Turning to Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 2)

Chapter 14: Flirty

Chapter 14: Flirty

"The cocktail bar thing was something different," I said to Charlotte. "Think you've got your stories mixed up."

Catching hold of Ed's wandering hand, I slid it back onto his own lap, then crossed my legs. The aching gap between my thighs begged for attention, and that wasn't going to help my determination to behave myself tonight—especially with tales of my wilder uni days floating around the table.

"So... Are you going to elaborate on the cocktail bar thing...?" Ed raised both hands to the tabletop and threaded together his fingers, tilting his head to the side as his blue eyes landed on me.

"No," I said shortly.

"Charlotte?" he asked.

Apparently Charlotte had registered my change in attitude because she simply smiled and lifted a bare shoulder in a dismissive shrug.

"Also with a boyfriend. She was infatuated. Don't worry."

That insinuation didn't sit well with me, either. Infatuation had nothing to do with it.

"Same boyfriend, not that it matters. And I didn't do it because I was infatuated. I did it because I wanted to suck—"

At the last moment I caught myself, but it was still too late. Ed's dark brow raised ever so slightly at me, a silent question passing between us. I wanted the ground to swallow me up, despite almost bragging seconds earlier that I'd done it without shame or pressure.

And although it was Charlotte who adored Hattie Steele, I instantly became a fan when she appeared at the head of our table and completely derailed the cocktail bar conversation.

"Hey, handsome." She playfully bumped her fist against Ed's shoulder before her sparkling eyes drifted over the rest of us. "Introduce me to your friends?"

Rising from his seat, Ed leaned to give her a brief hug. Pain flashed through my jaw as I watched, and I consciously relaxed my clenched teeth, smiling instead while Ed reeled off our names and triggered another set of stage fright from Charlotte.

Hattie Steele looked a lot younger in real life, closer to her actual age of twenty, but her confidence and humility shone through as she pulled up a chair and asked Gabby where she'd bought her dress.

When Ed sunk into the seat next to me again, he deliberately knocked his knee against mine, and I immediately resented the jealousy that had simmered through my veins. It wasn't the embrace itself which bothered me, but rather the unwelcome emotions that witnessing it had sparked. After all, I'd encouraged him to flirt with her. But knowing about it and seeing it were two different things.

"And is that a tattoo, as well?" Hattie took Gabby's hand and inspected the initial inked onto her fourth finger.

"My girlfriend's initial," Gabby said, jerking her head towards Charlotte.

In turn, Charlotte extended her own hand forwards to display the letter G. "In our defence, we are madly in love, but we were smashed when we got them done on holiday last year. I always say that Gabby has the better end of the deal. The letter C can easily be turned into a G if the relationship goes tits up, whereas I'll have to stick to girls whose names begin with G for the rest of my life."

We all laughed. Like with every relationship in the honeymoon phase, I couldn't see the two of them ever breaking up. At some point they would presumably face challenges, but they seemed so strong that I imagined they'd get through it. Certain people just look like they belong together.

"Speaking of girls." Hattie shifted her attention across to Ed, who stiffened beside me. "Love your latest song. Who stomped on your heart to inspire that piece of genius?"