Mr. Big Jerk: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance (Kinda Cocky Series Book 3), стр. 10
Karina nodded. “You’re going to love it, I promise. And for the rest of the night, we’re going to be right here.”
Yeah, well, I won’t. “Thanks.”
I fluffed my napkin and laid it out in my lap, but I was still royally pissed off at them. They abandoned me on my birthday, and then Zane invites my damn boss to my birthday party? Who the hell thinks it’s fun to have their boss anywhere? Much less out on the town for a night that’s supposed to be about me? I was too upset to have fun. All I wanted to do was eat and get home. I mean, I’d already blown through my money, including the five hundred bucks I won.
The poker tables told me I needed to go home.
So, that’s what I intended to do after I stuffed my face.
“Did you say you ran into him?” Brenden asked.
I picked up my glass of water. “Yep. He stepped out in front of me as I was headed to the bar after my big win.”
Karina gasped. “You won!? How much?”
I spared her a look. “You’d know if you were out there.”
Kelly shook her head. “Oh, come on, Roxy. Cut us some slack. We planned this all for you.”
“Well, I would’ve much preferred a night in with pizza and you guys to laugh with than this extravagant nonsense I’ve had to enjoy by myself. But, thanks, I guess.”
Zane stood. “I need to go call Clint. Figure out where he went.”
“Of course, you do.”
Karina glared at me. “That’s his brother, Roxy. He’s worried.”
“And I’m the birthday girl, but you don’t see me complaining about shit that’s gone wrong tonight.”
“Until now,” Kelly murmured.
I rose to my feet. “Say that again to my face.”
She stood with me. “Until now, Roxy. You’re acting like a spoiled brat.”
“Just for one night, all I wanted was to feel like I was still part of this group. You know, still part of this family. But, no. You couldn’t even give me that. Now, my best friends are nothing but housewives who work sometimes and mothers who have completely cut me out because I’m single and have no one.”
Kelly raised her voice. “Or, maybe you’re just jealous because you want what we have, and you’re too much of a jerk to admit it!”
I gasped. “You take that back.”
Brenden stood. “Okay, okay. Why don’t we all settle down and have a drink.”
Karina snickered. “I think Roxy’s had enough to drink.”
I threw my napkin onto the table. “That’s it. I’m going home.”
“Roxy!” Karina exclaimed.
I glared at her. “Never in a million years did I think my sister and my own best friend would do this to me. Never did I think we wouldn’t be a family. But, you guys enjoy cutting me out of stuff now, don’t you?”
Karina shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The spa trip you and Kelly took without inviting me?”
Brenden paused. “Wait, you didn’t go on that spa trip?”
I shook my head. “Nope. And what about the shopping trip you two took a couple of weeks ago? Hmmm?”
Kelly sighed. “Roxy, those are just one-off times.”
I giggled bitterly. “Yeah? Well, how about the day trip to the beach you guys took last Saturday? Huh? Or, the lunch dates you guys apparently do every Wednesday with one another now, yeah? What, do you think I don’t look at social media posts? Do you think I don’t see what you guys are doing without so much as asking me if your other best friend wants to come along?”
Kelly sighed. “It’s just--sometimes, I don’t want to hang out with someone who’s single, Roxy. Sometimes, I want to hang out with someone who understands where my life is headed. And Karina gets that.”
I nodded slowly. “Well, at least you’re being honest with me now. Thanks for completely blocking me out of your life.”
Karina scoffed. “Oh, come on. Now you’re just being dramatic.”
I pointed at her. “No, Clint’s dramatic. Waltzing up into my birthday party trying to act like he gives a damn about me before slinging around lies about working. Why the fuck was he invited anyway?”
Brenden butted in. “Because we thought he could use a nice time to unwind, too.”
“Oh, so it’s certainly not to celebrate my birthday, right?”
Zane walked back into the room. “Good news, he got home all right. He had to get out of his booze-smelling suit. Though, I don’t know if he’s coming back.”
I threw my hands into the air. “Praise God. He’s okay! Now, if you’ll excuse me, this pointless birthday girl is going home.”
Brenden called after me. “Roxy!”
I whipped around. “If I hear one more person yell my name like I’m some toddler to be called out, I’ll smack the person that dares to talk to me like that. I’m a grown woman being shoved out onto the curb by her own friends, and it hurts. It hurts to hear you guys admit that and then justify it as if my feelings don’t matter. Well, you know what? They do matter. At least on this one day, they do.”
He sighed. “Do you know why Clint is always so standoffish? Why we always try to get him out of that stupid little apartment he’s renting?”
Zane murmured. “Brenden, don’t.”
I paused. “Why?”
Brenden licked his lips. “Because he lost his best friend on patrol in Iraq. And that’s when he decided he wasn’t going to re-enlist.”
The entire table fell silent as my heart fell to my toes.
“That’s horrible,” Karina said.
Zane nodded. “Bryce died right there next to him trying to save a couple of guys who had been ejected from the vehicle because of the I.E.D. blast. Clint hasn’t been the same since.”
Brenden held out his hands. “We’ve been trying to get him out, and maybe your birthday night wasn’t the best time to try and do that. We’re really sorry.”
“Yes. I’m sorry for inviting him, Roxy. It was insensitive, and I completely forgot about