Chapter 144

Hannah

The music pulsed through the club, the bass thrumming in my chest as I moved on the dance floor. Viona grinded up against me, grinning and giggling along with me.

The girls’ night out had been Viona’s idea, a chance for the four of us to let loose and forget about our problems for a little while—and to celebrate Amber’s engagement. And even though I couldn’t drink, I was glad to get out of the house and have fun with my friends.

“Look at this guy!” Viona shouted over the din, shoving her phone in my face. “Isn’t he hot?!”

I strained my eyes to see; the screen was open to a Tinder profile of an extremely hot guy… who was also holding a fish in his first picture. I scrunched up my nose at the thought; was this what I had to look forward to when I eventually returned to the dating scene?

“Ew, Vi,” I moaned. “A fish guy? Really?”

Viona pursed her lips and studied the picture again. “You’re right,” she said, swiping to the next one. “What about him?” She held up another picture, this time a fairly innocuous mirror selfie of a guy in a tight white t-shirt that exposed his chiseled pecs. I nodded, shooting Viona a thumbs-up, and returned to my dancing.

My mind wandered, then, back to my promise to Drake. One date once the divorce was finalized…

I didn’t really see Drake that way. Not now, at least. But a promise was a promise, and he had kept up his end of the bargain. Although, it had been over a week and he still had yet to find any evidence about Noah cheating; he had even been parking outside of Zoe’s house at night and had never seen Noah enter or leave.

But Noah was cheating. I was sure of it… Drake and I just needed to catch him at the right moment, and then Noah would be sorry.

“I need to use the bathroom,” I said, suddenly feeling like I needed a moment to breathe. Viona nodded, and I slipped away from the dance floor in search of the restroom.

But it was as I was weaving through the crowd that I caught sight of a familiar figure near the bar. A head of brown hair, a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, and a pencil mustache.

It was Jake, Amber’s fiance. His look was so unique, I could have recognized him anywhere.

But he wasn’t alone. He was leaning in close to another man, their faces just inches apart. My heart dropped as I watched them, their body language unmistakably intimate. Jake’s hand moved to touch the other man’s lower back, a smile spreading across both of their lips as they leaned in…

“Amber needs to see this,” I whispered. I fumbled for my phone, determined to get evidence. But by the time I had it out, Jake and the mystery man had already separated. Jake was now standing by himself, leaning over the bar and casually sipping his drink.

Cursing under my breath, I made my way to the restroom.

By the time I returned, Amber, Viona, and Emma had reconvened at our table and were laughing about something amongst themselves. I tried to school my features into a neutral expression, not wanting to ruin the night with my unconfirmed suspicions.

“Hannah, you okay?” Viona asked, noticing my perturbed expression. She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and took a long sip of her vodka cranberry.

I forced a smile and slid onto my stool. “Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed by the crowd. And the bathroom here is gross.”

Before any of us could say anything more, Jake suddenly appeared at our table with a charming smile on his face. I pursed my lips, fighting the urge to call him out then and there. “Ladies,” he greeted, sliding an arm around Amber's waist. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Amber giggled and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. “Same to you, babe. I thought you were going to the other nightclub. Are you having fun with Josh?”

Jake grinned; I wondered if Josh was the guy who I had seen him with. “I am. But since you’re here, I think I’d rather be dancing with you. If your friends don’t mind me stealing you for a moment…”

Amber’s face instantly lit up, her eyes sparkling as she hopped down from her stool. “Of course! I’ll be right back, girls.”

As they moved to the dance floor, I watched them closely. They looked... happy. In love, even. Had I imagined what I saw earlier?

Emma nudged me with her elbow, pulling me out of my deep thought. “Earth to Hannah. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. Just... thinking about their wedding, I guess.”

Viona raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. Sure you are.”

Emma smirked from behind her glass. “You know, I get the sense that those two are pretty kinky in private,” she said, nodding toward where Amber and Jake were grinding on the dance floor. Jake had Amber’s earlobe in his mouth, and Amber had her eyes shut and her back arched as she moved against him.

I couldn’t help but blush at the thought. “Maybe,” I mused. Hell, maybe he was just bisexual, and they were both into it…

For a moment, my mind wandered back to my past with Noah—back to when we, too, experimented in bed. Not with other people, but with… toys. And ropes. And blindfolds. It was when we had first gotten married and we wanted to try some new things, back before Noah had that awful concept about my fertility planted in his head.

The days when we had sex more than once a month felt like it was so long ago now.

When Amber returned a few minutes later, flushed and grinning from ear to ear, Emma leaned in conspiratorially. “So, Amber, spill the tea. What’s it like being engaged to such a hottie? Particularly…”

“In bed,” Viona finished.

Amber blushed, nearly spitting out her drink. “Guys!” She smacked Viona’s arm. “We’re in public!”

“Oh, come on, Amber,” Viona urged. “We’re all friends here. Spill the details!”

Amber hesitated, glancing around before leaning in. “Well... if you must know... it’s pretty amazing.”

“Amazing how?” I found myself asking, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Amber’s blush deepened. “Let’s just say... I’ve never had to fake it. Not once.”

Emma let out a low whistle. “Damn, girl. Every time?”

Amber nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Every. Single. Time.”

“How often do you guys do it?” Viona asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

“At least once a day,” Amber admitted. “Sometimes more. We just can’t keep our hands off each other. Especially now that we’re engaged.”

As Amber continued to gush about her incredible sex life with Jake, I found my earlier suspicions fading. They seemed genuinely happy and in love. Maybe I had misinterpreted what I saw earlier after all.

“He’s just so attentive,” Amber was saying. “He always makes sure I’m satisfied before he even thinks about himself. A lot of the time, he doesn’t even finish himself; we’ll use toys or whatever to make me come, and then he’s content just cuddling. He gets off on getting me off.”

Emma sighed dreamily. “That’s so hot. You’re a lucky girl, Amber.”

I nodded in agreement, but a small part of me couldn’t help but compare Amber’s relationship to my own failed marriage. Noah had never been that attentive, that passionate. At least, not with me.

Zoe, on the other hand…

Did he do that with her?