The Best Woman

The Best Woman - Chapter Four

She smiles apologetically, raises her palms and backs away. I watch her turn and make her way to Dayton, who I'm pretty sure is asleep on the bar.

"Maybe we should go outside, there's too much trash in here," she says, glancing back at Callie.

Clenching my jaw, I try to ignore her comment. "Fine," I reply, holding my hand out and gesturing for her to go ahead.

Callie mouths 'sorry' and I shrug. It isn't all her fault. I'm the one that got too close to her back there, but I wouldn't have kissed her. I watched my cousin's life change for the worse when his dad cheated on my aunt. I wouldn't.

Sam shoves the door open, narrowly missing the bouncer as she flies past him on a mission. That mission probably being castrating me. Her hair blows in the wind and sticks to her lip gloss. She shoves it out of the way angrily.

"Hey, calm down and talk to me," I say though I have no clue why we're still together. She won't ever be cool with Callie and I'm not giving up a friend. Sam won't even give Cal a chance.

"What do you want me to say, Bentley?"

"Tell me what you want," I say. "Where is this going if you don't trust me. Jesus, you think I'm in love with someone else."

"What I want is for my boyfriend to only want me."

"I'm not trying anything with her. I've been faithful!"

"You're dodging the point," she accuses, folding her arms.

"What point?"

"You're in love with her!"

"I'm not." I've never been in love with anyone. I don't know what it feels like. At one point, I thought that might come with Sam.

"You want nothing from her? If she came out and told you to take her home, you would say no."

"I won't cheat."

Sam tilts her head to the side, and I know what I've done. I should have just lied.

"I can't be with you if you want to be with her."

"It's not... That's not it." I rake my hand through my light hair and sigh. "Callie and I would never work."

"Well, that's never going to be good enough for me, Bentley. I don't want my boyfriend lusting after someone else. She wants you, too, it's so obvious and that means it's only a matter of time. I'd rather end things now than in a year when you two finally give in."

Shit.

"Sam..."

"No, don't say anything. It's best to just leave it like this."

"I'm still sorry."

With a nod, she replies, "I know you are."

I groan as she walks away. This is why I shouldn't ever try relationships; I always screw it up. Dayton is boyfriend – husband – material, not me.

"Bentley!" Dayton shouts.

Turning my head, I'm just in time to see Callie grab Dayton as he stumbles to the side.

What a state, he is.

"Are you okay?" Callie asks, wincing as she tries to hold him up. "I wanted to give you more time, but I really need to get him home."

Jogging a few steps, I meet up with them and lift Dayton's arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry, we're done. For good."

Dayton groans, his head hanging down between me and Callie.

She winces. "I'm so sorry. Was it because I spoke up? I was trying to help."

"It wasn't your fault." Not directly anyway. "She was right, we both knew there was no fixing it."

"I need a kebab," Dayton says, slumping heavily against my side.

"Food's a good idea, Bentley. We should make him eat."

We get him to one of the round, metal table by a burger stand and shove him on a seat.

It's dark, two of the streetlights aren't working but it's at least not cold. Music from inside spills outside. Groups of drunk men and women stumble, smoke and eat.

"How did this happen? He's not usually this bad."

Her eyes meet mine with suspicion as we walk to join the queue. "I didn't spike him, Cal, he's had more than us."

"So... are you okay?"

Shrugging, I look down at her. The top of her head only just reaches my shoulder. "It feels strange to finally be over, but it was over between us before today."

"You're not going to cry on my shoulder?"

Laughing, I reply, "No, I think I'll manage to keep it together."

"Great, because I'm not good with criers. Plus, I'd film it and upload it to YouTube."

"You're all heart," I reply dryly.

We reach the front of the line. "Can I get two doner kebabs and a cheese burger, please."

"And a portion of chips and onion rings. Thanks," Callie adds.

I look down at her again, cocking my eyebrow. How much can one girl eat? She's skinny and petite. There isn't a lot of room for all that food inside that very tempting body.

She shrugs one shoulder. "I'm hungry and they're to share."

"Thank you," I say, handing over the correct change and taking the mountain of food. The portions here are always massive. If she eats all that I'll marry her tomorrow.

"Dayton," Callie says, pulling his shoulder up and forcing him to sit. "Come on, eat something."

He groans and takes the food I hand him, immediately unwrapping and inhaling it. I sit beside Callie, opposite my pissed brother. "You don't look good," I say, taking a bite.

"Do one, Bentley," he slurs.

His food is gone in seconds and instead of moving onto the chips and onion rings he lays his head on the table and closes his eyes.

"So what happens now? Going back to sleeping with everything that moves?" Callie asks, smirking.

"Why not? You up for it?"

She glares but I have a feeling it wouldn't take much to get her into bed. And that is the problem. We could so easily do this but then I'll go and mess it up and things will be unbearable between us. I would ruin my relationship with Dayton and make his friendship with her awkward. Far, far too much shit.

But as I stare into those soft grey eyes, I want to fuck everything else off and take her home.