Best Friend Next Door (Love Next Door Book 2) *Rough Draft*

Chapter 5

He's seen them as soon as they walked in the room. She was like a trophy on his arm. That's what women were to Christian.

His eyes embraced her watching how the dressed hugged her figure. This wasn't the Bubbles he had grown up with. This was a dressed up sophisticated and very sexy one and there she was in his arms. He was holding her hips, dancing with her, laughing.

Then a slow song came on and he had to look up. It was a mistake because as soon as her chocolate eyes met his it was a harpoon to his heart.

"Are you okay, Isaac?"

He looked back at Penny, the girl that was supposed to have all of his attention. He rocked her gently in her arms keeping a a friendly distance, not that he would say the same for Christian, he looked like he was ready to seal the deal with her. His brother was going to take advantage of someone he really cared about. Sure she hadn't talk to him in months, but screw it, they had history. He watched them as they walked out of the room. "I'm fine." He feigned a smile, "I'll be right back, Penny."

He was probably the biggest jerk for just leaving her, but technically it wasn't a real date. He probably should have been looking for Dorian so he could introduce him to Penny. Then he could deal with Christian. Now he had a tether for the night.

She trailed behind Christian with her head low, as if trying to leave conspicuously.

"Christian, Mel, wait up." He ran after them.

She fell into him almost like she was drunk and Christian caught her by the hips. Isaac's fist clenched.

She turned and looked at him. Again those eyes. His heart was hammering in his chest.

"You should get back to your date."

Not if you're going anywhere with him. Why haven't you called me? Are you going to sleep with him? Questions flooded his brain but they all made him sound like a posessive whiny idiot. He just picked one that sounded the least like that, "Uh...when did you get back."

She turned again giving him a perfect view of her figure. That dress was made for her. He followed her caramel legs upward to the rest of her curves again, and hated the thought of that dress on Christian's floor.

"Just today. Val's wedding. It's not going to plan itself."

Again he had to chose the right question that didn't make him look like an idiot. "How long you sticking around?" That he was curious about. He wanted her to say she was staying for good, but he knew it was a long shot.

"Not long."

The two words pained his gut,and she said them so coldly. His eyes fell as he wallowed in the feeling. "Oh. Okay. Well, it's good seeing you again."

"Yeah." She didn't even say it was good seeing him too. Maybe it wasn't, maybe he was intruding on what ever she had with Christian. He let the thought sink in more.

"Bye" He said past the lump in his throat. He turned and went back into the dance. The two were definitely going to sleep together and he was definitely going to hurt her. He should have accepted that it was her problem.

"Hey Isaac." He heard Penny's voice. He still felt like a jerk for leaving her and an even bigger jerk for worrying about another woman. Penny and him weren't an item, but still, it was rude, "Is everything okay?"

He chuckled trying to think of a good lie. He didn't want to lie but the truth made him sound like weak idiot. "Just some wedding stuff. Melanie needed my tux size." He didn't know why he was lying, he'd guessed he was embarrassed to just say the truth. He didn't want his brother to sleep with the woman he'd loved with since he was ten. It just didn't seem like the thing to reveal on a charity auction date, or any date. What would she think about him then?