Read Online Right Side Up ((MMG Novella)) by R.B. Hilliard - Free Book Online Page A

“It’s just for dinner. When you all head to the Dungeon, I’ll open it back up.”
    “Thank you, honey,” Joss told him.
    He gave her a hug and patted her slightly rounded belly. “Kurt is one lucky son of a bitch.”
    “I know,” she sighed, and we all laughed. When Lena and Polly arrived, Ellie and I went downstairs to look for Isabella and Sally.
    As we hit the bottom step, Ellie said, “Do you want to put a stop to this and go home?”
    Her question took me by surprise. “What? No! Why do you ask?”
    “I saw the guilty look on your face when Zane introduced you to the guys. This night is for you to relax and have fun, not worry.” Her eyes lowered to where I was unconsciously twisting my ring back and forth and I stopped. She shook her head at me. “Have you told Gage how you feel or are you going to end up like me and just explode when you’ve had enough?” Ellie and I hadn’t really talked about what happened that day in Joss and Kurt’s driveway.
    “I miss the old Gage,” I blurted.
    “I take it he’s still suffocating you?”
    “It’s more than that…a lot more, but I feel wrong for talking about it, if that makes any sense.”
    “More than you know,” she said with a sigh.
    “Are things any better with you and Max?”
    She smiled. “They are so much better, but only because we finally talked about it. Is Gage still talking to Dr. Parker?”
    “He is, but –”
    She squeezed my arm. “Either the Doc will get through or you are just going to have to take it into your own hands.”
    “I’ve been taunting him,” I admitted.
    She giggled. “I taunted Max for weeks.”
    “And?”
    She shrugged. “It worked in a very round-about way.”
    “Details?” I asked.
    “Nope,” she responded.
    We shared a conspiratorial smile as we watched Sally pull up. After greeting both she and Isabella, we all went upstairs for dinner.
    As soon as dinner was over, we were led down into the Dungeon, which was a large, dark bar with a kick ass dance floor. I had to laugh when Joss ordered us all shots and herself a glass of water. We danced and drank and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt like myself again. No one was hovering or worrying about me. No one was telling me what to do, where to go or how to feel. We lasted a little over an hour before the evening started going off the rails. I’m not sure if it was when Dillon showed up, carted Isabella away, and blamed me for her wasted condition. Or if it was when I twirled Ellie so hard, she lost her balance and, like a human slingshot, took out six people before landing in an unladylike heap under our table. It doesn’t really matter. Either way, we were having fun, which was something I hadn’t experienced in forever. That is, until Gage and Max showed up. At first, I thought Joss was the culprit, but I couldn’t find her to ask. To say the guys were angry is an understatement. Ellie was drunk, but still functional. With her fuck me hair, ripped dress and bar floor knees, I can imagine what Max must have thought. He shot me a scathing look. Then he collected Ellie and they left.
    Without speaking a word to me, Gage settled the bar tab, shook Zane’s hand and walked out the door. What the hell?
    As I passed by Zane, he grabbed my arm. “Sorry Piper. Kurt called asking if Joss was here. I didn’t realize…”
    I patted him on the arm and smiled. “It’s not your fault. Thanks for a great night.” With a deep breath, I followed after Gage. When I saw him waiting outside his truck glaring daggers through me, all the air came whooshing out at once. Damn.
    “Did you have fun tonight?” he asked. In the past, if I had pulled a stunt like this, he would have blown a gasket. The new Gage was all about calm and control.
    Looking deep into his eyes, I spoke the truth. “I had more fun tonight than I’ve had in months. Thanks for asking.”
    “Is that so?” His quiet, chilling tone of voice gave me a second’s pause, but I