Origami Heart (Book 3 - DP series - COMPLETE)

3. The Ex

"Please." The tone of his voice mimics that of a child pleading for a cookie and I can't help but chuckle again.

Shrugging I mumble, "if you must," with a grin before turning in search of a drink.

That's when I spot him. He's just slipped through the sliding glass door behind Mike, his back to me as he slides it shut. Just as he turns, I duck down low, heart hammering against my bones.

"You gotta pee or something?" Chris asks me, scrutinizing my position with a skeptical eye. "There's bathroom's inside for that."

I ignore his question, too desperate to remain invisible to even hear him properly. Standing, I turn my back to the man who just entered the party and face Chris. Grabbing his shoulder, I force him to pay full attention to me, even though he already is.

"My ex just showed up," I explain to him. "Help."

His eyes flicker over my shoulders, his lips puckering to the side in contemplation. I notice the moment his eyes land on Jessie because they widen marginally and he lowers his head so that he's eye level.

"Jessie's your ex?" he whispers, shooting the newest arrival another glance before finding my eyes with his own.

"I didn't even realize all of you guys knew each other," I confess, using a hand to shield the side of my face when I spot him out of my peripheral vision.

"Yeah," he nods, crossing his arms over his chest. "For ages. The guy's a freakin' genius on the soccer field. Andy, Gavin, Alec and I like to meet up with him and his buddies about once a month for scrimmages. I think Mike knows him from high school. Their families used to go to church together or something."

I groan. "I've got to get out of here."

"That bad, huh?" he asks, referring to our break-up.

"You have no idea."

He eyes me a moment, contemplating how to help when he spots someone passing by behind me.

"Yo, Andy!"

I don't turn to acknowledge him, my muscles too stiff to offer me that luxury. Not that I want to turn around anyway. If Jessie sees me, I have no idea what kind of drama will break out and I'm in no mood to test it.

"Care to show Lindsey where the bathroom is?" he asks, giving the blonde a pleading look. It's a look that implies he's not really asking. "Preferably the upstairs one?"

That's when I find the courage to turn just enough to see Andy stopped halfway between the patio steps and the door. I see him check his phone again before he slips it into his pocket and takes the remaining steps in our direction.

"What's up?"

He clearly knows there's something much bigger going on and he's not buying the fact that I don't know what every single room in this entire house is.

"Lindsey's ex is here," Chris explains, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Okay..."

"They're not on good terms," Chris clarifies.

"Alright," Andy says, glancing around the yard, eyes searching for whoever my ex might be. Then he's slinging an arm around my shoulder to shield me from the man who destroyed my heart.

"Come on, Lin Diesel," he says softly into my hair, using the nickname he's used for years due to my obsession with the Fast and Furious star. An obsession that no one knows about except for Andy... because I think he's equally obsessed.

We slip through the door and I allow Andy to guide me up the staircase and into Mike's room. The room hasn't changed a bit. Aside from a large military duffle bag, everything's just as I remember.