Pretty Boy D: Chapter 25

Joss

Dad: I’ll be making dinner reservations before my arrival and will send the details. Once you have them, please clear your schedule for that night. I look forward to our talk.

Tucking my phone back inside my purse, I breathe deep, trying to focus only on the now. Not what will happen when my father flies into the city.

Seems I’ve got two visits to dread.

“Well, look who finally decided to show,” Blue says, flashing a grin my way when she answers the door.

“Yeah, sorry I’m late. I got caught up in a new project and lost track of time. Then I had to grab the snacks like I promised.”

I keep to myself that I probably would’ve been even later if Sterling and West hadn’t shown up at the loft. They’re having their guys’ night there, while us girls hang here.

My hands are freed from the grocery bags when I set them down, then Blue pulls me into a hug, knowing these past couple weeks have been shitty. The night Dane attended the meet-up started a fourteen-day period of silence between us. For him, I’m guessing it was being pushed on that date with Shawna, reinforcing the false notion that I’m content with things remaining as they are. For me, it was the pics of them heading into a hotel afterward. He has to know I’ve seen them, has to know I’m aware of what likely went on inside the room. So, I’ve taken it as his way of ending our arrangement, even if he hasn’t come right out and said it’s over.

I’m not mad. I can’t be. This is what I wanted for him—to move on and let go of the notion of him and me. Like I’m trying to do. Only, I didn’t expect it to sting this damn bad.

Since that night, we only speak when we have to, we don’t drive to practice together even when we start at the same time, and I can’t even nail down our emotional status.

Is it just frustration that’s wedged its way between us?

I can’t tell. All I know is it’s happening—the breakdown of our friendship, and it didn’t even take sex to ruin it. Kind of makes keeping my distance feel like a moot point if I was going to lose him anyway.

Trust and believe, that fact is not lost on me.

When Blue pulls away, I see sympathy in her eyes. She—like the entire city—has seen the updates about Dane and Shawna. They hang out all the time now, looking like the perfect couple. It’s hard to tell if they’re even still pretending at this point, or if their hookup changed things. Whatever the case, Blue hates what’s happening almost as much as I do, because her rooting for Dane and me has been genuine.

“Want me to pour you a drink? You look like you need one. The bar’s stocked with some pretty good shit, too. Vin may be an asshole, but the man had great taste in liquor,” she says with a laugh.

“As tempting as that is, I’ll pass. But thanks.”

She’s got that look in her eyes again when rubbing my arm. “Well, come on. The girls are all out by the pool and I want you to meet Dez.”

Taking my hand, she leads the way, dragging me through her and West’s ginormous house. Our steps echo across the marble tile and, through the wall of glass just beyond the living room, the girls come into view. They’ve formed a tight circle around the firepit, all wearing bathing suits, which means there’s a swim session planned at some point.

Blue slides the door open, and we step out. I hadn’t realized it through the glass, but the conversation is loud and lively—a far cry from the vibe at the loft lately, making the noise a welcomed change.

“You made it!”

Jules pops up from her seat when she spots me. She squeezes me tight and confirms it. I did need this—their positivity, their emotional support.

Before Blue, I didn’t have many close girl friends. Yeah, there were the girls on the squad, but outside of dance, we didn’t really click. Hence the reason it was always me and the triplets. But now, she’s bridged the gap between me and a group of girls I might’ve missed out on knowing otherwise—Jules Avery and Lexi Rodriquez. This being my first time meeting Dez, it’s a little early to tell, but Blue’s a pretty good judge of character, so I trust that she’s cool, too.

Jules eventually let’s go and I drop down into the seat between her and Blue.

“Joss, this is Detective Roby’s daughter, Dez. You remember me telling you she’d be here tonight, don’t you?”

I smile and wave, meeting the gaze of the girl seated across the firepit from me.

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

She waves, too. “Same!”

She seems friendly, and there’s no doubt she’s beautiful. Her perfect, medium-brown complexion holds a glow that rivals that of the blazing fire. Deep dimples create small sinkholes in her cheeks when she greets me, as she pushes the length of her dark hair behind her shoulder. Large, gold hoops hang in her ears, matching her metallic bikini. Having met her father once or twice during the chaos that’s surrounded Vin’s arrest, I expected her to be broody and rough around the edges like him, but she’s anything but that.

“We were just discussing my lack of a love life,” Jules offers with a laugh.

“Oooh, sounds interesting,” I say, sliding the sandals off my feet before settling into the deep wicker chair, legs tucked beneath me.

“Hardly. In fact, I’m done with guys for a bit. At least, ones our age. I want someone at least twenty-three, twenty-four.”

“Don’t get your hopes up that’ll be any better,” Dez chimes in. “Take it from me, dudes can be assholes regardless of age. Hence the reason I’m newly single.”

“What’s your story?” Jules asks with a gleam in her eyes.

Dez sips from the wine glass dangling lazily in her fingers.

“Well, the short version is that I’m the idiot who started dating a carbon-copy of her father without even realizing it. I mean, down to his line of work,” she adds with a laugh. “He’s a rookie cop and he’s about as exciting as watching grass grow—straitlaced, does everything by the book, never breaks the rules. Just thinking about it has my panties dry as the Sahara.”

Lexi spits her drink into the flames when she laughs.

“Damn, girl! You sure warm up quickly, don’t you?” Jules says with a grin.

Dez shrugs. “My dad’s profession is based solely on being able to read people. Guess some of that rubbed off on me. I knew you girls would be my new tribe the moment I stepped out onto the patio. You, too,” she adds, pointing her glass at me before sipping again.

I nab a bottle of water from the cooler beside me and raise it into the air. “I’ll drink to that.”

“Besides,” she adds with a wink, “Pandora has me and this whole city feeling like we already know you guys.”

On cue, Blue, Lexi, and I roll our eyes. Jules has yet to get caught in Pandora’s web, but it’s just a matter of time before we’re all entangled.

“She’s not all bad, though, right?” Dez adds. “Didn’t she help take down Vin? At least that’s what my dad told me, during one of the few conversations we’ve had this year, that is.”

Lexi’s brow quirks when she blows a smoke ring, giving us all a bit of a contact high. “One of the few conversations?” she repeats. “You live with the guy. You two don’t talk much or something?”

Dez’s gaze flashes toward the pool for a second before answering. “He’d have to actually come home sometimes for us to talk. If your last name isn’t Ruiz, he isn’t really interested. He’s been obsessed with that case for months now.”

I don’t miss the sadness she tries to hide. Neither does Blue, which is why she redirects the topic quickly.

“Last time we talked about school, you were thinking you’d enroll at one of the universities nearby. That still your plan?” she asks.

Dez shrugs. “Honestly? I’ve given college two years and I still don’t know what I’m doing with my life. Breaking up with Tony helped me realize I might not be cut out for the shit most girls are looking for. I don’t dream about picket fences and barbecues with the neighbors. I need some excitement. I need… something unexpected.”

She zones out after that, maybe dreaming of this life of excitement she craves.

“Well, if there’s one thing this city is sure to give you, it’s the unexpected,” Lexi teases with a smirk. “While you wait, feel free to come to my house and sunbathe by the pool. That way, my mom can yell at us both for being complete derelicts.”

Dez snaps out of the daze that stole her attention for a moment and smiles. “Ohh… nice! I’ve never experienced someone else’s parent looking down on me. I’m in!”

Shaking her head with a laugh, Blue turns to me. “What about you, Joss? How’s work going?”

I appreciate her not bringing up Dane. My heart can only take talking about him so much.

“Work’s fine. I’m starting to find my sea legs, I guess. I’ve started a new ad campaign I think will bring in a ton of followers. Dane will appreciate that, plus it’ll help me build my portfolio. Two birds, one stone.”

“And how’s that going? Living with the guy and working for him?” Jules asks.

I shrug. “It’s going fine.”

I stretch the truth a bit because what’s wrong with Dane and me has nothing to do with me working for him.

“You two have had some interesting photos floating around lately,” she adds. “Which makes it super jarring when the next ten photos are of him and Shawna.”

And here we go.

I draw in a breath and respond as best as I can. “Well, we’re friends, so we spend a lot of time together. Plus, we live together.”

We were doing a lot of other things together, but we’ll leave that part out for now. Especially seeing as how those days seem to be behind us.

“At any rate, Dane’s free to do whatever he wants,” I add.

“Speaking of, have you gotten around to telling him about the visitor yet?” Blue bounces her brow with the discreet question.

I shake my head. “Not yet, but I will.”

Although, I’m pretty sure Dane’s and Carlos’ paths will never cross. Especially seeing as how Dane and I are barely even speaking.

As if having just heard my thoughts, that sympathetic look returns to Blue’s eyes, which is why I feel her hurting for me.

“And he’ll be here next weekend, right?”

I don’t miss the hint of nervousness in her tone. My only response is to nod when my own anxiety creeps in.

“Well, you know what I think? For tonight, we should all set our real-life shit aside and just… be free,” she announces as she stands and pulls off the t-shirt that covers her bikini. Her shorts come off next, then she cannonballs into the pool.

We scream a bit when the huge splash reaches our seats. It’s insane seeing this girl so carefree and happy. And watching her move through the water like a fish is nothing short of a miracle seeing as how, before West, the girl couldn’t swim to save her life.

Literally.

“Come on. I could use a little of whatever she’s got,” Jules says, following Blue into the water.

Soon, we’re all in, deciding to put our B.S. on hold for a bit. Pretty sure none of us believe this will actually fix anything, but we’re going to have fun and leave the drama behind.

Well… for tonight at least.

I could sure use the break.