Love Me (The Elites of Cheshire shore #2)

16. Rome

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

rome

T he rest of the guys are already sitting at the table by the time we enter the restaurant, Ryder is wearing Livvy like a button-down jacket. My eyes immediately search for pastel purple hair among the group. Like a magnet, the steel gray eyes hold mine in a gaze. A small smile breaks through my lips when I see her lift her hand to wave. Our eyes connect and I swear I see hers soften. That look was for me, not Luca. Me.

“You have committed betrayal in the highest form.” My brother’s voice booms and completely shatters the moment between us.

Flo’s eyes go wide in shock and confusion over my brother’s outburst. She tilts her head to the side and lifts her chin. “Don’t tell me you’re dropping hints on your mom’s next dinner party theme. Bea will be pissed if she knows you let that slip.”

“Mock me now, woman, but we both know Mom is seriously considering your pierced dick theme for her next dinner party,” he grumbles.

I put my hand on my chest. “I personally, am dying to attend that theme.”

Florence’s gray eyes simmer like molten steel.

Sofia raises her hand. “Umm, how can I get an invite to this event?”

Flo looks at Sof. “Trust me, Bea would never choose that as her theme. Besides, I would never put that in the hat. I think my mother would kill me only to bring me back to life so she could kill me again.”

Kendall blinks a few times. “I think I know what my birthday theme is going to be.”

“Can we please return to the utter betrayal I’m currently facing?” Luca moans, upset the conversation has taken a turn away from him and his theatrics.

“She messaged me, get over it,” I reply, pushing his shoulder and sitting down at the table behind the girls, my stomach grumbling.

“How can I get over it, I’m supposed to be her best friend.” Luca pulls out the chair beside me before sitting heavily down.

“And I’m her roommate,” I reply, loading my plate up with some of the cold cuts on the antipasto platters in the center of the table. It only seems right that our relationship would strengthen, given that she chose to message me over Luca—shows how close we’ve become. Luca gives me a pinched expression.

“Can I just say these shirts are freaking adorable?!” Livvy gushes, still attached to Ryder’s chest as he takes the seat opposite me.

“I know, right? I really outdid myself with this one,” Leo replies.

“Hey, Sof, why didn’t you design us shirts?” Livvy calls to the other table.

“Because we have a bit of class,” Sof replies, and the girls dissolve into a fit of giggles.

Livvy sighs, places another kiss on Ryder’s lips, and extracts herself from his lap. “I’ve gotta get back to my girls’ weekend. I can’t bail on my friends because you guys crashed our mini holiday.”

Ryder not so subtly slides his room key into her pocket, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. “In case you are cold sleeping in that big bed all alone,” he tells her.

Kendall makes her voice extra loud to be heard over the loud hum in the room, “Thanks anyway, Fallington, but we brought extra fluffy socks and I’m gonna hug Livvy extra tight so she won’t feel cold.”

“Girls’ weekend sucks.” Ryder pouts.

I meet Flo’s eyes and swallow the food in my mouth. I almost cough to stop from choking.

Our group chat pings with our schedule. Leo really does know how to make guys’ weekend go smoothly. Or the coordinator of the spa had a field day fitting us all in with the different services they have to offer. I’ve just finished hitting Send on an urgent email when another email lands in my inbox. The grind never stops. Not that I will ever complain, operating at this level requires sacrifices, and I’m more than willing to make them for the sake of my family’s future. I click on the email and start scrolling through the new route plans we’ve created for an important shipment we are handling, when the door joining my room to the next bursts open, and Flo comes stumbling in.

“Oh my god, sorry! Lottie dared me to check. I thought it was still locked.” Flo’s eyes are comically large, the tips of her ears reddening as she absently brushes up stray hairs from the nape of her neck when she sees me sitting at the small desk. Color stains her cheeks when she realizes she’s been busted checking me out. I spread my legs extra wide, testing the bounds of my tied robe, and enjoying the way Flo’s eyes dart down to peek below the table before meeting my eyes again.

“Who is it?” Lottie pops her head around Flo’s shoulders.

“Morning, Charlotte,” I greet her with my sunny disposition.

“Well, if this isn’t giving me flashbacks to summers in Greece.” Lottie laughs. “Only back then you weren’t on the other side, it was Duke and Ev.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” I tighten the ties on my tiny ass robe. I’m like a giant sitting here in micro clothing that barely covers my junk, let alone does up properly. I subtly pull the corner over a bit more in an attempt to look semi-decent in front of Lotte.

“What the fuck is Zander on about, he told me he was in this room.” Lottie pulls out her phone and starts typing, turning her back on me and Flo.

“Should I expect an open-door policy now?”

“I, umm. Yes…I mean, no.” She shakes her head, clearly frustrated with herself and it takes everything in me not to laugh.

“What a turd, Zander mixed the room numbers up,” Lottie calls and barks out a laugh.

“Funny that,” I reply, quietly so only Flo can hear me. “Or perhaps it was fate?”

“Fate only loves to fuck me over,” she grumbles. “It really seems to be good at it too.”

Lottie pops her head around Flo’s shoulders again. “Also, when did Rome get glasses? They make you look like a forbidden sexy professor.”

Flo not so subtly elbows Lottie in her side causing her to groan. “My ribs.”

“I’m due for a full body massage with hot stones,” Flo squeaks, taking a step backward out of my room and into her own and closes the door, hard. I pull my blue-light glasses off and rub my fingers over my eyes. I’ve not done nearly enough work for today, but it will have to do. I check my name on the schedule and realize I’m about to be late for my own booking.

Rome—Full body hot stone massage

Well fuck.

I slip into a fresh pair of boxers so I’m decent to walk around the hotel, and run a toothbrush across my teeth, before I open the door to my room just as Flo emerges from her own.

“Hey, roomie. Would you look at that, I’m scheduled for a hot stone massage too.” Flo pulls one of her lollipops from her robe pocket and starts sucking on it. “Want one?” she asks. I quickly shake my head; those things are disgusting. She nods and we walk toward our massage in silence.

“I’m sorry about invading your privacy,” she finally breaks through the tense moment.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her tense body into mine, placing a kiss on her forehead. “It’s all right, lollipop, I’m just glad I had a robe on when you barged in.” She groans, tucking her face into my chest and I laugh, squeezing her tighter to me.

The trail to the massage wing is like a Zen garden, with small white pebbles lining the ground around the succulent plants hedging the path and birds chirping a calming song. I make my steps smaller so it’s easy for Flo to walk with me on the flat tiles in the middle of the path, Flo’s body curled against mine as we walk.

“Well, well, well. Fancy running into you here.”

That voice.

I’ve only heard it once in person, but I could pin it with my eyes closed.

Oh shit, it’s Brian. And standing next to him is…Nora?