When he’d seen Oliver abandon Karen on the dance floor and move through the crowds, he’d been stunned when he realized whom he was chasing.
Possessiveness, protectiveness had taken over and he’d followed, hearing Petra’s annoying, querying voice behind him as he did.
And then it had all gone to shit.
“Oliver is the one I told you about. The asshole summer boy who told me he loved me when he didn’t.”
Not only had she delivered information that made him want to kill someone; she’d said it in such a way he knew she was saying something else. You’ll never have me.
Fury, hurt, hurt for her, for him, and yes, jealousy that Oliver had tasted what he believed was his, pounded in his head as he turned to face his old friend.
Too stupid to recognize the dangerous glint in Vaughn’s eyes, Oliver chuckled. “Can you believe it? I almost forgot all about her.”
Wrong thing to say.
“You forgot Bailey?”
“Not now. Now I remember her. I spent a summer with her. A hot summer.” He grinned. “A lot of sex. I think I even loved her for most of it. But you know me, Tremaine, I get bored. And she’s a townie.”
Vaughn couldn’t stop himself.
Every ounce of control he’d been raised with was obliterated as he pulled back his elbow and let his fist fly. He felt the hard, painful, satisfying connection and crack as it hit his friend’s nose.
Oliver stumbled back.
Vaughn hit him again.
With a roar of fury Oliver lunged, wrapping his arms around his waist and taking him to the floor, but Vaughn was quicker, more agile, and much, much angrier.
His fist connected a few more times before he found himself dragged off of his now ex-friend.
He fought against it, his blood lust high. All he wanted was to knock every fucking word right out of Oliver’s mouth. He wanted to take it all back. He didn’t want it to be true.
“Tremaine, fuck, calm down.” He heard Cooper’s voice in his ear.
It sunk in that it was his friend, a good man, who was holding on to him and he stopped struggling.
Karen and Petra helped Oliver to his feet.
The band had stopped playing.
Shocked silence filled the ballroom.
He searched for her.
Bailey stood to his right, Jessica holding on to her, eyes round as she took in the scene. She didn’t look mortified at least. Merely shocked.
Vaughn cursed.
“What the fuck was that?” Oliver spat blood on the floor of his ballroom. “I think you broke my fucking nose. For that!” He pointed in disgust at Bailey. “Over a fucking townie I screwed years ago.”
He lunged at him again and not only did Cooper have to hold him back but Jeff King was there, his arm locked around Vaughn’s chest.
“Calm down, Tremaine,” Jeff urged quietly in his ear. “If he presses charges, there isn’t anything I can do about it.”
Struggling for that calm, for control, Vaughn trembled, his voice thick with emotion as he stared in revulsion at Spence. “Get the hell out of my hotel.”
Oliver laughed bitterly. “This is what our friendship has come to? You’ve changed, Tremaine.” He wiped at his bleeding lip. “And not for the better.”
He sagged as his ex-friend shot him one last baleful look and let the embarrassed girls at his side lead him out. Murmurings grew louder and louder as they moved through the reception.
Vaughn stared at Bailey.
He shrugged out of Jeff and Cooper’s hold. “I’m okay.” He met Cooper’s concerned gaze, and felt guilty for causing a scene at his wedding. “I’m sorry.”
Cooper shook his head. “No problem. But if I were you, I’d go see your girl.”
“I lost that battle, Lawson.”
“I . . . I don’t think so.”
At Cooper’s tone his attention jerked back to Bailey. His heart pounded even more wildly than it already was as he watched her approach him.
Cooper and Jeff seemed to melt away.
“So”—she crossed her arms over her chest defensively—“that was annoying.”
“I am so sorry.”
Confusion clouded her beautiful eyes. “Why?” She gestured to his hand. “Mister-I-would-never-do-anything-so-embarrassing-as-starting-a-fistfight-at-my-friend’s-wedding. That’s the second time you’ve punched a guy in the face for me.”
Realizing honesty was his only recourse, he replied, “No one disrespects you, princess. No one.”
Her gaze dropped to her feet. “You confuse me so much.”
In that moment, seeing a spark of hope, he made a decision he should have made a long time ago. “Then let me clear a few things up for you. I’ll tell you what you need to know about me.”
Her eyes flew to his. “For real?”
“If I don’t, I’m just going to lose my chance with you anyway, right? You think I’m just like him?” He gestured to where Oliver had departed.
“I don’t know anything anymore.”
“Take a walk with me?”
Bailey considered him for a moment, a moment that felt agonizingly long. Finally she exhaled and nodded.
Vaughn didn’t know whether to be elated or to give in to the sudden nausea he felt.
TWENTY-THREE
Bailey
There was one thing very clear to me: Vaughn Tremaine caused me emotional whiplash. I didn’t think there was a moment in my life where I’d felt so conflicted in one day. First I was determined to ignore him. Then the longing, smoldering thing that he did got under my skin. And then he was Oliver Spence’s friend. I’d really wanted nothing to do with him in that moment.