The Girl Next Door
Chapter 34

So far this evening, I've been able to evade Beck's evil clutches. Barely.

He's spent all of his time stalking me through the party like I'm prey. It's exhausting to get embroiled in conversations as I keep a cautious eye out for him. The guest count has swelled, and a lot of them are family or close friends, so Beck has been dragged into countless exchanges. His frustration is palpable.

It's kind of amusing.

If my luck continues to hold until the end of the night, I'll be able to slip away without him laying his hands on me.

By now, the party is in full swing. The quartet has been replaced by a DJ, and everyone is on the dance floor busting a move. Even Archie and Caroline are out there enjoying themselves. I search the crowd until my focus settles on Mom and Dad. Shocker-Dad has his phone in his hand and is staring down at it. His thumbs are moving over the screen like crazy. Mom stands a few feet away with a hollow look in her eyes as she lifts the champagne to her mouth and finishes the glass. Pursing my lips, I shake my head.

What is wrong with him?

Why can't Dad take a few hours away from work like he promised? I'm tempted to march over and grab the phone from his hands. Maybe then he would smarten up and pay attention to his wife.

As I take a step toward them, my feet grind to a halt when Beck sidles up to my mother with a fresh glass of champagne.

Like she needs that.

They converse before her gaze sweeps over the surrounding area. I quickly duck behind a potted plant, watching as she shrugs and shakes her head. Damn. That was close.

"Who are we hiding from?" a voice whispers in my ear.

I yelp and jump in surprise. Thank goodness I'm not holding a drink. It would be all over the front of me.

I spin around and glare at Ari before smacking his arm. "What are you doing sneaking up on me like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

He crouches next to me and uses one hand to part the floppy leaves before staring through them. "You didn't tell me who we're hiding from. Is it Mark from accounting?"

"Oh God," I groan, "is he here?"

"Yup. I had an incredibly tedious conversation about the gross profits of the firm and what overhead could be cut if we're looking to improve it. Here are my thoughts on the matter-his position should be the first to go."

His comment brings a smile to my lips.

"Don't worry, if you're avoiding Mark, God's gift to the accounting world, he's," his words drop off before he says with a shitload of humor dancing in his voice, "oh, I see who has you cowering in the corner."

"I am not cowering!" When I poker up to my full height, the top of my head knocks into Ari's chin, and he staggers back a step before grabbing his jaw.

"Ow! Damn girl, that hurt!"

I cover my mouth with both hands and suck in a sharp breath. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!"

He swipes his tongue across his teeth and winces. "I think you might have chipped a tooth."

"No!" I groan, embarrassed to have caused such damage.

He straightens and drops his hands. "Just kidding."

My shoulders collapse in relief as I shake my head and glare. "You're such a jerk."

Instead of responding to my comment, he says, "Uh-oh, looks like you've been made."

I glance at the spot across the tent where Beck and my mother have been conversing. Ari is right. As we speak, Beck is bulldozing his way through the crowd with a determined look on his face. A few people reach out, trying to detain him, but he's either not paying attention or deliberately ignoring them.

"I've got to go!" I squeak, taking a step toward the flaps of the tent. If I'm quick enough, I can disappear and make myself scarce.

Before I'm able to escape, Ari reaches out and grabs hold of my hand. "Oh no, you don't. How about we add some gasoline to the fire?" "Huh?" I blink.

What the hell does that mean?

"Come on, let's dance."

I throw a cautious look over my shoulder at Beck as his brother drags me through a crowd of people. As we make our way to the dance floor, the music changes from an upbeat, fast-paced song to a slow one. Ari carves out a small space for the two of us before wrapping his arms around me and tugging me close. His cologne wafts around me, but it doesn't make my senses go haywire.

From the corner of my eye, I watch Beck settle at the edge of the dance floor with a scowl as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his suit pants.

Is Ari trying to make his brother jealous?

I glance at him. "Why are you doing this?"

A grin flashes across his face before he lowers his mouth to my ear. "What do you mean? I'm trying to help you out," he says innocently. "Seems like you want my brother to get the hint that you're not interested."

A rush of nerves scamper across my skin as I peek at Beck, only to realize he's disappeared from where he had taken up sentinel.

When I remain silent, Ari says with a chuckle, "Or am I wrong about that? Either way, the ball's in your court, squirt. I guess it's up to you to make the next move."

I nibble at my lower lip. This is what I wanted, right? For Beck to move on and leave me alone.

Except...

Relief isn't rushing through me the way it should be. And the sense of loss I feel is enough to swallow me whole.

I groan, knowing exactly what I have to do.