Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

NICOLE

When I see Esmeralda’s name flashing on my screen, my heart drops to the very pits of hell.

I already know I messed up.

“Yeah?” I answer breathlessly as I start toward my closet. I throw it open, the door nearly ripping off the hinges, and I start pulling all my clothes out and dropping them onto the ground as I search for the only dress I own that would be appropriate for the occasion. Dammit, where is it?

“I’m outside, girl,” she says. “You can come on out and we can get this party started!”

“I’ll be right out!” I answer, trying to sound excited as I frantic search for that damn dress. When I feel the sequins of the dress, I sigh in relief.

“Um…are you okay?”

I hold the phone to my ear using my shoulder. I unzip the dress and step into it after stripping. “Yeah, just fine. I just need to find my clutch.”

“You want me to come in and help you look for it?”

“No, you stay right where you are. I’ll be out in a jiffy! I’m sure it’s somewhere around here.”

I take her silence and move to the mirror in my bathroom. Ideally, my hair should’ve been curled, but I won’t have time for that, so I throw my hair into a messy bun that I hold with pins, thanking God that it works out. Messy buns can be so hard to get right, which honestly makes no sense at all.

Then, I quickly swipe some mascara on my brows and use some eyeliner. I’ll do my lips in the car.

Two minutes later, I’m completely ready to go. I grab a pair of strappy heels, my clutch, and head out.

Haley arches her brow at me. “Where are you going?”

“Esmeralda’s birthday,” I answer. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“You didn’t mention it, no.”

“Yeah. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Have fun!”

Esmeralda gives me an appraising look as I get in her car. It’s a brand new SUV, no doubt gifted to her by her sugar daddy. That’s what she likes to call him, at least.

“Why do

you

look like you threw this on five minutes ago?”

“Because I did. Now let’s go.”

Esmeralda cackles as she starts the car. “Why didn’t you tell me you needed more time? Oh my God, I can’t believe you forgot my birthday!”

I can’t either, but then again, yesterday was crazy. I’m still sitting with a whole lot of money in the charity’s bank account, and I can’t stop going into my banking app and checking it out. For some reason, I feel like the money will disappear, but it never does. Every time I check, it’s still there.

Then, there was the endless waiting for Roman’s reply. He never did, and I’m so pissed and humiliated that he didn’t that it just doesn’t make sense at all. I’m the one who pushed him away and told him that things between us would never work. And that’s true. My life is complicated enough without getting into shit with

Mason.

But I never thought he’d still send the money. And that it would be so much.

The polite thing for him to do would be to answer at least, right? I feel like I’m going insane because I don’t know what the right thing to do is anymore.

If I didn’t say a word to him about the money, it would be rude.

But I tried to, and he ignored me.

I push this to the back of my head when Esmeralda says to me loudly, “Will you tell me what’s going on or will

I have to beg? You literally didn’t listen to a word I said just now.”

“I’m so sorry, Esmeralda,” I claim, kissing her cheek. “I’m just so distracted with the charity.”

I don’t want to tell her about Roman just yet.

I don’t know if I ever will, and the reason is that I’m afraid of judgment. Sure, Esmeralda is pretty open- minded, and she probably wouldn’t judge me considering she’s going out with a whole married man, but this is my brother we’re talking about.

I betrayed him in the worst way imaginable. I don’t even know what Roman did to him-maybe if I knew the reason, I would’ve kept my distance from him.

It’s just a thought.

“Aw, you’re such a sweetheart,” she says, parking the car outside the high-end club where she’ll be holding her party. We aren’t a lot of people, allegedly. I remember her mentioning this yesterday. “Don’t worry. Everything will turn out okay. I’ll ask Armand to make a donation.”

“Please, don’t do that,” I plead as we step out of the car.

She gives me a look. “Why not? He’s got it, and you’re my friend. We’re supposed to help each other.”

I can’t find a single thing to say as she locks her arm around mine and we head inside. We don’t have to wait in line-we go right in. That makes me wonder just what kind of business Armand’s doing.

I look around as we head in. The music is booming, and everyone’s dressed in designer clothes. My black sequined dress, though slightly extravagant, is nothing compared to what everyone else is wearing.

“This place is something!” I yell over the loud music.

“It is,” she agrees. “Come on. It’s this way.”

I don’t know how many people she invited exactly, but there are quite a few of her newest friends around. Of course, there’s also Armand. She greets him by kissing him fully on the lips, and then introduces the two of us. I’ve only met him once before.

“Baby, this is Nicole, my best friend. I hope you remember her.”

“Of course I do,” he smiles. He’s around fifty, and he has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Bluer than Roman’s even, and that’s saying something. “How are you?”

“Great. Thanks.”

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