Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Vega POV

Jake came up to me holding two glasses of wine, with an eyebrow raised as he noticed me staring at Zach as he made his speech.

"Keep your mouth shut about it" I hissed as I took the drink from him.

Jake grinned. "I didn't say anything"

"But you were about to, and I'm sure it was going to make me mad".

"I basically live to annoy you don't I".

"No, you live to save me from all my problems". I sighed, then sipped the wine.

"You look amazing by the way, but the way you keep sighing is not going to get you a man tonight, or maybe you don't need a man since you've already set your eyes on that brooding male on stage," he said, his chin pointing towards Zach Dante.

"It's not going to work. He's here for his revenge". I wished he wasn't.

Jake paused, turning to face me. "What do you mean revenge, for what exactly".

"The whole thing that happened in college".

"He's still not over that. I thought he said it was all a game for him. Look, you deserve better than him ok. You should just move on and stop beating yourself up about it".

I nodded but felt anything but better. It's been five years, but it's always been him on my mind, and knowing that we could never be together just made me feel like I couldn't breathe right.

"He looks good tho" Jake said after a while of staring at Zach speaking to the crowd, then glanced at me.

"He does, doesn't he" I agreed with a smile.

"And that suit really makes his eyes pop. I bet all those women aren't even listening to a word he's saying, they must all just be daydreaming about getting him into their bed right about now".

I rolled my eyes because he was right and I was shamelessly part of those women, but I could control myself. "Jake?"

"Hmmm," he answered absentmindedly.

"Would it be a bad thing if I slept with him," I asked and Jake choked on his drink, coughing loudly and causing some people to stare in our direction.

"Are you trying to kill me or what? Damn" he gasped once he got it under control.

"I wasn't. I've just been thinking about it and the idea keeps feeling right in my head, plus, he made a proposal".

"Don't do it girl. You're just going to get your heart broken. I mean, didn't college teach you any lesson".

"You're right. I don't even know why I'm considering it. You know, sometimes I think that I'm obsessed with him or something because no matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about him".

"I guess you both just have a really good chemistry, maybe that's why you can't move on… " he said then trailed off, his eyes staring at the entrance, I followed his movement and saw Ryan. I cursed inwardly. "Isn't that the guy In those pictures that were in your house?"

"Yes, and I had no idea he was on the guest list," I mumbled.

Jake's gaze jerked back to mine as the crowd applauded and Zach walked off the stage to take pictures with his family member. Noah was here too, and I was not too thrilled to see him after finding out the role he played in helping Zach get his revenge.

"You mean, you two have been meeting up? Did you have sex with him" he asked, his eyes almost popping out of their socket and I rolled mine in reply.

"Of course not, also I lied about not knowing him when you and Markus asked about him. The truth is he was the first guy I asked out, but he rejected me and that was back in grade school. I didn't even know it was him at the club until he told me his full name, also he's kinda been coming around, trying to get me to talk".

Jake stared at me, an unbelieving expression on his face. "Does Andrianna know about this"?

"Is that the first thing that came to your mind, you're not even mad".

"Oh I'll be mad, but that would be after you answer that question".

Gosh, the rivalry between those two could be made into a movie. "I did".

"I'm not even surprised. You'll always put her ahead of me".

"That's not true, it's because when I tell you a secret, you get drunk and pour it all out at Andrianna's feet without her even asking," I said with a pointed look and he laughed.

"I do that don't I." He asked and I nodded, a serious look In my eyes. "Fine, let's drop that subject, cause that turned sour pretty quickly, so is there a plan to sleep with him in the distant future"

"I'll never sleep with Ryan even if he was the last guy alive on earth. I don't even know why I asked him out in grade school in the first place".

"It was probably the same reason you sighted him at the club. I mean, just look at him, the guy is gorgeous. All he has to do is just look at you, and your brain will go in the direction of sex".

I smirked, meeting his gaze. "Is Markus aware that you're checking out other guys now"?

Jake laughed nervously. "We've been together for years babe, I'm checking other guys out for my sanity".

I laughed. "Of course, but you're right. He is sexy" I said staring at Ryan as he moved through the crowd as if he was right in his element, and people seemed to know him too so maybe he was.

Andrianna was acting as the host and she was killing it on stage. I knew I could count on her after bawling my eyes out in her arms the day I ran away from the restaurant.

"Oh my gosh, he's heading in our direction." Jake squealed and I almost got infected by his excitement. It felt good not to think about Zach all the time. Welp, there I go again.

Ryan Mickelson smiled as he got to me, then held out a cube to me.

"Will you talk to me now because I've tried hard to get your attention? I even came to your office and you told your assistant to tell me to make an appointment."

I smiled. "It's the normal procedure, it wasn't because I was avoiding you, also, I don't have to play nice".

He laughed, his hair falling into his face. "You're right, you don't have to. I was a jerk, but I was also a child, I did what I did back then to look cool in front of my friends and I regretted it every day after. I'm sorry Vega, will you forgive me" he said shaking the cube he held, a silent plea for me to take it.

"This is interesting" Jake muttered, eyes cutting to mine.

I reached to collect the cube with a smile and Ryan smiled and almost fist-bumped the air. He and Jake watched eagerly as I opened the cube. A beautiful emerald necklace stared back at me.

"Wow, this is beautiful". I glanced at Ryan whose smile had gotten wider and his whole attention was on me, it was almost as if he wanted to soak up my reaction. He also seemed genuine in his apology, so I guess I could let it go. "Thank you for the gift".

"I'm glad it's to your taste. I'm happy I met you again Vega. I always knew you were going to accomplish so much, and I was right".

"Thank you," I said, then realized that Jake was still giving me the looks. "Jake, Meet Ryan Mickelson, and Ryan, this is Jake my best friend".

They both shook hands, and I noticed Ryan's smile slipping as he stared Jake down. Did he think Jake was a competition? I wondered for a second if either of them was going to crush the other hand but they let go before it could escalate.

"Is he also your date?" Ryan asked and Jake beat me to the answer.

"I'm not, my date is that hot guy standing over there" he pointed at Markus, who I hadn't noticed since the event started, but it seemed that he had been watching us and he sent a smile our way.

Ryan smiled back then turned back to face me, a look of relief on his face.

"I guess it's my lucky night then. I also didn't bring a date, because I was hoping you'd finally talk to me"

"Um… " I was saying when a warm hand wrapped around my waist as someone came to stand beside me and I knew who it was from his cologne since I'd taken every chance I had to inhale him before the event even started, but I was still shocked as I craned my neck to look at him. My stomach dipped as I took in his solid frame, the way the heat of his skin warmed mine, his scent mingling with mine. His jaw was set in a determined line, his lips red and alluring, his hair was swept back away from his face, and his gaze was focused on Ryan as if he wanted to murder him. My heart skipped in my chest, the feeling intensifying as his finger drummed against my hips, making me aware that he was holding me almost intimately. Sparks danced through my skin, and the feeling all rushed to my core making me feel insanely horny. I fought not to clench my thigh together to ease some of the tension I felt.

"She's my date tonight," he got out a note of finality in his rough sexy voice. Ryan's gaze furrowed as he stared at Zach, then at me, as if to ask if it was true, but I couldn't answer that, because my neurons were firing in different directions, and I was also shocked that he was calling me his date when we didn't have a prior discussion to that effect. "Vega Romeo is mine for the night, so go find yourself another date".