“Is it? In my view, nothing about this seems bad.” She swept her arm around the room, indicating, I supposed, her entourage, the spotlights, the sequins, the bright and shiny fruits of her labor. Or her luck. Or whatever had gotten her here. Because apparently, it wasn’t her voice. They’d changed that into something robotic and unrecognizable.

I followed her arm, squinting into the dizzying lights, the electronic sounding track still playing, though softer now. They’d made her sound like a relative of The Chipmunks. It made me cringe. “You sure?” I asked.

“Very.” Her jaw was tight and if she was a bird, her feathers surely would have ruffled. That tension again. Swirling. Emily had stepped forward, and now her eyes blazed up at me, chin lifted stubbornly. I hadn’t felt myself move, but apparently I had, because suddenly, we were practically standing toe to toe, chests rising and falling in tandem. Her cheeks were flushed, and we were far too close. This was inappropriate and so was what I’d said. I stepped back.

The way she looked though… It reminded me of how she’d looked when she’d been a young girl and challenged a score, or a win, or a tag, or any other small rule loophole she could find. Which had been often. She’d never been a very graceful loser. The memories made me want to smile. Almost.

I hated all these memories that kept rushing back, ones I hadn’t even realized I still carried. Because they reminded me that I still held some tenderness deep down for the defiant little brat I’d once known.

But mostly, they made me dislike what she’d become.

“Uh, hey, Emily babe,” Charlie said on an uncomfortable chuckle, clearly confused about whatever was going on between us, something even I couldn’t exactly figure out. “Why don’t we go get a bottle of water? You gotta be thirsty after all that dancing.”

“I am. Thirsty,” she said, addressing Charlie but still staring at me. “Grab me a water, will you, Tuck?”

“I’m your bodyguard—not your gopher.”

Her mouth fell open.

Are you trying to get yourself fired, Tuck?

Maybe. Maybe I was. Because I had a recent history of being self-destructive. Reactive. Stupid. Prideful.

And look where it’d gotten me. I pulled in a deep breath. “It’s safer if I remain where I am, guarding this entrance. It’s been propped open for air all afternoon. Anyone could walk right in.” I softened my voice, motioning to the door behind us.

Emily’s gaze moved to the door and then back to me, narrowing suspiciously. But then she let out a slow breath as she stepped back, apparently appeased, at least for the moment.

She took Charlie’s hand in hers and, without another word, turned and began to walk away.

“Nice to meet you, Tuck,” Charlie said.