CHAPTER 20
Braxton
Several hours earlier
Benson’s is decked out in glitter, wall decorations, glitter balloons, and streamers. If you can buy it, they have it, and it’s even better when I catch sight of Benson himself, standing behind the bar with his arms crossed and a scowl on his lips as he stares at Randi.
“It’s New Year’s Eve,” she’s saying crossly. “And Monroe hired out the bar. What did you think was going to happen?”
“It looks like a leprechaun threw up everywhere,” he grumbles. “You know you’re cleaning it up, right?”
“Sure, as soon as you pay for the privilege,” Randi retorts. She looks around thoughtfully. “Leprechauns would vomit green, I think. This is more like a fairy or a unicorn.”
Benson widens his eyes at her. “Does it matterwhatthrew up? Just that theyvomitedall over my bar?”
Randi rolls her eyes. “If you’re going to be like that, you should make yourself scarce. You’re gonna ruin everyone’s mood.” She turns and saunters toward the other endof the bar, and Benson growls under his breath before stomping away to his office.
Randi catches sight of me and gives me a crooked grin. “You’re an eager beaver, aren’t you?” She checks the time. “Party doesn’t technically start for another hour.”
I give her a small smile. “But you’re gonna give me a beer anyway, yeah?”
She narrows her eyes, but then jerks her head toward the stool in front of her. “Come on, then, fire boy. You look like you could use it to settle your nerves.”
The next hour passes quickly,Randi coming up and chatting with me as she flits around, making sure everything is ready for the night. People started trickling in about twenty minutes ago, but everyone seems to be giving me a wide berth. The stool next to me is pulled out at one point, and I glance up from my half-drunk beer—number three—and look at Nick in surprise.
“What’re you doing here?”
He tips his head across the room, and I look over and catch sight of Esther and Joseph mingling in a group with Monroe, Asher, and Theo.
“I came with my folks,” he says unnecessarily. “And I figured you’d be here.”
I look back at him with a frown. “Paisley isn’t here, is she?”
“Nah, man.” Nick gives a sharp shake of his head. “She’s at home.” Randi’s working the floor, so the new bartender—with the lip piercing—has taken over, sliding an open bottle over to Nick. “Thanks.” The bartender nods and walks away, serving someone else, but Nick mumbles a curse.
“What?”
“Your parents are here. They’ve clocked mine.” I lookup and see he’s right, my dad holding my mom’s arm like he’s locking her down while she glares in Esther’s direction. Dad turns her around, pushing her the opposite way, and Nick slumps. “What a fucking mess.”
“You think they’ll make peace?” I ask him. “They’ve been friends for almost thirty years.”
He huffs under his breath, tipping his beer to his lips. “Not unless my mother admits she was wrong and spoke out of turn. She should never have talked to Gracie like that.” He fixes a dark glower on me, and I blow out a breath.
“Okay,” I mumble. “I’m working on fixing it, okay?” I turn back to my beer, finishing it off before raising my empty bottle to the bartender for another. He nods, coming over a minute later and sliding fresh ones in front of us. “I was hoping Gracie would come tonight,” I murmur. “Neutral ground, you know?”
Nick doesn’t look at me, frowning down at his beer. “You never know. I’m kind of surprised that she hasn’t reached out yet.” He looks at me, his eyes sincere. “She fucking loves you, Brax. That’s why she’s so hurt.”
There’s a sharp pinch in my chest. “I know.”
He slowly shakes his head. “I don’t think you do. Our families have always been a unit, right? We work together and support each other.” His expression tightens. “I’ve always had Paisley’s back, even when it feels like I shouldn’t.”
“What’s your point?” I ask gruffly.
“My point,” Nick says slowly, “is that Gracie never had that. When she moved here, she was alone, right? She got Bridget, and then us, but those relationships don’t erase a lifetime of beingalone. And now…” He blows out a breath. “You’ve just proven every damn thing she was scared of. The minute shit got too hard, you bailed and left her to sink.”
“Iwas sinking,” I tell him quietly.
“I know,” he says back, voice just as low. “And you wouldn’t let her be there for you while you found someone else to keep you afloat.” His eyes land on me. “I don’t want to keep belaboring the point, Brax, but until you see it from Gracie’s point of view, you’re never going to truly understand what you did to her.”
