He crouches down into her space, holding out his hand and flashing a grin. “We don’t have to go back. I just wanted to spend time with you. Is that okay?”
Lauren’s gaze flicks to me, and I give her a nod. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”
She gets up, leaving with Austin, and I remind myself this is a good thing. Austin has had his eye on Lauren all school year. It’s been so obvious. As much as I want to be upset about him being with her, I recognize a guy like Austin comes with a lot less baggage than I do. He’s better for her than I could ever be. I should be relieved he came to take her because this needs to end, or it’s going to be impossible not to fall for my best friend’s sister.
Chapter One
Now
Lauren
Never drink hard liquor.That’s a rule I’ve always followed. I prefer beer and wine over the burn of spirits, and I watched my brother, Charlie, do too many stupid things when he drank whiskey, back in high school.
Tonight though, I came into the bar just wanting to feel…nothing. Too many emotions have been swirling around inside of me over the last few months. So here I am, sitting at the Long Neck Bottle drinking my second glass of Jim Beam on the rocks, and I can’t help but think this isn’t working. Because despite my desire to feel numb, I’m feeling a whole host of things when I register the tall, broad figure of Jax Greer.
I watch his biceps flex as he mixes what looks to be a whiskey sour for one of the locals at the other end of the bar. When his blue-eyed gaze latches on to mine, heat rises in my chest. My curiosity is piqued, and I’m almost giddy, a sensation I haven’t felt in too many years to count. It allfeels borderline too much, but at least I’m no longer thinking about the weight I came here to escape.
When Jax realizes I’m sitting at the bar alone, a surprised smile spreads on his face and he approaches me.
“What’re you doing here by yourself, Freckles? Are Callie and Olivia meeting you?”
“Why do you insist on calling me that?” I huff. “Just call me Lauren like everyone else.”
“I’ve been doing it for years. There’s no sense in stopping now. Where are your friends?”
“It’s just me.” If the girls knew I was here alone, they’d throw a fit.
He narrows his eyes further.Gosh, they really are beautiful eyes.“What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“People don’t sit in bars and drink alone over nothing.”
I spin my glass, watching the ice clunk around inside. “Maybe I do.”
“No, you don’t.” He leans against the bar, inspecting me. The motion pulls his plain white T-shirt taut against his chest in a way that makes my head spin more than the alcohol. “Tell me what’s going on.”
I tap my fingers on my glass. “I came here so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone about what’s going on.”
He clenches his teeth, highlighting his strong, stubbled jawline. I’m pretty sure that thing could cut glass.
Still tapping my fingers, I ask, “Can you just get me another Jim Beam on the rocks?”
He doesn’t tear his gaze from me. Between being in my orbit over the last nine years and working at this bar, he knows my drinking habits. “You sure you don’t want a beer?”
“Nope.”
He hesitantly moves from the bar, sweeping across the room to grab a bottle of bourbon off the shelf. When he sets the glass down in front of me, his eyebrows rise in concern. “You’re sure you don’t want to talk? I can be a good listener. It’s one of the requirements of being a bartender.”
I shake my head. “Right now, I just want to sit and sip on this toxic sludge.”
His lips slip into a half-hearted smile, but I don’t miss the concern in his eyes when he gives me a curt nod and draws away from the counter to help another customer. Even as he mixes up their pink cocktail and nods along good-naturedly, he watches me carefully.
The feel of his eyes on me sparks a flicker of a flame, and I sip my drink in an attempt to put it out. I’m not sure why alcohol is my solution for everything tonight. It’s never been known to put out a fire.
When my phone buzzes in my pocket, I know who it is before I even pull it out. I decline the call and send a text.
Me
