Lucky Number Eleven

Chapter Seventeen

Layla

"Excuse me," I say, pasting a fake smile on my lips as I bump into a partygoer. My teeth press so hard into one another I can feel the tension in my temples, my jawbones aching from the pressure.

Fighting tears, I scan the penthouse full of people with nothing more on their minds than how much to drink. Jealousy is not something I wrestle with most days, but standing in my too-tight dress in too-high heels and with too much uncertainty wracking my emotions, I'm insanely envious of them all.

The crowds part just enough for me to spot my brother, a good head taller than ninety percent of the attendees, on the far side of the room next to the bar. Again, I go sorting through the faces and will myself to calm down before Finn starts asking questions.

"Hey," he says, stalling his beer bottle mid-air when he sees me coming. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling well." I flip my gaze to Poppy as her eyes grow wide. "I need to go home."

"I'll go with you," she says instantly.

"Stay here and have fun. I'm fine."

"What's wrong, Layla?" my brother asks, the bottle now at his side. "What happened?"

I brush a hand through the air and lie my ass off. "Nothing. I ate a ham sandwich from Yusi's for lunch. Now that I think about it, I think I saw somewhere they had a health code violation last month. I'm probably just having a little food poisoning."

"Which is why I should go with you," Poppy says. "You shouldn't be poisoned alone. You might want someone to call Yusi's and rip them a new asshole and I'm just the person to do it."

"I eat there all the time. I haven't heard that," Finn says.

"Yusi needs his cock removed from his body and shoved down his throat." Maybe it's said with too much gusto, but I've never said something that I mean more.

"Wow. That's harsh," Finn laughs. "Okay. You guys go but take it easy on Yusi. He probably didn't even make the sandwich."

"Oh, he made it . . ." I start, then stop with Finn's brow crooks. "Goodnight, Finn."

Poppy kisses my brother and takes my elbow. She lead-blocks and we make it through the crowd without seeing Branch.

The elevator ride is long and hot and the walk to the parking garage even longer. Each step is like another rung on a ladder with the seat of my car being the top tier. I slide into the passenger's seat and it's instant. The tears come.

Poppy leans over the console and wraps me in her arms, holding me tight. "What did that fucker say to you?"

"Oh, that I'm a whore."

She pulls back, a look of ferocity in her eyes, and grabs the door handle. "I'll be right back."

"No! Pop, stay," I say, jerking on her arm. "He didn't say that. Not outright. Just insinuated that it couldn't be his. That I was either lying or pinning a bastard child on him."

Digging through the glove compartment, I find a handful of napkins and start wiping away the smeared mascara from my cheeks.

"I have to say I'm surprised." Poppy shakes her head. "I thought he'd be more of a man than this."

"I knew he'd be in shock. I mean, look at what I'm dropping on his lap. But he was just so . . . dismissive. Fuck him."

"No. No more fucking him," she cracks. "You've already sucked more from that man than you wanted."