I circle to the other side of the bar, collecting the empties and damp coasters as I go, tossing them into the trash. His gaze trails me, warm and heavy on my skin, and a small smirk tugs at my lips. I know I’m driving him insane rightnow. Keeping quiet, saying no to the late-night drive, making him wait. He’s doing all the right things, letting me steer the ship for once, giving me the space I asked for. But I can’t help wondering how long it’ll last before he snaps. How far will he go to prove himself? It’s kind of empowering after so many months of feeling small, invisible. I feel it humming through me, the control. I glance up. He’s standing there, towel in hand, polishing the beer taps, his jaw tight. The light catches the edge of his sharp cheekbone, the curve of his mouth, anddamn, he’s still the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.
“One drink,” I say before I can chicken out.
His answering smile is slow and full of promise.
Yeah… this one drink is going to ruin me.
10
DON’T HOLD BACK
HUNTER
I’ve been hanging by a thread all night, trying to play it cool. She saidone drink, and hearing those two words is like a lifeline to me. My pulse hammers, my chest tightens. To her, it’s just one drink, but to me, it’s hope.Fuck, watch me screw this up.
I move on autopilot as we close for the night. From the outside, I probably look like I’ve got my head screwed on. Restocking fridges, wiping down the bar, and helping Connor stack chairs onto tables. Routine. Controlled. Inside though… I’m a goddamn mess. Every sound feels too loud, my hands can’t stay still, and my stomach twists.
Bending down, I flick the switch at the wall, and the neon sign dies with a soft hiss, the jukebox going silent a second later. The room dips into a calm that I can’t feel. Anxiousness invades me, and my mind keeps spiraling into all thewhat-ifs. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I lose her all over again? My heart’s beating so hard, it feels like it might punch its way out of my ribs any second now.
“Hey, man,” I call out to Asher. “Help me check the kegs and lock the bathrooms.”
If anyone can help me out here, it’s him. Crazy how things turn out. Never in a million years did I think I’d be turning to Asher for girl advice. He’s always been the quiet, broody type. The guy who’d rather bottle everything up than talk it out. But Halle changed that. She pulled the fight out of him, made him face the shit he tried so hard to outrun. When he first showed up in Sunlit Cove, he was an asshole. Young and stupid, carrying a past that ate at him. Hell, he thought he killed our mom. Didn’t know back then that he and his cousin were the ones who sold her the pills that ended everything. The ones that broke Halle. Broke us. When he figured it out, after Halle told him everything on Mom’s anniversary. He ran. Thought we’d hate him. That we’d blame him. But that’s not how we do things. We don’t turn our back on family. Now he’s here, steady as hell. The guy who’d move heaven and earth for my sister and I’m proud as hell of him, proud to call him my brother.
“You doing okay?” he asks, locking all the doors.
“Fine. Madi said she’ll stay back for a drink tonight.”
“Yeah?” He shoots me a knowing smile.
“What if I fuck this up?”
“You won’t. Just be honest with her, dude. Remember when I told you that Halle was better than me, and you said I deserved this? Happiness. Someone who would keep me guessing, someone who makes me want to do better, be better. Yeah, well, same thing, my man. Sure, you’ve fucked up, but don’t we all at some point? It’s the way we come back from that fuck-up that matters most. Talk to her, but show her you mean what you say. Ask her what she needs. Don’t just fucking assume.”
“Alright, who made you the relationship guru?” I tease.
“Your sister, man.” He says it with a half smile.
“Speaking of my sister, her birthday’s coming up. You got any plans for her?”
Asher grabs the clipboard off the wall, that same half smile still lingering as we move toward the kegs. We fall into a quiet rhythm, checking taps, logging numbers; the sound of our breathing, and the pen scratching fills the space. It’s easy, familiar, normal.
“She’s made me promise I won’t make a fuss out of her birthday. I was just planning to keep it simple. She loves it when the whole crew gets together for a barbecue and movie night. Pretty sure Connor will insist on a cake, and the girls will want to make a fuss out of gift giving. I don’t want to go crazy big for her. She’s a little scary when she’s mad.”
I chuckle, shaking my head slightly. “Yeah, she kind of gets that from our mom.” A small smile pulls at my lips, remembering the fire in Mom’s eyes whenever I crossed the line.
“It’s the first birthday I get to celebrate with her since she was a kid,” I say, taking the clipboard from him and hanging it back up. “And since I’m not the one who made the promise to not make a fuss?—”
“Whatever you want to do, I’m down for it,” he says quickly with a wide smile.
“Okay, that was a lot easier than I thought.” I laugh, clapping him on the back.
“So, what are you thinking?”
“When we were kids, we used to go to the arcade. Halle loved it there.” I smile faintly at the memory. “I never had the money for us to play the games, but the atmosphere, the lights, the sounds, she ate it up. It was right before I took off… I promised her one day, I’d take her to an arcade, and we’d spend the whole day there.” I shrug, a small amount of doubt creeping in.
“You want to take her to the arcade for her birthday?” he asks, amusement lighting in his eyes.
We round the counter to the bar where Madi and Connor are standing.
