Turning to Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 2)

Chapter 34: Party, Pt 1

Chapter 34: Party
Part 1

On the car ride to Gabby's, Ed barely said a word. He'd spent the week firing questions at me about the various people who'd be at the party. He thrived off preparation, especially with situations out of his control, this would be another job to him in some respects. I didn't challenge him on that, but I hoped he'd manage to relax at some point.

Mark and Danny dropped us off outside the flat, then circled around the block to find somewhere to park. Lacing my fingers through Ed's, I led us up the front steps and rang the bell.

"You okay?" I asked as we waited.

He squeezed my hand and flashed me an easy smile. "I'm good."

The latch clicked, and we drew our eyes away from each other to look forwards as the door swung open. My heart lurched, then dropped to the pit of my stomach. Becca stood on the other side, alone, one hand gripping the narrow edge of the door, the other holding a glass of prosecco.

Fiery red hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves, and the recognisable scent of Givenchy floated across the threshold. That's where the familiarity ended. Resentment darkened her hazel eyes as her gaze dropped down to our intertwined fingers.

Instinctively, I tried to slip my hand free from Ed's. He held on tighter.

"Becca," he said.

His voice lacked its usual warmth. Hostility hummed through the air as they stared at each other, neither of them backing down. Maybe he hadn't held onto my hand out of nerves, but stubbornness.

"Are you going to invite us in or leave us out here in the cold?" Ed then asked when she didn't move.

"Leaving you out there in the cold is my preference." Her response was instant and unapologetic.

Fuck. I knew she hated him for how he'd behaved after the concert, and I knew he hated her for manipulating me into screwing him over, but I thought they'd both at least try to hide the extent of their animosity.

Admittedly, Becca had never shied away from confrontation, but she used to adore the guy stood in front of her. For her to now feel such strong emotions in the opposite direction just proved how much he'd hurt her.

As for Ed, apparently whatever charming and easy-going persona he planned to put on tonight wasn't going to be wasted on her.

"Either let us in, or shut the door and walk away, so we can ring the bell again and wait for someone more hospitable to answer."

For a tense second, it looked like she might do just that. Her knuckles whitened around the door edge as she took a tiny step back.

Then a flash of blonde flew down the hallway, and Gabby's smiley-yet-slightly-panicked face appeared beneath Becca's outstretched arm.

"Hey! Thought I heard the bell! Come in, you two." Her white-painted fingertips curled around Becca's wrist to prise her grip from the door and tug her aside.

"Thanks, Gab." Ed's charming smile returned as we stepped into the flat. "Happy birthday."

He released my hand and leaned down to hug her. Pink tinged her cheeks as she rose up on her tiptoes and wound an arm around his torso. Without her heels, their height difference was almost comical.

"Everyone's in the living room," she said when they broke apart. "We're just waiting on Holly. Can I take your coats?"

We shrugged them off, and Gabby waited until Becca had disappeared through the door at the end of the corridor before setting her wide-eyed gaze on us.