“You can’t handle the heat.”

I leaned in. “Heat, I can handle. I like heat.” The corner of my mouth lifted before it faded and I pulled back. “Frostbite—not so much.” Picking my beer up, I slid off the bench and walked away to see what the hell happened to Bells and that drink she was getting.

***

It was about an hour before I saw Carson again when he joined Bella, James, Nate and I at the private bar in the VIP room. Bells and I were sitting on bar chairs and having settled on water for the rest of the night.

“How’s apartment hunting?” James asked.

I squirmed, wishing no one spoke to me about my personal life right now. “Fabulous.”

Bella picked up on my sarcasm and changed the subject. “Seriously good to have you back, Paige. It’s been a while since we could all get together like this. Feels right having you with us.”

Carson was quiet. I hated that I noticed. I wanted so much to un-notice. For him to be invisible to me. The way I always was to him. The way I thought I was.

Well, this was fun…

Just as I was going to suggest leaving soon, James cut me off.

“Hey babe, do you want to go dance?”

Bella nodded giddily and James pulled her off the stool leading her out to the main room.

I thought back to Friday nights with Evan when we were out with people. It was always his word. He made the next call while I followed suit.

He’d say, “sushi tonight” and I’d agree. He’d suggest dresses to wear, and I thought it was cute. What would it be like to be with someone so in tune and with me? To ask what I wanted.

I’d find out one day when I got my life back.

Carson moved in to take Bella’s seat next to me and it took every ounce of strength I had in me not to check him out.

Because he smelled so freaking good.

I shot an annoyed expression in his direction, placing my rocks glass filled with water down on the bar a little harder than intended. I wished the two beers and one shot of tequila had some effect on me. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel an ounce of it, since my alcohol tolerance had grown remarkably since hanging out with Evan and his older, sophisticated friends.

But God how I wished I had been even a little buzzed.

If I had chosen to have red wine tonight, that would have been an entirely different story.

“Not enough Carson-girls around for you? Or did you blow your shot with the only single blond in the house tonight and are feeling remorseful?”

“I didn’t blow anything. So, tell me more about Manhattan. You have a job or something?”