Chapter 107

Inside the hotel, the brothers had rented most of the first floor, including the bar area and all of the meeting spaces. Near the bar is where I spot Angela, so I head over to greet her.

There are two empty martini glasses on the bar top behind her. A third is in her hand.

“One more,” she says, waving the fresh empty to the bartender as he walks past. When she glances back, she spots me. “Oh, Chloe! Do you want one?”

I shake my head. “I’m on duty tonight.” I lift Mia a little.

Angela brightens a moment. She coos at Mia until Mia laughs. Then Angela leans back on her bar stool.

Behind her, the bartender places the new drink. Angela hasn’t noticed yet. She’s lost staring into the bottom of the empty one in her hand.

“I have the worst feeling about tonight,” she says.

“It won’t be all bad,” I say, trying to deflect. “Look how beautiful this location is.”

She glances around, looking like she hasn’t really noticed before. “It’s okay, I guess.”

I look around too, trying to see what she sees. It all looks pretty fancy to me. Vaulted ceilings and crystal chandeliers. Bellmen and associates in clean, matching uniforms.

I’d never be able to stay in a place like this. Maybe, for someone like Angela, she’s so used to these kind of accommodations that they’ve lost their flair.

I hope I never reach that point. It sounds exhausting, like nothing could ever satisfy you.

Angela sighs. “Chloe, I think Neil might propose to me tonight.”

I immediately snap my mouth closed. I can’t possibly tell her all I know. I’m not even supposed to know it! I eavesdropped most of it! That is not reliable information.

“Maybe you should slow down,” I say, motioning my free hand toward the empty martini glasses. “That way if something does happen, you can be sober…”

Angela spots the fresh martini among the clutter. She drops her latest empty glass onto the table and picks up the full one instead. She takes a deep sip.

“Or not,” I say.

Suddenly, from nearby, a wave of clapping and cheers starts from within the hotel.

“That’s them,” Angela says.

I look toward the door in time to see the four brothers enter like famous actors attending their latest movie premiere. Immediately a group of well-dressed individuals surrounds them.

“Who are all those people around them?” I ask, noticing that the brothers, even Archer, the arguably grumpiest one, hasn’t pushed any of them away.

“Oh. The one shaking Neil’s hand? That’s the Mayor. And him… with Archer. That’s the president of the Academy.” Angela points them out one by one. “The one with Steven is the head of the hospital. And the three ladies around Beau? All of their wives.” She snickers.

I would too, except I’m entirely enamored with what’s happening. The brothers are so smooth with these guests. They are easy smiles and slick words. They are handling all this attention with practiced ease.

Eventually, the four cut through the rest of the group. Beau spots us and makes his way over.

“Angela,” he says, spotting the empty glasses behind her. He smirks. It falls when he looks at me. “Nanny.”

“What do you want, Beau?” Angela asks.

“Just checking on you. I didn’t think the news would hit you quite this hard.”

“So it’s true then. He’s going to propose.”

Beau shrugs one shoulder. “You knew it would happen someday.”

Angela covers her eyes with her hand. “That doesn’t mean I wanted it to happen now. We’re both still in school. Surely there’s time.”

“Not according to our dad. If you want more details, you should ask the Nanny,” Beau says.

Angela shoots me a curious look, and I feel a bit sheepish. I really don’t want to have to give more details. She should be able to surmise them on her own anyway. After all, she was the one who gave me the green light on Neil.

Something clicks behind Angela’s eyes as she looks at me. She turns to Beau. “Your father found out.”

“Of course he found out,” Beau says. “Neil is as subtle as a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry, Chloe,” Angela says, and I have no idea why she is apologizing to me, when I’m the one who fooled around with her boyfriend. Even if she is cool with it. “I should have warned you about their father.”

“I had plenty of warning.”

Angela shouldn’t feel responsible for the things I have done. If I had any sense, I would have stayed away from Neil after that first time Neil got into trouble. But I just kept pushing. I kept wanting.

Neil placed his hand on my neck and I lost myself, every single time.

“I don’t know why you should be sad, Angela,” Beau says. He smiles but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He’s not sad, not vindictive, not anything. He’s totally blank, like he doesn’t care at all. “My brother will make sure you are comfortable.”

Angela nods, like that is a totally normal thing to say to a woman that he’s been fooling around with.

To me, it sounds a lot like he’s ditching her now that things are getting tough. Typical asshole Hayes behavior. I’m not surprised, but I am annoyed, especially on Angela’s behalf.

It’s one thing for them to treat me like this. It’s entirely another to give one of my friends the run around.

“Chin up,” he says. He touches his knuckles to her chin and lifts it, but then he drops his hand away like she’s burned him.

It’s too cruel, too insensitive a moment for a pair that have been sleeping together.

Angela seems entirely resigned to his words. Her gaze has gone a bit distant. She’s not drinking anymore, I guess, but she’s holding that martini close to her chest, like a security blanket or something.

It makes my blood boil.

“That’s a real great thing to say to her,” I snap. “Treating her like she doesn’t mean anything.”

“It’s okay, Chloe,” Angela says.

“It’s not,” I say firmly. “He can’t treat you like that, after –”

“It’s okay,” she says again, more forcefully, though this time has a small smile too.

“Angela knows what we are and are not to each other,” Beau says. His gaze on me is ice cold. Even his voice is chilly. “You are the one always trying to sneak your way into other people’s business.”

“She’s defending me,” Angela says. She smiles again at me, wider. “We’re friends.”

I nod. “And as friends, I don’t like to see pricks being dicks to you.”

Mia cheers, and my thoughts falter somewhat. I really should watch my language around an impressionable baby. Although, if she ever calls one of the brothers a dick, I would die laughing.

If I would be around to see it. Which I won’t be.

Because I’ll be gone in a month.

“The Nanny is overstepping,” Beau says, slicing through my thoughts. “She has no idea what she is talking about and needs to remember her place.”

I open my mouth to reply but he’s already turning away, the coward. Can dish it out, but can’t take it.

When he’s out of earshot, Angela bumps her shoulder into mine. “It really is okay, with him and me. It was only ever a bit of fun.”

I try to imagine being about to fuck and forget Archer or Neil. To be intimate with them and then be able to treat them so casually. To never catch feelings.

I don’t think I have it in me.

Archer or Neil and I didn’t cross the line of penetration, yet my heart still broke.

I could only imagine the pain of hearing Beau’s honeyed words, just for him to snatch them away the next moment.

It didn’t bother Angela, but it would bother me.

Good thing I’m not interested in Beau.

Good thing I’m leaving in a month.

I can’t wait to put this whole thing behind me, is what I say to myself.

Meanwhile, my heart whispers, Liar.