“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but there’s no way your parents and Clair don’t know about you and AJ.”

Isaiah’s comment made Addison’s eyes widen. “Why do you say that?”

“It’s so ridiculously obvious how crazy he is about you.”

She smiled timidly, feeling her face warm, and her heart practically skipped a beat. “Oh, he’s nothing like that in front of them. There’s absolutely no kissing or even touching.”

“I’m not just talking about the physical contact.” Isaiah laughed. “It’s that goofy expression on his face the whole time he’s around you. Hell, he wore it even before you got here when he told Nate and me more about you and Clair.” He shook his head with a smile as perfect at AJ’s and Nathan’s. “I’ve never seen him like this. The guy’s got it bad.”

Thankfully, Kelli walked out of the ladies’ room just then because Isaiah’s comments, while exciting, were embarrassing her, and she had no idea how to respond to his last one. “All yours,” Kelli said, pointing at the restroom door.

“I won’t be long,” she said, deciding to take the cowardly way and not respond at all.

Knowing she had them waiting on her, Addison tried to be quick about it. But, of course, in her haste as she washed her hands, she splashed water all over the front of her blouse and ended up having to dry it on the hand dryer, making her stay in there much longer than she’d hoped. To her surprise, they weren’t outside waiting when she finally made it out. How embarrassing! Had she really taken so long they got tired of waiting? She glanced around in both directions of the small hallway the restrooms were in. One side of the darkened hallway led into the back where she assumed the unmarked doors were for employees only. The other direction led back into the restaurant.

Unsure if she should wait, she peeked out into the restaurant and glanced around and up at the staircase that led to their private patio, hoping to at least spot them going up.

“Hmm.” She craned her neck to check the bar area.

Maybe they’d decided to grab another drink while they waited for her? She strolled over to the bar area to double-check. Nothing. Dumbfounded, she headed back to the restroom area to see if, by chance, they’d gone back to search for her. She was still hopeful that they hadn’t gone back to the patio and announced to AJ and Nathan that she’d taken so long they left her behind. But they weren’t there either, so she headed back up to the patio.

Pleasantly surprised but at the same time feeling bad when she reached the patio because they weren’t there either, she stopped. She hesitated to walk all the way in when she realized they were obviously still downstairs.

“Where’s Kelli and Sai?” AJ asked.

Nathan, who’d been looking down at his phone, glanced up now too, looking as curious as AJ.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, walking back out and checking the stairwell again. “They were gone when I got out of the restroom. I checked the bar area, but they weren’t there either, so I just assumed they’d come back up.”

Nathan’s brows furrowed. “That’s weird.” He turned to AJ, already tapping at his phone screen. “Does this place have another area they might’ve gone to check out?”

“Not that I know of,” AJ said, reaching for Addison’s hand as she sat down next to him.

“I hope they’re not looking for me,” Addison said, feeling apprehensive.

“Nah.” AJ pecked her. “And if they are, like you did, they’ll figure it out soon enough and head back up.”

Nathan sent what Addison assumed was a text. He picked his phone right up again and sent another, only Isaiah’s phone went off at the table where he’d left it.

Nathan cursed under his breath when he realized Isaiah didn’t even have his phone on him. About ten minutes later and still no response to Nathan’s text, AJ’s brother was on his feet. “I’m gonna go look for them,” he said, sounding almost annoyed.

“Relax,” AJ said. “They’re probably already on their way up.”

“Yeah, like you’d relax,” Nathan said as he rushed around the table.

AJ turned to Addison with a smirk. “Yeah, he has me there.”

Isaiah walked in just before Nathan reached the door leading back into their private patio. When Kelli didn’t enter behind him, Nathan asked the very thing she knew they were all wondering. “Where’s Kelli?”

“She left,” Isaiah said then explained quickly. “She said to tell you she’d explain later but to say she was sorry she had to leave so unexpectedly.” Before Nathan could interrupt, like he looked ready to, Isaiah lifted his hand. “She got a phone call while we were waiting for Addison. When she got upset, I walked out back with her into the parking lot. All she said as she rushed to the valet was that her mom had been in an accident.”

“Her mom?” Nathan asked with his phone already at his ear. “Her mom’s dead.”

Isaiah’s face nearly blanched, and he appeared as flabbergasted as Addison was sure the rest of them were feeling. “I don’t know, man. Stepmom maybe?”

“That’s weird,” Nathan said. “Her dad has a new girlfriend every few months. From what she’s told me, she’s hated every single one of them. And she was upset?”

Isaiah had ambled over to where he’d been sitting and downed his entire drink. “Yeah, she was,” he said when he was done.

“Kelli, call or text me as soon as you can, babe. Just let me know if you’re okay.” Nathan came back to Isaiah, still noticeably concerned. “Who called her? One of her brothers?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t say,” Isaiah said then asked for another drink from the waitress who came in to take their empty glasses.

Nathan cancelled Kelli’s plate, letting the waitress know she had to leave and wasn’t coming back. Then he turned to Isaiah again. “Was she like crying upset?”

Isaiah nodded, distracted momentarily by something on his phone. “Yeah, she cried,” he muttered as he tapped away on his phone then set it down.

Their food came and talk of Kelli ceased until Nathan’s phone rang about twenty minutes later and he answered immediately.

“Kelli, what happened?” They all waited quietly as he listened to whatever she was saying. “Wait, wait. Slow down. Why?” he said as his face hardened, and he stood up and walked out the patio area for some privacy.

AJ and Addison exchanged equally blank looks; then he turned to Isaiah. “Did he sound mad to you?” AJ asked.

Isaiah shrugged, staring at the doorway Nathan had just exited. He took another sip of his drink. “Maybe.”

A few minutes later Nathan re-entered the patio area and addressed Isaiah. “Did she say anything else to you before she left?”

Isaiah stared at him for a moment before answering then shook his head. “Just to tell you she’d explain later. Why?”

“She broke things off,” Nathan said, dropping his phone on the table. The waitress walked in just then. “Can I get a shot of tequila?” he asked then turned to the rest of them, his expression still as hard as ever. “Any of you guys want one?”

“I’ll take one,” Isaiah said immediately.

“Nah,” AJ said, but you go ahead. I’ll drive you guys back to your hotel room. Addison and I will take a cab from there back to ours.” AJ shook his head, still looking confused but also annoyed as only AJ could get. “So she drove all the way here to spend the weekend with you then broke things off?”

“Yeah,” Nathan said with a humorless chuckle as he sat down. “She’s been hot and cold almost from the beginning, but she’d been different lately.”

His phone rang again, and Nathan took one look at the screen and was on his feet again.

“That her?” AJ asked, his face already souring.

Nathan nodded but rushed out of the patio area.

“What the fuck?” AJ said, turning back to Isaiah as soon as Nathan was out the doorway. “What? Is she playing games now? I knew there was something I didn’t like about her ever since that day at the house with her stepping away every fifteen minutes to take calls.”