Written in Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 3)

Chapter 7: Ed

Chapter 7: Ed

The arrival of starters shifted conversation onto a neutral topic of food. While Mac and I didn't talk directly to one another, we joined in with the girls' discussion.

I watched Soph with awe and wonder. Her attention bounced between all three of us, controlling the pace and direction of each talking point. She was a natural. A stage in front of millions of fans might be my niche, but an intimate dinner with a group of people who didn't all get on was hers.

Years of training, and intense love for my girlfriend, kept me engaged with each conversation, but I'd have been equally happy sitting back and just watching her. Happiness glittered in her beautiful brown eyes. I'd enjoyed having her to myself in Costa Rica, but witnessing this side of her stirred a different kind of affection in me.

Friendship held a deep spot in Soph's heart. I was partly to blame for that. I'd contributed to the downfall of her relationship with Becca, then I'd inadvertently got in the way of her and Mac. All water under the bridge now, but still.

"What's next for you, Teddy?" Gabby asked.

"You can call him Ed, Gabs," Soph said.

A tight smile stretched across Gabby's face. No chance of her calling me Ed.

"Nothing at the moment," I replied. "I've been doing some song-writing, but not much is sticking."

"Lacking inspiration?" Mac delivered the question with a light, friendly bounce, but I didn't miss the way his eyes roamed across to Soph next to me.

I waited a beat before answering. "I've got a song in the charts that's outperforming everything I've written since. It's tough to follow that. The pressure. The expectation."

"But you've got a girl by your side who the world is obsessed with. Surely you can rustle together some nice lyrics about her?"

"Easily," I replied, because I refused to let him belittle our relationship like that, "but there are parts of our relationship I'd like to stay private. I don't get much privacy."

"Huh." Mac tipped back the rest of his wine and then reached for the bottle. "Pity you didn't feel that way the last time you wrote a song about her."

"Mac." Soph's eyes narrowed to unimpressed slits.

"No, you're right," I said to him. "I wish I'd kept that song private."

His lips quirked up. "And then maybe you wouldn't have this pressure on you. Because the world really loved you slagging off your ex-girlfriend."

I sucked in a deep breath and released it with an easy smile. "Yeah, exactly."

By the way his jaw ticked, I could tell he wanted more of a confrontation. I couldn't give him one in this restaurant. More than that, though, I didn't disagree with him. I respected his protectiveness of his friend. Soph had people looking out for her, and I'd never resent him for showing that.

"Anyway!" Gabby's bright voice cut through the tension. "I had the weirdest thing happen to me at work on Thursday."

Soph's hand strayed to the back of my chair before coasting up through my shoulder blades and settling at the nape of my neck. Her fingers toyed with strands of my hair, and focusing on Gabby became increasingly difficult.

I couldn't wait to get her out of this dress. Would she be wearing underwear? Of course she would. Stupid question. She'd never go out in public without it.

The dress did look like it was painted onto her, though. Maybe thin scraps of lace. Just enough to keep her dignity. She had at least five sets that would fit the bill. It was probably the black pair. Everything else on her body was black. Her shoes, her nail varnish, her eye make-up. I was going to ruin her later. Unleash every bit of frustration that had built throughout this meal until she was begging me to—