“Everything.”
“Okay. You’re right. Nothing is okay.”
“I know.” I chuckle at how sure of herself she sounds. “Will…will you stay?”
She sounds so broken, like her entire world is caving in on her in this moment. I know I don’t know her, but I can’t help wanting to make sure she’s okay.
“Okay. I’ll stay,” I relent. “But you have to promise not to feel me up, okay?”
She laughs and my chest starts to ache. It’s an odd feeling, almost like it’s being lit from the inside out. I feel…something, and that hasn’t happened for some time.
“Promise. But you have to promise you’ll stay.”
I swallow once, twice. “Promise.”
The room is bathed in silence, and I can’t stop the wheels spinning in my head. If Hudson were to find out I stayed the night… Fuck. I’d be in some deep shit with him. Hell, I already feel like I’m in some deep shit with myself.
Grabbing a pillow and a small blanket from the foot of the bed, I create a makeshift bed on the floor near where Haley is. The sound of a soft snore lets me know she’s fallen asleep. I slip my feet from my shoes, removing my socks as I go. I begin to lift my shirt over my head but think better of it. I don’t want her to wake up and freak out because I’m half-naked. Shit. I don’t want her to freak out at all. For just a brief moment, I start to think about leaving again, but then I remember the promise I made. I have to stay. It’s the right thing to do. So, I settle down on the floor, packing the pillow just how I like it and covering myself with the small blanket. My feet stick out, but at least it covers most of me.
I roll over on my side, trying to get comfortable, but it’s just not happening. I have no idea how much time passes before I hear Haley start to shuffle around. The bed dips and shakes as she moves. A pillow lands near my head, another blanket is thrown over me. Her cold feet against mine. I don’t move. I have no idea how to move at this point. Her proximity is intimidating. I can barely make her out in the dark room but I can see she’s laid herself out on the floor next to me, so close that her hair brushes against my face. It tickles, but I still can’t move.
“Gaige.” Her voice is so quiet and shy. “Are you awake?”
“Yeah.” Mine is hoarse and scratchy. “What’s up?”
“Can I tell you a secret?”
I smile at her repeated words from earlier. “Acquaintances share secrets?”
She rolls over until she’s facing me, our noses inches apart. She closes her eyes as she says, “They do now.”
It’s so quiet in the room, our erratic breaths the only thing heard. We’re both afraid to talk. A slight frown puckers the skin between her brows. Whatever she wants to say, it’s hurting her. I hate that it’s hurting her. I lick my lips, about to ask her what she wanted to tell me, but she beats me to it.
“You remember what I told you we were doing tonight at the bar?”
It takes me a moment to remember and when I do, I also remember the pain hidden in her eyes as she spoke of it. “Celebrating life.”
“Yeah,” she says quietly. “I’ve never been so sad to celebrate life before.”
Confusion falls over my features and I know she can see it. “What?”
“She’s pregnant. My friend.”
“Well that’s awesome.”
She’s so close I can feel her tears start falling. They’re falling so quickly they drop, drop, drop on my arm she’s lying next to.
“Maybe it’s not so awesome?”
It comes out as a question because I genuinely have no idea what to say. Do I press the issue or wait? Waiting seems the safest, but I do reach out and pull her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her and dragging her until she’s lying halfway on top of me. There’s tension built up in her entire body, and it’s not because we’re so close together. No, this has been there for some time. It’s like a weight has made a home on top of her shoulders. Something inside me screams, begging me to help her carry some of it.
Her tears continue to silently roll down her cheeks for several minutes until a few sniffles here and there let me know she’s beginning to relax. I can feel the slightest amount of pressure release off her shoulders, but it’s not enough. She’s still carrying so much around.
We lie there quietly, comfortably. I stroke her hair, lulling her into slumber.
“Gaige?” Her whisper is so quiet I almost don’t hear it.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For helping me. For staying. And for not feeling me up.”
I laugh lightly, pleased to feel her smile against me.
“Any time, Haley. Any time at all.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
2
I have to admit something and you need to hold back your judgment. It’s not as bad as it sounds…maybe.
I’m ridiculously good at sneaking around. It doesn’t matter if it’s in or out, I’m an ace at it. I’ve had a tremendous amount of practice doing both. Sneaking into a store after hours so you can have a quiet place to sleep then sneaking back out before the store opens? All without triggering any alarms? Done it. Twice. What about picking the lock of a house in a ritzy neighborhood you’ve watched all day in order to get your grungy hands on the diamonds you saw draped all over the woman at the store just hours earlier only to pawn them for some cash? Yep. I’ve done that too.
Right now, I’m not beyond using my abilities to slink around undetected to carefully extract myself from the situation I’m currently in.
Haley’s still passed out on top of me, and if the rays of the early morning light I spy shining through her blinds are any indication, I need to get out of here—fast.
I need to escape first (and mostly) because I’m a little freaked out. We meshed a little too well together last night. She felt too comfortable and natural in my arms. I eased her pain too quickly. And now in the daylight, the revelation of me staying over being a huge mistake is staring at me with its ugly face. I enjoyed talking with her too much, even though she was drunk for most of the conversation. I want to talk to her again. Sober. Drunk. Any time.
The other part that has me wanting to split? Hudson’s girlfriend. If she was to catch me in her apartment, I have no idea how I would explain that one. What would I say? I just helped your drunk sister home, held her as she cried, and fell asleep with her. Oh and we didn’t bone. Right. Because I’m so sure she’d believe me, especially after Haley yelled out how I was going to “take care of her” in a rather evocative way.
Not likely.
I glance down to ensure Haley’s still out cold. Check. Carefully, I slide out from under her. The entire process takes well over five minutes as I only move about an inch per minute. Grabbing her head before it smacks against the floor, I gently move her until she’s comfortable on the pillow. Rising up on my knees, I watch her. I tell myself it’s just to make sure she’s still peacefully sleeping, but I’m lying. I watch her because she’s beautiful. If I thought she looked gorgeous last night, I was wrong. The fresh daylight highlights her features in a certain way, a way that makes her striking beauty stick out even more. The curve of her lips is more pouted, more touchable. There’s a slight crease between her brows, her worries showing even in her sleep. It’s sad, yet entrancing. It goes right back to that weight she’s carrying.
I give myself another moment with the same excuse and force my body into a standing position. I slip my socks and shoes back on quietly and scrub my hands over my head, trying to tame my wild morning hair. After another glance at the sleeping siren at my feet, I tiptoe to the door. I have my hand on the handle when I hear a stir. Holding my breath, I look back; she’s shifted positions, but she’s still asleep.
“Promise?”
The word is quiet, but clear. I watch her for any other movements or words. Nothing. So she talks in her sleep, huh? Interesting.
“Promise?” she says again.
I think back to the promise I made last night to the drunken crying stranger I took care of. I promised her any time, and any time would be a lot easier if she had a way to get ahold of me. Be that guy, Gaige. The one everyone believes you can be. Be the good guy. Don’t leave her behind like you left them behind.
My thoughts spur me into action. I glance around the room, my eyes bouncing off the sad portrait hanging on her wall that I didn’t see last night, the bright blue lamp next to her bed, and the calming blue dresser she has. Her taste is…eclectic, at best. A little clumsily put together, but it works.
Finally, my eyes land on a single notepad on the dresser. I scribble a quick note, one I know will get her to smile—if she remembers last night, that is.
Nikki,
I promise. Any time.
(555) 564-4464
Your Acquaintance,
Gaige Addams
Before I can change my mind, I leave the note right next to her head on the pillow I abandoned. Leaning down until my lips just barely graze her ear, I whisper, “Promise.”
The rest of the apartment is silent as I step out into the small hallway. I have no idea if there are other roommates here or not, but gauging from the other two doors I see, I’m guessing it’s just the two of them. My steps are silent, an old habit I never broke, and by some miracle I slip from the apartment unseen. I pat my pockets before I lock the door behind me, making sure I have my car keys before I lock myself out. Once I know I’m good to go, I click the door into place and release the breath I was holding the entire trek from her bedroom.
My shoulders are tense, my pace quick, and my mouth dry as I make my way out of her building, worried she’s going to burst out the door after me, or worse, I’ll pass her sister in the hallway.
Relief floods me when I finally walk through the front door, free and clear. Sighing, I look back up at the second floor where her apartment is. There’s a part of me that wants Haley to call so I can give her comfort, yet more so, there’s a part of me that never wants to hear from her again. Shouldering her pain and mine just isn’t something either of us is ready for, and if we decide to continue our friendship, I’m certain that’s going to be inevitable.
I turn back toward the road and make quick work of getting to my car back at Clyde’s, trying not to think about last night or how good she felt wrapped around me. I succeed. Barely.
A big, burly man steps out from the front doors as I start getting into my car. I recognize him instantly as Benny the bartender.
“Hey, man. What are you going here at six AM?”
“Inventory,” he answers curtly. “Did she make it home okay?”
I stiffen at the tone he’s carrying, a mix of concern with a hint of warning. I know Benny from the couple times I’ve been in the bar, even if it is a new hangout for us. Hudson’s girlfriend, Rae, works here and we’ve taken to frequenting the place. Benny is a good friend to Rae, and I like Rae a lot, so I’ve made it a mission to get to know him some. He’s usually sporting a smile and a welcoming vibe. His current look is neither a smile nor welcoming. I’ve never seen this side of him before. Then again, I don’t know him well. I also don’t know what he’s getting at here or why he’s asking after Haley. So, I play dumb.
I slide my eyes to his. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He takes an intimidating step toward me. “I have eyes, kid. I saw you go after her.”
I narrow my gaze, annoyed that he’s riding my ass so hard over this. “And if I did?”
“Those Kamden girls mean a lot me…”
He’s getting testy, the warning for me to stop fucking around clear. Clenching my jaw, I give him the answer he’s wanting. “She made it home safely.”
“Uh huh.” He doesn’t sound convinced. “And she’s good? You treat her okay?”
If it were possible, I’d narrow my eyes even more because his voice booms with uncertainty he has no reason to have. Boldly, he’s questioning my character. I don’t fucking like my character being questioned.
“That’s none of your business.”
It’s truly not. He’s not Haley’s father; I owe him no answers.
Anger flashes across his features as he takes another step toward me, like he’s fully preparing to beat my ass. Little does he know, I’ve been in fights with men twice his size before. I’m not scared, but I am getting pissed, and if I don’t get my ass moving, I’ll be late for work.
“Kid—”
“Look, I know you’re just trying to be protective of Haley, but I assure you, I treated her with the utmost respect, as I do every woman. It’s rather unfortunate you assume the worst about me when you don’t know me.”
“I’ve seen a lot of shit in my day. You’d be surprised the type of people that hide right in front of you.”
My hands snap to fists at my sides, my chest pumping fast as I struggle to control my breathing. His words are accusations toward me, which only means one thing—he’s heard a few stories about my past, stories I thought were buried.
“You’ve checked me out.”
“The moment you grew close to Rae.”
With the way he’s treating me right now, like I’m an annoying piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his boot, this information is surprising. He’s never acted this way toward me before, maybe because he knew Rae was taken by a good guy so he didn’t have to worry? I have no idea, but it doesn’t piss me off any less. “That was the past, Benny.”
“You need to stay away from Haley. Don’t get any stupid ideas in your head like romance or some shit. You got it?”
This time it’s me who takes a step toward him, my car beeping at me obnoxiously over the forgotten open door. So this is because Haley’s single. Wow. Didn’t know he thought so little of me.
“I already told you, that was my past. It’s not who I am anymore. Besides, I have no romantic interest in her. I just met her last night.”
Ignoring the last half of my statement, he says, “You’ll always be that guy, kid. You’re just an older version of him.”
“People change.”
“Not that I’ve ever seen.”
Irritation crawls up my back, my muscles jumping because of how tense they are. Remember when I said I was good at sneaking? I lied a little. I’m good, but I’ve been caught. Several times. I have a record, and it’s not something I’m proud of. The majority of my shady past is just that: shady, the records sealed since I was a minor. I thought I was beyond this when it came to people outside my family and myself, thought it was safe to move on.
I was wrong.
But so is he.
“You’re wrong.”
Benny eyes me up and down, his lips curling into disapproval. “Prove it.”
I skid into the open garage doors of Jacked Up at the last moment. It’s not like Hudson would give two shits if I was late, but I would. I’ve been working my ass off for years to prove I’m more than just some dumb punk kid.
My eyebrows slam together, the anger from my encounter with Benny rolling through me again.
“Fuck. Me.”
“I don’t swing that way, asshole.”
I whirl around and flip Tucker off. “Don’t lie, Tuck. If I crooked my finger at you, you’d swing right on over here.”
He huffs indignantly and ignores me.
I work side by side with my two best friends, have since I was sixteen. Hudson, the most mature of the bunch, managed to become a teenage statistic and had a kid, Joey, when he was still in high school. He started out low on the pole here and rode it all the way to top. He owns the joint now.
Tucker is…well, he’s Tuck. He’s covered in tattoos and croons his nights away at a local bar, wasting all his talent on the locals. Why he’s still sitting around here in this small town instead of selling out massive concert venues, I have no idea, but I guess we all have our reasons for the shit we do.
I met up with both of them when good ol’ Horton, Jacked Up’s original owner, took a chance on a kid. W
e all started working here about the same time, Hudson and Tucker already knowing one another from school when I came along. Our bonding was instant and lasting. We’ve been friends ever since.
Other than them, I’m kind of a…loner, if you will, and I’m one hundred percent okay with it.
“Why are you still scowling?”
“I’m not scowling.”
“See? Surly,” Tucker says, a big goofy grin gracing his stupid face at the clear annoyance in my voice.
“I am not surly.” Okay, even I heard the growl in my voice that time. Sighing, I force myself to relax some. “Fine. Maybe I am a little surly.”
“Oh I know you are,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “It’s not me you have to convince.”
I shrug his hand off and clock into my shift. “What are we working on today?”
“Gunters. Their Subaru needs a wee bit of a tune up after the wife decided to hit a car…that was parked.”
“Ouch.” I wince. “That’s gotta suck for insurance.”
He nods. “Yep. The husband wasn’t too happy, but Hudson actually knows him from high school, so he calmed him down some when he brought the car in.”
“Good ol’ Hudson with that level head of his and shit.”
“What about me?” Hudson, my boss and best friend, comes casually walking out of his office, joining Tucker and me by the time clock. “You were almost late, Gaige.”
I raise a brow. “So?”
Hudson’s lips twist. “That’s a first. Everything cool?”
“Just fucking peachy.”
Tucker leans over to Hudson but keeps his eyes on me. “This is the second time in about three minutes he’s growled. I’m worried we’re raising a bear.”
“I can’t handle another kid, Tucker. You’re his daddy, not me,” Hudson mock-whispers back, a smirk lining his lips.
“You’re both dicks, and not my daddies.”
“Well I walked into this conversation at the wrong point.” The new guy, Maddox, appears out of nowhere.
Tucker turns around and with a straight face, says, “We’re not your daddies either.”
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