Thirty seven

Zane's POV

Seeing Belle now, sitting just across the table, her eyes avoiding mine at every turn, made the drinks I had picked up earlier seem pointless.

I had been so convinced I’d need something strong to get through this evening, but now, they felt like a weight I didn’t want to carry.

Amanda, ever the lively one, caught my quiet demeanor and decided to poke fun at it. “So, Zane,” she started with a teasing smirk, “are you really as obedient as you look, or are you just pretending for tonight?”

Fletcher, never one to miss an opportunity, chuckled beside me. “As if,” he said, nudging me with his elbow.

“Depends on what you mean. I tend to be very obedient except when it comes to somewhere more quiet and intimate," I replied, glancing over at Belle briefly.

She sure was still immersed in her glass of juice.

“He's a male whore!" Amanda exclaimed and we all laughed. Thankfully the kids were engrossed with a game and their chattering a few feets away.

“That would be Fletcher before