Filed to story: Once Upon a One Night Mistake Book PDF Free by Simone Shirazi
Before she knew what was happening, one of his hands was on her back while the other pressed behind her knees. Then, suddenly, her feet were swept off the ground, her body cradled to his chest. As much as she wanted to protest the unexpected action, she didn’t have it in her to fight. What was the point? She was drunk and moody and ready to give up. So, resigned to her fate, she slipped an arm around his neck and let her head fall against his shoulder.
“You must have gained weight,” he grunted, easily carrying her toward the door. “I don’t remember you being so heavy before.”
She scowled. “You haven’t done this since we were fourteen, you dick. Of course I’m heavier.”
“Probably for the best. You’ve got a much nicer ass these days.”
She smiled against his shirt but said nothing more, deciding she’d rather enjoy the backhanded compliment than ruin the moment. It was rare that something relatively polite came out of Michael’s mouth in regards to her.
Blair’s eyes fluttered shut as he stepped out into the cool, dim hallway, noting how the rest of the house had quieted in the past few minutes. It was late, and she was sure everyone had plans for tomorrow, plans that likely didn’t include her.
Sighing, she pressed herself closer to Michael, grateful for the escort and the warmth of his body. She wouldn’t have minded staying like that for the rest of the night, but she knew that wasn’t an option. Hell, she was surprised he was even making this effort considering what he thought of her.
They were in her room a few moments later, and Michael gently kicked the door shut behind him before placing her on the bed. Before she could even grudgingly mutter her thanks, he was beside her on the mattress, kicking off his shoes and pushing back the comforter so they could both slide beneath it.
“What are you doing?” she mumbled as her head hit the pillow, wishing a moment later that she hadn’t questioned his actions, not wanting to scare him away.
It was then that she smelled the liquor on his breath. Of course. Sober Michael never would’ve been this close to her. But drunk Michael? Well, he’d always been an unpredictable being.
“Oh, Blair.” His words were soft, almost sad. “Why did you have to ruin everything?”
She drew back slightly, stung and surprised by his honesty. Once again, she said nothing. What was the point of defending and explaining herself to him? They were over, and this moment was a fluke.
“We all loved you,” he continued as he reached up to brush a lock of hair off her cheek. “But no one loved you like Sebastian did.”
There were a million things she could’ve said to him, a million ways she could’ve tried to justify the situation she’d been in, but the only words that left her lips were, “I know.”
“And the sad part is…” He paused, head tilting closer, but his gaze never left hers. “No one will ever love you again.”
Her fingers itched to slap him, and her lungs ached to scream. Who was he to say such things? Who was he to decide her fate?
Someone who knows who you truly are.
“I know,” she whispered, accepting his words as truth. “I know.”
She didn’t resist or try to draw herself closer when he reached out to wrap an arm around her, tucking her head beneath his chin. His heartbeat was strong and steady under her ear, and she knew without a doubt he believed she would never find anything more than temporary happiness in her future. Maybe he was right.
Neither said another word for a long while, though eventually Michael reached out to run a hand over her hair. “Do you want me to stay?”
She should’ve said no, told him to get out and stay away from her. She should’ve pulled herself together like she always did, pushing his cruel words into the locked vault of her mind where they wouldn’t hurt her any longer. But instead, she found herself pulling back enough to meet his eyes, her lips just a breath away from his.
“Yes.”
He nodded, continuing to tenderly stroke her hair as he stared heavy-lidded down at her.
“Michael,” she murmured, tempted to lift her chin ever so slightly and bring her lips to his. But no matter how she felt tonight, she was still Blair Bakhtiar, and she never made the first move. “Kiss me.”
His eyes darkened. “Now, why would I do that?”
Blair let her own slide shut, not wanting to see his rejection coming. “Because I want to go back to the beginning.”
A long few beats passed, and Blair figured her request had been denied. Fine. She hadn’t expected it to happen in the first place, not after-
The thought died when his lips brushed hers, the sweetness of juniper berries and tonic meeting the bitterness of whiskey.
“Is this what you want?” he murmured, his mouth barely leaving hers. “Are you sure?”
The first move having been made, Blair was free to do as she pleased. And as she slid a hand behind his neck and pulled him back to her, she knew just how sure she was.
Take me back to those days.
50
The Hamptons (III)
Sebastian Phillips never thought he’d have two of his ex-girlfriends staying under the same roof, but, well, here he was.
Here they all were.
He and the rest of the guys had gone out earlier in the evening, but the girls had remained at the house, which Sebastian couldn’t say he’d found much comfort in. Honestly, he’d been too focused on it the entire night to enjoy himself.
When he returned to the house, the first thing he had to know was whether or not he was about to stumble upon a crime scene. He truly wouldn’t have put it past Taliana to murder Blair, but when he stepped through the front door, the first thing he heard was Taliana’s incredibly unflattering cackle. Which was quickly followed by a not-so-dainty snort from Blair.
Jesus Christ, they were? laughing . And from the sound of it, they were laughing? together .
Standing frozen in the foyer, Sebastian wasn’t sure whether he would’ve rather come home to blood and carnage or this horror. In his mind, they were equally scary.
Thankfully, he wasn’t able to dwell on it for long, since Jacob and Marcus had chosen that moment to stumble through the door, almost knocking Sebastian down in the process. The two had been going shot-for-shot at the bar, and now they were both plastered. Jude had proclaimed himself the referee of their competition, but even as he strolled through the doors, Sebastian could see his cousin was also wasted. The only person other than himself that wasn’t on the verge of being blackout drunk was Michael, but even he had a glassy look to his eyes.
Michael had slid into the house right behind Sebastian, probably having heard the girls’ laughter as well, but he chose not to say a word. It wasn’t until the others joined them in the foyer that Michael began planting loud kisses on their respective cheeks and foreheads before slinking off down one of the dark hallways to places unknown, but Sebastian had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to check on Blair and Taliana.
Good. At least that meant he wouldn’t have to do it. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done if he’d walked in and found his exes having a good time together. The thought was just too strange for him to even comprehend.
Instead, he quietly excused himself from the shit show that Marcus, Jacob, and Jude were causing, and started up the stairs to his bedroom. It had been a long day, and all he wanted was to shower, collapse in bed, and sleep for the foreseeable future. Maybe by tomorrow he’d shake this strange cloud that was hanging over his head.
He stood in the shower for a long while, letting the hot water beat down on his shoulders and loosen the muscles that had been tight for what felt like weeks. And maybe it had been that long, considering the time that had passed since his latest heartbreak.