The Bucket List (21 page)

In time, that brief period was behind them and she had become just Rae again. Everything had gone back to normal. He knew now that he had not been in love with her at all. He'd just felt a bit protective of her when he'd heard that jerk Ben telling everyone how he was going to do her in the back of his father's car. He'd felt she deserved better than that so his immature mind had thought he would be the best thing for her. That was all it had been. It hadn't been love. If it had been, it wouldn't have died down so easily, would it?

And now this shit had to go and happen. Between last night and this evening, he had to have remembered every single time he had slept with her; every single, beautiful moment. It was doing his nut in. He didn't want to think of Rae like that. She was his best friend, his person. Sex would only ruin everything, a lifetime of memories. And it wasn't as if she would want to sleep with him now, anyway. She'd 'had' him already, and she didn't do seconds. Just like him. Well, she never used to do seconds. With Nate in the picture now it was quite hard to know what she was thinking.

It was one thing to respect each other and trust each other that much that they had made that drunken pact to settle down with each other once she hit thirty. It was quite another to fool themselves and think they could actually fall in love and be faithful their whole lives. He knew he could never do that. He loved women way too much. And she knew that.

Maybe that was why she had gone ahead and found Nate. If she remembered their deal, she would have known what total bullcrap it was. They had no future together except as best friends. If they somehow ended up together, they would hurt each other that much and probably end up hating each other and that was something he couldn't even contemplate.

So that was it. He was going to push that little incident out of his mind. He'd had all these conflicting and unwanted thoughts all day but he was man enough to just put them behind him. It wasn't as if he had really slept with her anyway. What was a stroke or two between friends? And he kissed her like that all that time when they had their threesomes. Well, almost like that... Okay, never like that. But that didn't matter. No matter how good it was
, he could put it out of his mind. He was an expert at loving and leaving. This was no different.

His mind made up, he stood up so he could find a drink and get on with the serious business of partying. Everyone would be wondering where he was by now.

But the sight that met him stopped him in his tracks and blew his little pep talk out of the window.

Rae was naked, sitting astride
Nate on a chair and looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were closed as she moved slowly on him. He should have just quickly walked out, it wouldn't have been the first time he had seen her in this position, but something held him back. She was... different. He'd never seen her like that before and he couldn't help looking at her.

It felt like forever, but he'd only looked for a few seconds before those incredible blue eyes opened and caught his. But she didn't stop. She held his eyes as she continued to feel whatever
Nate was doing to her. Their position meant Nate had his back to him so he had no clue another man was standing in the room with them... looking at his woman as he nailed her...

What the
?! Moving silently but quickly, he let himself out of her room. He felt dirty, like a pervert getting off on the shit happening in Rae's room. It was one thing to ogle her during one of their orgies and quite another to stand there like an idiot and intrude on her private moment with her boyfriend. That was just sick and disgusting.

When had he become that person? When had he become the person who slept with his friend and took advantage of her when she was drunk? When had he become the man who ogled his friend as she made love to her man? And how the fuck would he get rid of the image of her just... glowing... in
Nate's arms?

"Hey, gorgeous. Where've you been?"
Alyssa asked as soon as he walked into the lounge.

"I need a drink," he mumbled.

"You okay, Corey?" John asked.

The two of them had been standing close to the door looking like they were seriously enjoying each other's company. Well,
good for them.

"Yeah," he answered. "I just need a drink."

Completely ignoring everyone else, he headed straight for the bar. This was going to be a long night and it hadn't even started yet.

"You look beautiful."

She turned from the mirror to smile at her rainbow haired warrior.

"Thanks."

She'd had a quick shower and changed into the little black dress that
Corey had told her to put back. It was a little halter-neck, baby doll one of flowing silk. Every time she made a little movement, the material clung to her every curve and transformed it from a simple little dress to an incredibly sexy one. She'd left her hair down to complete the innocent look.

"You okay?"

Of course she wasn't okay. She'd caught her best friend watching her have amazing sex with her boyfriend and had liked it. Wasn't she supposed to be past that shit? He'd watched her a million times before, hell, she'd got off on it! But this time had been different. He'd looked at her differently. It had been unnerving yet she hadn't been able to look away.

"Yeah," she lied. "I just didn't want a party, things being the way they are."

"You haven't told Corey yet?" he asked. "I'm sure if you had, he wouldn't have thrown the party."

He was sitting on the edge of her bed, already dressed and waiting to walk down with her to join the party.

"Maybe I should have then I wouldn't have had to walk down there with a fake smile all night," she sighed. "But I don't want to hurt him. You guys see Corey, the arrogant, egomaniacal son of a bitch, but with me he's an incredibly sensitive man. This would kill him. I know if the tables were turned, I'd want to die, too."

She missed the look the passed so quickly in
Nate's eyes at her words as she put on the final touches of her make-up.

"If you don't want to tell
Corey just yet, talk to me," he said. "You've hardly said anything about it. I don't even know when you start your treatment. It's not healthy to keep something this big to yourself."

She bit her lip at his words as she racked her brain for something to say. She was so
focused on that, she failed to realise Nate's eyes were focused on her through the mirror.

"I don't want to think about it tonight," she said finally. "Maybe when I'm back on the road with you guys next week."

That would give her a bit of time to actually research what she was going through. Her mum's cancer had been different, she knew all about that. But hers... well, she hadn't exactly stopped to listen to any detailed explanations when that oncologist had given her results. That was the reason her doctor was after her in the first place.

And besides, if she told
Nate the truth, the first thing he'd do was shoot his mouth off at Corey, John and Irving. No, no one was going to like what she had planned.

"You're keeping something from me."

It wasn't a question. She met his eyes briefly in the mirror and looked away.

"No tonight,
Nate. Please. Just ... help me get through this night," she whispered.

He got up from the bed and walked into the dressing room. A little sigh of relief escaped her lips when he pulled her up and just held her.

"Let's go get that party started, then," he said, dropping a kiss on her neck.

In that moment, his phone rang. What was that ring tone? Hate that I love you? What the fuck? She felt him tense before he even looked at the screen and something told her she wasn't going to like this.

"I have to take this," he said as he quickly released her and walked back into the bedroom.

"Sure. I'll just find a pair of shoes," she said, even though he'd already walked away and wasn't paying her any attention.

She didn't mean to eavesdrop but she couldn't help herself. She'd seen the caller ID when he'd pulled his phone out of his pocket. Beth! What the hell was she calling him for?

"What?" he answered, but his voice was lowered and she could tell he was very uncomfortable.

"I'm busy. I'm ...with a friend."

A friend
?! Wasn't she his girlfriend? If he'd been serious when he said he was moving on, why couldn't he say that to his ex? Of course, it had only been less than a week since they'd been together, but he of all people should understand she didn't have time to play around.

"It'll have to be tomorrow. I can't get away until then."

Get away? What, he was planning on actually meeting that girl? She'd known from the very beginning how heartbroken he had been but for some reason, her arrogant behind had chosen to believe she could wipe any pain that woman had caused him away without even trying., that Nate would love her and forget about anyone else. But reality was biting her in the ass. Nate had been in love with Beth only a week ago. Nothing had changed. He was only with her as a favour to a dying person.

"No. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He hung up then and she could see how his shoulders were hunched as if speaking to that woman had been incredibly painful. When he turned and caught her staring, she quickly looked away and searched for her shoes.

"That wasn't what it looked like."

She plastered a fake smile on her face and looked up at him.

"It's all good,
Nate. You don't need to explain anything to me," she lied.

"I couldn't not take the call."

Of course he could have. He could have just looked at the ID and ignored it just to make her feel better. Then he could have gone to the bathroom or something to call her back. She would have been none the wiser.

"
Nate. It's fine," she said as she walked up to him and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I've got one thing I need to do, why don't you go down and get me a large whisky ready?"

He looked at her for a minute as if trying to work out if she was telling the truth before finally nodding his head and letting himself out of the room.

Great. Just great. Things were awkward with Corey, she was avoiding John and now she had to avoid Nate. What a party this was turning out to be.

Making her mind up, she opened the bottom drawer of her dresser and took out a little box. It was the wrong thing to do, she knew that, but something had to get her through the night. She opened it and her eyes feasted on Columbia's finest. Yes, this would get her by just nicely. She only needed a bit, just a little buzz.
No one would know.

Corey
had been sitting next to Dave for the past half hour and the man was seriously doing his nut it. He'd been bitching about everything but Corey knew it was all because of Rae. Why had he invited him again? Oh, yes. Because he'd thought a party without the option of bending whatever hot ass he wanted over the pool table and banging that shit out would be boring. He'd thought a bit of drama between Dave, Nate and Rae would entertain him a little. Well, ha fucking ha!

"You and her are just the same, aren't you?"

He frowned at the older guy in irritation then turned back to his drink. He was in no mood for this. Any minute now he would have to look his friend in the eye and explain what that shit upstairs had been about. He had no idea what he'd say.

"You walk around with your fucking delusions of grandeur, like you're God's gift to the world and everyone owes you," Dave slurred. "Well, I got news for you. You ain't shit!"

"Get off you high horse already. It was just one night, get over it. You do that shit yourself all the time," he snapped. "Besides, she's way out of your league."

"You think she's too good for me
?!" the animal asked incredulously. "But not too good for you, huh?"

"What
?!"

"She's got your initials tattooed on her hoo
-ha! I'm not blind. I've seen the two of you together. She whores around in the day then at night crawls into your bed and you hit that dirty shit!" Dave spat out.

His beer went down the wrong way as he turned fully to the other man. Where would he get such a stupid idea?
Him and Rae? He'd heard it a million times from John but he tolerated it only because it came from John. Now this guy... How dare he fucking say that he and Rae had a thing going? So the previous night he'd sort of slept with her. No one would ever know about that!

"Call yourself a cab and get the fuck out of our house," he snapped.

He was that close to punching the guy's lights out.

"Or what?" Dave spat out.

He cocked his head as his anger blew. Or what?

"You feelin'
froggy, Dave?" he growled. "Jump."

Every year, whenever they could get away, on the day she was born at exactly the minute she was born, Rae and
Corey shared a special dance. When they could not be together, he called her, and with their song playing in the background, they shared a dance anyway.

This year, as Rae walked down the stairs AND passed the throng of bodies, she had a feeling things weren't going to go down like that.

They had a grand-show that Monday, so many of the fighters from all three brands who didn't have commitments had already checked into their hotel in the heart of town. A lot of those had somehow ended up in their house, drinking her booze, eating her food and dancing to her music. A lot of them hadn't been there when she'd gone upstairs with Nate, and only half an hour ago she would have freaked out at their numbers.

But now she thought it was so awesome.

"Ooh, Peyton," she smiled when she saw the diva, laughing at something Kelly had said to her. "Didn't expect to see you here. Come to take me up on my offer?"

"I've just come to see the whores in their natural habitat,"
Peyton sneered.

"You just can't stay away from him, can you?" she laughed as she moved her body closer to hers. "He broke your heart yet you still hope he'll change his mind.
Corey don't love you, ho. But me, on the other hand... maybe if you showed me what you got we could get a thing going."

"Maybe we should just go. This was a bad idea," Kelly said.

"No. Stay," she said to the blonde. "It a party, even you girls are welcome. Eat, drink and be merry. And if, at some point in the night you feel like getting your freak on, find me."

With that, she squeezed her way past as she made her way to the lounge. The first person she saw was
Nate standing with his brother, but she just gave him a smile and made her way to the other end of the room where Irving was sitting with Bob and Liz.

"Hey,
Daddy," she smiled as she dropped herself down next to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy?"

This was the first time she had called him that. It was just too bad she'd said it while she was high as a kite.

"Well, aren't you?" she asked before turning her attention to the
Steeles. "What you guys talking about?"

"We were just telling your dad about you and
Nate," Bob explained.

"Oh, yes.
Nate. I was going to tell you about him," she said as she turned back to Irving. "I wanted you to know there is hope for your demon child after all."

"Has he told you about his last girlfriend?"

Aah yes. Beth. Maybe she should find out what really happened between those two. Everyone else seemed to know.

"Yes," she lied. "Is that a blue hair,
Daddy?"

"What?"

"Grey hair," she said, correcting herself even though she was still looking at it and it did indeed look blue. "Is it from the stress of running around after me? Poor Daddy. Anyone hungry? I wonder if John bought some Doritos. And the dip."

"Are you
all right, sweetheart?" Liz asked.

"Of course. But I'm starving, so I'll leave you old people to do whatever it is you guys do at parties," she said as she got up. "Oh, God. That's my song. Excuse me."

Lil' Wayne was rapping in the background, his song aptly named Pussy, Money, Weed. She made her way to the middle of the lounge where a few people were already moving to his beat.

She moved her body to the beat, her eyes closed as the buzz and the music merged. Everyone else in the room disappeared as she became a
one woman show. She could have had a pole and made hundreds of dollars with the moves she was pulling. Her hair covered her face most of the time, but when it didn't, no one could miss the stupid smile on her face.

Nate
watched as his girlfriend danced and the sickening feeling increased in the pit of his stomach. She'd intentionally blanked him to sit with her dad and he knew that reason why. Because that bitch had called.

He should never have picked up the phone, but Beth had been his good friend longer that she'd been his girlfriend. That counted for something.

"You should just go and see what she wants," Matt urged. "She could be in trouble."

"She's at the hotel. She'll be
all right until tomorrow," he said, his eyes still on the woman doing the incredibly sexy moves to this very indecent song. Was she even aware that everyone had stopped dancing to look at her? Or that her dad was in the room?

"
Nate, I know she's been having problems with Kevin. Maybe she wants to see you about that."