Unshed tears gloss her eyes as she looks up at me. “Tyler, I’m so sorry. He hasn’t drank like that in a while…”
Holding a hand up, not wanting to hear any more of her excuses, I press another kiss to her cheek. I lean my arms on the open window frame and bend down to tell her one last thing. “The offer still stands. It always does. When you’ve had enough, you tell me.”
As soon as I shut the door of Sam’s jeep wrangler, I pinch the brim of my nose and take in a deep inhale. A groan leaves my throat as I rub my face while leaning back into the seat. One single glance at Sam tells me she’s just as exhausted as I feel.
“Martha’s?” She asks.
“Yes, please,” I laugh. It’s like she can read my mind.
She smiles at me. “I’ll text the family right now.” She pulls her phone out, her purple nails tapping the screen speedily.
I hear my own phone alert within a few seconds, gettingnotifications from my family’s chat and everyone agreeing to meet at Martha’s. A message from Sunny comes through, bringing just a hint of a smile to my lips.
Getting off work, be there in 30.
I like you, Sunny.
As soon as we get to Martha’s, my phone lights up with my mother telling me she’s made it to the hotel. I rub my face and check her location anyways. Thankfully, she is where she says she is.
I check my bank account to make sure the purchase of the hotel room is on there for more assurance. To my dismay, it is. Breathing out a shaky breath, I check the cameras in their house for one last reassurance. The feed shows Mitchell sitting by the fire, smoking a cigar, and downing another glass of amber poison. Jumping camera to camera, the house is empty aside from him.
My attention is brought back to reality as Anthony arrives, followed by Cole, then Macey, and then the final piece. I know she’s here before I even look up. As soon as I do, Sunny is walking through the door, wearing her scrubs, which seem to be a frequent outfit of hers.
I like you in scrubs, Sunny.
Cole and Sam order drinks with Anthony following after. Macey must be securing a pool table for the night. I sit at our regular booth, itching to look at my phone again. So I glance at it, checking my mother’s location to find it’s still at the hotel, just like it was five minutes ago. With my eyes set on my phone again, I feel a soft plop right next to me in thebooth. Her presence wafts me in a wave of coconut and vanilla.
Sunny.
“You look like you need a drink.” She scoots right next to me. My heart starts pounding in my chest at the contact. It’s fucking criminal, the way she makes me feel.
Her red nose and rosy cheeks tells me she was outside for far too long. “Did youwalkhere?” I ask.
A series of alternate solutions run through my head. I can order her a car. Hell, I’llbuyher a fucking car. I’ll pick her up. Instead, she chooses to walk and cause every instinct in me to fire off because of it.
She nibbles the inside of her lip, then tongues the spot she bit. “That’s none of your concern. It looks like drinks are taken care of.” She nods towards the love triangle standing at the bar. “And please, someone has to tell me the story onthat.”
It is my concern when it’s you, Sunny.
I sigh and laugh, rubbing my face because this woman will be the death of my peace.
“Well,” I start. “I’m sure there is much more to the story. I know Sam has hooked up with both of them. I really don’t want to know the details of ‘hooked up’, but I do know that Anthony has basically been in love with her since we were kids.”
Sunny watches the triangle at the bar. “And Cole?” she asks, now looking at me. I like that she cares about my family.Our family.
“Cole is like that off limits thing. You know Sam, when you tell her she can’t do something, it only makes her want to do it more.”
Cole's attention is very tentatively directed to the bar, while Sam’s is on Cole, and Anthony’s is on Sam. I let out a humorless laugh.
Sunny nods as her eyes flick back and forth between me and the bar. “I can relate to that. Like you have something to prove.”
“Is that why you walk alone at night? Because I asked you not to?”
“Makes sense you’re next in line to own an investment company, because you sure are pretty fucking invested in me.” She arches a brow.
I lick my lips and smile. “A girl with a fire who’s not afraid to burn anyone,” I lean into her. “Kinda makes my dick hard.”
Her mouth falls open and before she can answer, Macey seats herself into the booth next to Sunny. “Hey, Sunny!” She slings an arm around her.
