. Well, obviously, you know her, she works for you, but I meant, like, know her, know her… you know?”

  “Sure.”

  “You two have history,” Lexi states rather than asks.

  “I’ve known her for a decade’s worth of time, Lexi. We’ve got a fuck of a lot.” I stop when we’ve reached our destination, my fingers wrapping around the handle of the door.

  “Romantic history?” Her voice goes up at the end of the sentence, knowing full well she’s pushing her luck with that one.

  My fingers remain wrapped around the handle, but I don’t pull it open just yet. Instead, I lean in closer to Lexi as if I were getting ready to spill, and her eyes dance with excitement and anticipation. Her mouth curls with the slightest of smiles as she moves to meet me halfway.

  We’re practically rubbing noses, but I say nothing. Lexi’s biting anxiously against the nail of her pointer finger, growing more impatient by the second. When I smile, hers transforms into a full-on grin.

  Real quietly, I whisper, “You’re late.”

  “Oh, fuck you!” Lexi growls.

  With my shit-eating grin still intact, I swing the door open and tip my head in the direction of the room. “In you go.”

  Lexi rolls her eyes, backhanding me square against the chest before passing through. “I hate you, you suck.”

  A couple different heads spin in our direction, greeting Lexi with welcoming smiles. One man in particular, who I assume is her regular therapist, comes to greet her with an extended hand. He shows me the same courtesy when introducing himself as Dr. Doug Peterson.

  Lexi hijacks my introduction before I can even attempt to get a word in. “This is Caleb Carlisle, my driver,” she deadpans, making me laugh.

  I give Dr. Peterson an actual introduction when Lexi steps away to stow her purse in a safe place, and he patiently answers every question I have about her recovery. According to him, she’s been perfectly cooperative and determined throughout the process. That’s all I want to hear.

  When Lexi returns a few short moments later, they begin their session, and I take a seat on one of the cushioned rolling stools behind me to stay out of their way.

  Content with my selfless good deed of the day, I watch my friend with a supportive smile.

  My happy moment is short-lived when I lose my mind all over again. It wanders off without permission, hopping from one memory to the next.

  A second session with Kellerman doesn’t seem like the worst possible idea now.

  Tonight’s going to be a good night, regardless of my shitty morning.

  Why? I’m throwing my two best friends a major bash at my favorite venue.

  Where to even begin on the list of their many reasons to celebrate…

  Lexi was unable to properly celebrate her day of birth on the actual day, thanks to Brad’s psychotic ass. That’s one.

  Wonder Woman tested bulletproof when surviving said shooting. That’s two.

  The morning after her surgery, Jackson’s crazy ass proposed. That’s three.

  Weeks before all the shenanigans, she officially decided to sign with my agency as one of our newest models. That’s four.

  Now, everyone, and I mean everyone, wants a piece of Lexi Moore. They all want to work with the woman who, literally, took a bullet for Jackson Anderson. Business is good. That’s five.

  Well… the last two reasons are more my reasons for celebrating, I suppose. Nevertheless, it’s still about Lexi, so it doesn’t matter.

  Tonight is the night these two come out willingly to the public for the first time. No more scandals or speculations from the paparazzi. Tonight, Jackson and Lexi throw their love in the faces of hundreds. Come morning, their relationship will no longer be something to whisper about.

  While Jackson still has his reservations when it comes to Club21, and with good reason, I’ve done my best to convince him that this is the best spot in the city to host such a huge event. So, we came to an agreement with Chad, the club owner. Jackson, being Jackson, spent an obscene amount of money to make sure the club was ours for the night.

  I look around the packed club with a satisfied smile. It appears the entire city’s crammed under one roof, which is exactly what I expected to see.

  With help from Harper, Lexi’s best childhood friend, we made certain that anyone important, far and wide, would be in attendance. Not that it took much convincing. We sent out invitations, people RSVP’d within the hour. It didn’t matter if they resided in the city or not, those that didn’t flew in especially for this event.

  Gifts weren’t a requirement, but they were strongly encouraged by the mighty Harper Johnson. Scary as shit, that woman, but she gets shit done. Which is why I am currently trying to get her to come join my team.

  There’s a mountain of wrapped boxes,
stacking higher by the minute, by the front entrance with each guest dropping them off upon their arrival.

  Between Jackson’s company and mine, I’m not the least bit surprised by the turnout. Those who have even the smallest connection to either company are kissing ass. Those who are currently trying to develop some sort of connection to either company are kissing ass.

  To have your ass kissed really is the best feeling. There’s nothing else quite like it that proves to the world just where you stand.

  I make my way around, greeting familiar faces as I keep an eye out for our guests of honor. Lexi specifically. She’s the one who usually keeps me in line; she likes to prevent me from fucking up. My name has actually been printed on gossip magazines far less since she and I became friends.

  Well… trouble still seems to find me from time to time, but still… far less is progress.

  For Lexi, I would really love to stay out of trouble tonight. She deserves a night of no-nonsense fun. Only problem is that when I see Ari, I usually have trouble telling right from wrong.

  Finally, I manage to spot a few familiar faces: Harper, my right-hand woman; Nick, Harper’s husband; and Kellan, another one of Lexi’s closest friends. I make my way over to them, flashing Harper a smile before leaning in for a hug she offers me with open arms.

  “Caleb,” Harper beams up at me, then she waves a hand around the room, gesturing toward the growing crowd. “This place is starting to get out of control! I remember our list being only half this size. Who are all these people?”

  “Friends of friends of friends. I don’t fucking know,” I laugh.

  I reach out to clasp hands with Nick and Kellan, leaning in and clapping them on the shoulder before I pull back to scan the crowd again. “Where the hell are Lexi and Jackson?”

  “Probably fucking in a closet somewhere,” Harper jokes.

  Out of all the new friends I’ve come to make these past few weeks, I’ve grown to really appreciate Harper. She’s my favorite, my spirit animal. She gets me. If I could pick a sister, I’d choose her.

  “Damn…” I look around again. “Do you think they’d let me join in?”

  Harper punches my arm, and it actually hurts. She is much stronger than she appears. “Don’t be disgusting,” Harper warns, and I laugh as I clutch my achy shoulder.

  Time flies, and I still haven’t been able to locate Lexi or Jackson in this big ass building full of people. Between all the drinks I was offered by each person I’ve run into, I’m running on a pretty healthy buzz.

  A tipsy me, plus my lacking patience, does not equal subtlety.

  When I accept that there’s no way in hell I’m going to find my friends without trying something bigger, I climb onto the DJ’s booth and mumble a few words to him before he stops the music and passes me the mic.

  Everyone’s attention shifts my way when I tap my palm against the top-end. “Testing, testing, can you fuckers hear me?” My voice fills the speakers, stretching across the open space. People laugh as they raise their glasses in response. “I’m in desperate need of your help, guys,” I slur. “It’s like Where’s Waldo in here, I can’t seem to locate my fucking friend! Where the hell is the birthday girl at?”

  Several of the guests actually look around to help me. My eyes scan the place, searching high and low, and then I see a hand shoot up from the opposite end of the building.

  “I’m over here!” Lexi shouts across the room, standing with our friends, right where I was a split second ago. I smile when I spot her grinning back at me.

  “Someone get me a drink I can toast with!” I demand.

  I lower the mic and hold out a hand when a cocktail waitress shows up with a cup a few seconds later. “Thank you, sweetheart.” I shoot her a wink before I hold my glass out to the crowd. “Everyone, pick up your glasses if you haven’t done so already.” They do. “To my hot friend, Lexi… you’re the first real friend I’ve had in a while… and though you refuse to admit it, I know you dig me.” My face splits into another grin when I hear the sound of her laughter travel to where I’m standing.

  Somewhere in the room, more than likely next to his fiancée, Jackson’s about to explode with rage. The thought makes me laugh. “I toast to your birthday. I toast to your new engagement,” I add emphasis to that word, earning hoots and hollers from all around. “I toast to your new career!” I reach a shout, tipping my glass extra high. “To Lexi!” My voice booms across the building, and everyone cheers to my toast. “And Jackson,” I add, less enthusiastically.

  When I knock back the contents of my glass, my face twists with disgust. I discover the drink in my hand is not at all what I was expecting. A mouthful of sweet shit I don’t care for. I force it down my throat with a sour expression.

  “Okay… no one bring me any more of whatever this shit was. I don’t do cocktails.” I pass the mic back to the DJ, and then jerk it back when I have something to add. “I’m coming, Lexi. Don’t fucking move.”

  I thank the DJ, finally passing the mic back to him.

  The moment I step off the platform, people swarm me, getting in my way with their warm greetings. I offer a few words in exchange, but I keep my feet moving, uninterested in trapping myself in meaningless conversations.

  At a certain point, I stop being so polite, and I just plain ignore a few of them.

  “Fucking finally!” I hold my arms out when Lexi finally comes into view. “C’mere.” I pull her in for a big, bear hug. She giggles into my shoulder, squealing when I lift her off her feet. “Happy birthday, Lex.”

  Her arms wrap around me, squeezing me back. “Thank you for this party, Caleb. I’m having an amazing time.”

  “You’re welcome. I wouldn’t do this for just anyone.” I set her down when I catch the disapproving scowl on Jackson’s face.

  “Yes, I know.” She smiles sweetly.

  While grinning down at my friend, I’m hit with the sudden urge to look up, so I do. The second I lift my gaze to take in the rest of the group, my smile falls from my face. Ari is standing just a few feet away. She must have just gotten here; I didn’t notice her before.

  I’m staring right at her, but she doesn’t even notice. Either that or she’s doing everything she can to pretend I don’t exist.

  When my eyes shift to the person she’s smiling at, I feel my skin set fire. At first, her face was the only thing my eyes cared to take in, so I didn’t notice Brody.

  Ari did mention the chance of her boyfriend being in attendance tonight, but I hoped he’d be too busy memorizing lines or putting on makeup or something.

  As much as I’d like to tear my gaze away from the horror show that is their intimate moment, I can’t seem to look away.

  Brody Spencer. The entire world is currently under his spell. With all the charity work he does in his free time, and all the hospital visits he makes to sick patients, he makes it almost impossible not to like him.

  Of course, it isn’t so difficult for me, seeing as though he’s sleeping with the only woman I’d ever claimed as mine.

  Someone squeezes my elbow. “Something wrong?” Lexi’s question snaps me out of it.

  I blink down at my friend’s face, expressing concern for me. “Ariana is here… and it looks like her boyfriend was able to make it after all,” I say, unable to mask my disappointment.

  “Oh, Caleb, I’m sorry…” Lexi eyes me sympathetically. “I wouldn’t have invited her had I known about your history.”

  “No.” I shake my head, forcing myself to deliver my best reassuring smile. “No, it’s okay. I’m glad you invited her.”

  “Yea?”

  “Yea!” I wrap my arm around Lexi’s shoulder. “This is your night. I wanted everyone who’s ever been part of your life to be here tonight.”

  Lexi brings an open hand up over my chest and gives it a small, comforting tap. “Thank you.”

  “No problem.” I squeeze her to me.

  “I gotta pee!” she squeaks from under my arm, making me laugh, then she
runs off as soon as I release her.

  I try not to, I really do, but I can’t help myself when I swing my gaze back Ari’s way.

  My heart skips when she finally acknowledges me with those eyes. God, I missed those eyes… I could have smiled, or waved, but instead, I just shake my head in disappointment.

  I have no right to be angry with her, but that’s all that I am.

  I’m mostly responsible for what happened to us, but I blame her, too.

  I didn’t want her to leave that day… but I could have fought harder for her to stay.

  My whole adult life, I’ve never once been scared to admit what I wanted, to take what I wanted. Ari was the rare exception, the first to make me stop and think before simply acting. She was my best friend. I stood to lose everything by getting into what we had, but I knew that I had to have her, consequences be damned.

  It lasted only briefly. Ended way too soon.

  Our connection is broken when Brody leans in to whisper something into her ear. All I want to do in that moment is cut out his tongue so he can never speak again.

  “Who stole your condoms?” Jackson’s joke tears through, pulling me from my thoughts.

  I clench my jaw, my hands ball into tight fists by my side, and I struggle to keep my feet rooted to the ground when my head fills with satisfying images of me pummeling Brody into the ground. Six feet under, to be exact.

  “Caleb.”

  I turn toward Jackson when I can’t stand to stare at them any longer, and I tilt my head in Ari’s direction. “She’s here. Don’t fucking look.” He looks.

  Jackson’s eyes dart to the side, careful not to make himself appear too obvious when scoping out the person in question. I can tell when they land on her by the look in his eyes, already predicting the future. Then Jackson’s gaze drops to my fists. “Don’t do that here. Not tonight,” he warns.

  I shake my head, loosening my grip. “No, I wouldn’t do that to Lexi.” I run my hand roughly over my mouth, growing more restless by the minute.