Out of the Shadow (40 page)

Beside her, looking more handsome than any man should in a black suit, Robby bent to her ear. “Do you want to get a drink? I’d suggest we sit but I really should mingle a little bit first.”

“
Sure, whatever you’d like,” she said, pasting a smile on her lips. “But I just want a soda. You know what I’m like when I drink alcohol.”

He smiled his dimpled smile and gave her a wink. “I remember. Let’s avoid that situation, huh?”

They ambled up to the bar, far enough away from Cole and the others to where she wouldn’t have to greet them, and Robby ordered a diet soda for her and a light beer for him. With drink in hand, he nodded towards a table on the far side of the room.

“
Come on, there’s a few people from the big L.A. office I should probably speak to. I’ll introduce you,” he said.

She stood beside him as he talked shop with the two older gentlemen from L.A. She quickly grew bored and her jaws were aching from her forced smile. Her eyes darted toward the door and her heart leapt when she noticed Parker and his girlfriend, Deidre enter. They stood in the entryway a few minutes, scanning the crowd, and she decided to cut them off before they located Cole at the bar. She needed a friendly face and she needed one badly.

“
Excuse me a minute, Robby,” she said, squeezing his arm. “I’d like to go see Parker’s girlfriend. I haven’t spoken to her in a long time.”

“
Sure,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She crossed the room and reached them before they started toward the bar. Parker’s face lit up and he tugged her into a hug.

“
How are you, Ally?” he asked warmly and a layer of nervousness fell off her heart.

“
Good, thanks,” she said, turning to Deidre. “Hi! I haven’t you in ages.”

“
I know,” Deidre said as she kissed Ally’s cheek. “I was sorry to hear about you and Cole and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Now, how are you?”

Ally laughed and squeezed the other girl’s hand. She’d always liked Deidre. “I’m doing all right. School’s going okay.”

Parker nodded over their heads at the bar. “Have you spoken to the guys yet?”

Ally’s lips fell into a frown. “No, not yet. I was sort of working up to that.”

“
Would you like us to go with you?” Deidre offered.

Ally could sense Parker’s restlessness. It was obvious he wanted to join his band mates and perhaps get a drink and relax. He was too much like Cole and RJ – he didn’t like the fancy affairs. He preferred it when they all got together in someone’s garage or basement and messed around with music.

“
Nah, that’s all right,” Ally said. She pointed over her shoulder. “I’m going to get back to Robby. I’ll catch up with those guys later. I just wanted to say hello.”

“
It’s good to see you, Ally,” Deidre said sincerely. “Give me a call sometime and we can get together.”

“
I will,” Ally said, honestly. “And thanks.”

She was about to turn back when Robby appeared at her side. He shook Parker’s hand and congratulated him on a great recording session. Deidre flashed a tight smile and rolled her eyes at Ally as the two men started talking about music.

All the while, Ally could almost feel a pair of muddy brown eyes boring into her back.

***

“
Drinking kind of hard, aren’t you?” Lila asked as she slipped onto the stool next to Cole. “You need to be careful.”

“
I’m fine,” he said, his eyes still on Ally. He’d watched her greet Parker and Deidre and then later, make rounds with Robby. She was far too beautiful and it hurt his heart to watch her. Even the alcohol wasn’t doing much to stop it – just making it harder to think.

“
Where did RJ and Ren disappear to?” she asked.

“
Ren is with some girl and RJ went to the bathroom,” Cole said, his words slurring. “And that’s all I know.”

His eyes located Ally again and he couldn’t stop them from remaining on her. He tried but there was nothing else in the entire building to distract him.

Lila slid off the stool and stepped in front of him, folding her arms across her chest. “Jeez, just go talk to her and get it over with. And then, if you’d like, I’ll take you home so you can crash.”

Cole grinned sloppily and finished his drink. He hopped off the stool, stumbled, and grabbed the corner of the bar to keep from falling. “I’m not allowed. RJ said I had to wait for him. He said he needs to babysit me.”

She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Whatever. I have to go talk to Doug. I’ll find you in a little bit.”

RJ returned and grabbed Cole’s arm. “Bro, you okay?”

“
Yep,” Cole said. “Come on, we need to go say something to them. I think we’re being rude.”

“
We don’t have to say anything,” RJ protested. “Really.”

“
Nah, man,” Cole protested. “She’s all tense and stuff – I can tell. She won’t relax until I go make nice and let her know everything is okay.”

“
Do you think you can behave?” RJ asked.

“
Yeah,” Cole said a little forcefully. “Come on, let’s go, and then we can leave.”

***

As they stood on the corner of the dance floor, watching the dancers, she spotted them approaching out of the corner of her eye, Cole’s footsteps not quite steady. Her heart ached for him but she didn’t want to call attention to his condition. She just took a few steadying breaths as they made their way, and slipped her hand in the crook of Robby’s arm. Startled, he glanced down and she offered a weak smile just as RJ and Cole reached them.

“
Oh, hey, guys,” Robby said, turning to face them. His brows dipped as he noticed Cole’s inebriated state. “Um, having a good time?”

“
Yeah,” RJ said, inserting a heaping dose of enthusiasm in his tone. He dropped his eyes to Ally and offered her a timid smile. “You look lovely, Ally.”

“
Thanks,” she whispered, letting go of Robby’s arm to kiss RJ’s cheek. “You two look really nice, too.”

“
Al, can I talk to you for a second?” Cole asked so softly she wasn’t sure she heard him right. She shot RJ a quick glance then nodded and followed Cole toward a hallway that led to the restrooms.

He propped his unsteady body against the wall as his eyes drank in her form. He touched her lightly on the cheek and smiled. “You look so beautiful that I haven’t been able to stop looking at you.”

She instinctively closed her eyes at his touch. “Thanks, I guess.”

“
Look at me, Al,” he said. She opened her eyes and her heart broke at the red rimming his. His finger trailed lightly down her cheek and across her lips. She shuddered as her heart ached and she longed to touch him again. Just once. “So, beautiful. I miss you, Al. I was stupid to let you go. So stupid.”

“
I miss you, too,” she mumbled, her eyes locked onto his.

He bent his head and his breath reeked of beer, but her heart didn’t care. Her pulse charged through her veins as his lips drew so near her. She raised a trembling hand to his chest as she inched closer, stretching her neck, wanting to press her lips to his just once – just for a second.

He placed a finger on her lips and smiled sadly. “I can’t kiss you, Al, you know that. I can’t have you. You belong to someone else now.”

Her eyes darkened. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

He ducked closer, his lips so near her ear. His breath teased her bare shoulder and she shivered involuntarily. “You used to belong to me and you know it.”

“
Cole! There you are,” someone said behind him. He flattened against the wall, his knees nearly buckling, and the woman raced forward to support him. “Are you ready to go now?”

“
Sure,” he said, draping an arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Take me away.”

The woman glared at Ally, narrowing her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Cole’s waist. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. Come on.”

“
Thanks, Lila,” Cole said with a goofy smile.

Ally’s heart froze as she stood stock still and watched Lila whisk Cole away. So that was Lila -that pretty girl who’d been so concerned with Cole’s welfare. That was Lila who Cole had denied having anything but a professional relationship with. That was Lila who was more than just a little eager to take him home and tend to him.

Her stomach turned and she fled to the restroom and stood near the sink, allowing her body time to settle down. She couldn’t return to Robby with a pale face and trembling hands. As she lifted her eyes to the mirror, all she could see was the pain that had lingered in Cole’s eyes and she wondered if she would ever be able to truly return to Robby.

***

Ally spent a quiet Sunday with Robby, neither one mentioning the talk Ally had had with Cole. She’d only told him, once she’d exited the bathroom and found him again, that Cole had just wanted to apologize for the way things had been between them. Robby had dropped the subject and they’d left about an hour later.

After classes finished Monday, she decided to skip going back to her dorm and just drive to the studio. Basketball had long since ended and she still had a few weeks until softball started. Her afternoons were usually fairly quiet as Shannon had found a group of nice girls that shared similar interests. She still spent time with Ally like going to the mall or out for coffee, but Ally found herself putting a little distance between her and her roommate. She wasn’t sure what she wanted – she was far too restless – but another close friendship just wasn’t healing the rip in her heart.

Her contact with Cole had come to a crashing halt which, unfortunately, meant limited contact with RJ, too. And Jamie, although they saw each other in class and worked on coursework together, disappeared often to hang out with the guys.

So she threw herself into her relationship with Robby. She adored him very much but the love she thought would grow between them just wasn’t happening. She didn’t worry about it – she figured it would come with time.

She strolled through the hallway, heading for his office, when he nearly plowed her over, rushing through his door, his head bent over a document.

“
Ally,” he said, obviously surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“
It’s after four,” she said, her brow furrowed. “Why? Are you busy?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose then leaned in to peck her cheek. “I have to finish something really fast, okay? It will only take a second. Why don’t you wait for me in the lounge?”

“
Sure,” she said, confused.

She shrugged and turned back around. She entered the lounge with a sigh, thinking maybe she’d grab a bag of peanuts from the vending machine, when a sarcastic laugh reached her ears.

“
Well, if it isn’t Ally Jones.”

Ally spun and found Lila sitting at a table, a magazine spread out before her. She eased out of her chair and sauntered confidently toward Ally, a smirk that was a cross between smug and evil on her painted lips.

“
Lila,” Ally said with a lift of her chin. “Don’t worry – I’m not staying long.”

“
You know, the way he talks about you, you’d think you were perfect – almost saint-like,” Lila sneered, circling Ally like a predator to prey.

Ally shook her head, confusion and anger swirling in her brain. “Not at all.”