by Nicole Dykes
Blair still isn’t a huge fan, but I know my friend and Adele is starting to grow on her. “So, maybe I could take a shower and wash this fucking day off me?”
Adele’s smile is infectious as she bounces over to Blair. “Absolutely! And I meant what I said, you guys are more than welcome to stay the night here. Maybe get some food, recoup.”
Sean and Rhys share a look, and I can tell they are having a silent conversation. Afterward, Sean looks over at Adele. “It sounds good to me.” He turns to look at me and Blair as I join her side. “What do you two think?”
“Ah, actually caring about her feelings for once, Sean?”
I could kill Blair. Rhys shakes his head. “I thought I told you to stop being a pain in the ass.”
“And I told you to fuck off.”
I hold up a hand, telling them both to shut up. I don’t think I can handle their sexually tense, angry banter. “It sounds like a plan to me.” I turn to Adele. “If you really don’t mind us invading your home, that is.”
“Not at all, my friend. Let’s go find that shower, shall we?” She hooks one arm in mine and signals to Blair to follow us as we climb the stairs.
We walk into the bedroom off the stairs. There’s a king-sized bed and a small bathroom off the side. “You girls can take this room.”
“Thank you.” I look around as Adele rummages through the bathroom closet, pulling out two towels before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. She’s looking around the room, almost in a daze. “Are you okay?”
She sits next to me, her hands on the mattress on each side of her. “I am. Just being here, I feel close to my mum.”
Blair looks sadly over at me before taking a seat next to her. “You actually liked your mother?”
Adele nods her head as she looks down at her sandals. “I did.” She turns to look at Blair. “You didn’t?”
“Don’t. Unfortunately, mine’s still alive.”
I shake my head. I know the complicated backstory of Blair and her mother. Adele doesn’t, but still she laughs and leans into it. “Isn’t that always the way?”
Blair smiles, and it’s her genuine one, not the one she gives before she’s about to attack or the fake one she offers when forced to be nice. “It is. Life is shit.”
“No, my new friend. Life is a gift.”
Blair doesn’t seem to agree, but she doesn’t argue. “I’m going to hop in the shower. This place better have decent water pressure or my hair will be fucked for the whole trip.”
Adele just lays back on the bed. “That, I can’t tell ya, mate.”
Blair takes her towel and goes into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. I look out the window at the setting sun. “Don’t mind Blair. She’s really harmless.”
“No doubt. She’s clearly been hurt before.”
I think Adele thinks Blair’s been hurt by love, but the truth is, I don’t think Blair has ever been in love. “I suppose, but that’s also just Blair.”
She chuckles, turns to her side with her head propped up on her hand. “And what about you?”
“What about me?”
“Sean. What’s the story there?”
Suddenly, I’m uncomfortable, and I stand up to examine the view out the window more closely. “There’s no story.”
Does she already know the story? Have they talked about me?
“Right.”
I turn to face her. “What’s your story with Sean?”
My defensive tone doesn’t bother her as she sits up and shrugs. “It’s the age-old story really. Girl breaks up with her longtime boyfriend and decides on a cross-country trip on a whim, stopping in Kansas at a bar and meets a boy.”
I fight the shudder that threatens to flow through my body, thinking about what happened when said girl met boy. “And then?’
She smiles. “Oh, you know, drunken sex. Him. Not her.” Her eyes meet mine. “Boy cries out for another woman, a beautiful name meaning ‘song’.”
I stare at her, my jaw dropped. “He said my name in bed?”
Her eyes are playful, but before she can answer me and either deny or confirm, the boys show up in the doorway, our luggage in tow.
“Holy fuck. Are you sure you all aren’t moving into this house?” Sean drops one of my pink bags on the ground in front of him.
I blush, thinking about what Adele just told me.
Does he still think about me? Even in other women’s company?
Seeing Adele and Melody talking alone is a little unnerving, I have to admit. Were they talking about me?
Melody’s gaze is strange as she studies me.
They definitely were.
“Where do you want this shit?” I can always count on Rhys to cut the bullshit.
Blair walks out of the small bathroom that’s tucked into the corner of the bedroom, wrapped only in a plum-colored towel. My eyes catch Rhys’s briefly, then his glue to her.
How the hell did these two hook up? I don’t get it.
Blair walks to Rhys and take a black bag out of his hands.
“You’re welcome.”
She tosses an unamused look at him as she walks back into the bathroom without saying a word, and I see Rhys’s jaw tick as he stands silently by the door.
Whatever is going on with these two, I have no doubt, it will explode.
And I need to stay close to make sure I’m there to pick up the pieces.
“So where shall we eat tonight?” I look over at Adele, as sunshiny as ever. I know she has a dark past, that’s really the only type of people I attract. But the girl seems untouchable by sour moods.
I place the absurd amount of luggage I’m carrying by the door and take a seat next to her. “Does this town even have places to eat?”
It was pretty desolate as we drove through the small town, and I don’t recall seeing one restaurant. Hell, not even a McDonald’s.
She pulls her phone out of her back pocket, and I try to avoid Melody’s eyes as Adele searches through her phone. “Well, it looks like there’s a diner that closed an hour ago and then a local tavern that’s open until eleven.”
I look over at Rhys. “Shit.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“In a bar?”
He rolls his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. “It’s a fucking hick-town tavern. I’ll be fine.”
Adele agrees by nodding her head and placing her phone back in her pocket. “In my experience, addicts seem to have the hardest time when they’re alone, not surrounded by loved ones.”
I wrap an arm around her shoulder as we sit on the edge of the bed, feeling protective of her like a younger sister. What has this woman been through?
“You know from experience?” I look up and see Melody’s sweet face as she asks the question. She seems slightly annoyed, but her curiosity seems to have gotten the best of her.
Adele nods her head. “I had quite an addiction, one that led me to some dark characters and even landed my brother in jail.”
I turn to look at her, my arm still holding her close. “What? How did he end up in jail for your addiction?”
“It’s a long story.” I can feel her tense. “One I don’t particularly like to talk about. He was trying to protect me.”
Intrigued, Blair walks out of the bathroom, her hair still wet, but dressed in jeans with a designer tag on the ass and a spaghetti-strapped tank top I’m almost positive will kill Rhys. “Damn, girl, that actually sounds like one hell of a story.”
Adele straightens up and shoots a white smile over to Blair. “I’ve finally interested you?” Her eyes flit over Rhys and then back to Blair. “Although, I suppose that’s not too surprising. You lean to the dark side, don’t ya, gorgeous?”
Rhys looks homicidal, but oddly enough, Blair doesn’t. Her right eyebrow lifts as her shoulder shrugs. “Keeps life interesting.”
“My brother is an incredible human, and I owe him my life. He almost lost Aubrey because of me, and you can bet, I won’t let him down.”
> Then why was she in the bar?
I don’t ask that. It would be a dick thing to do, even for me, but the thought is there. She must have had something happen that led her swaying back to the blackness, but now is not the time to ask.
“So, why the almost relapse the other day?”
Fuck. I forgot Rhys knows about the bar. And he has no problem being a dick no matter what the circumstance is. “Asshole.” It’s a warning from my lips and one that only makes Rhys stand taller.
“It’s okay.” Adele smiles as she looks around the room. “We’re all friends.”
“You don’t have to go into detail.” Melody seems almost at war with herself. Her words are kind, but her face seems conflicted.
“Thank you, sweet Mel.” Adele moves from the comfort of my arms and stands up in the middle of the room, around mere strangers who somehow have gained her trust in a short amount of time.
I think about what she said about soulmates. Does she feel that way about me only? Or all of them too somehow? Or is Adele some sort of superhuman that feels a connection with everyone she meets?
“I was in the happiest time of my life. I had family, a job I didn’t love but it paid the bills, an amazing man who loved me and who I loved back, but then something overtook me.” Her eyes are on Rhys. “I’m not sure if it was boredom or what, but I panicked, full-on panicked. And all of a sudden, my boyfriend was talking about marriage and babies and a mundane life I never thought I could have.”
“You ran?” Rhys’s voice cracks, and they are locked in a secret conversation.
“It was if I couldn’t breathe, and I needed something. What? I’m not entirely sure. I told my brother and Aubrey I needed to get out of town. He was furious with me. I’m sure it was out of fear.”
“Can’t blame him.” Blair adds as she brushes her hair using the mirror on the wall to watch herself and seem distant, but I can tell she wants more of the story.
“I didn’t. He finally calmed down and gave me the keys, making me promise him I would call at least once a day. I owe him that much, so I’ve kept up with that. I withdrew all of my cash, packed my bags and made one final stop before leaving California.”
“Your boyfriend’s,” I state the obvious.
She nods. “I broke his heart. His only crime was loving me too much and perhaps being on the boring side, but I’m sure most normal women would love that about him. He’s stable, kind, real.”
The words she’s says describe my idea of boring, but her face tells me something different. She loves this man but doesn’t feel worthy of him.
My eyes move to Melody, a painful feeling swirling through my entire body. I know Adele’s pain.
“Maybe you two can still work it out.” Melody stands by the window, looking whimsical.
Adele shakes her head. “He would be a fool to take me back.”
Blair stops brushing her blond locks and turns to look over at Adele, an annoyed look on her face. “You want him back?”
Adele shrugs and wipes a loose tear. “I don’t know what I want.” And then, in what I’ve come to know as true Adele fashion, she laughs. “Except food. My stomach very clearly wants some greasy tavern food.”
Rhys and I share a look, we both know she’s hurting, but we also respect the defense mechanism.
I stand up. “Let’s do this.”
Melody and Blair argue immediately. “We have to get ready.” Melody’s voice might seem whiney to some, but it’s as sweet it comes to my ears.
“Give us an hour,” Blair adds.
Jesus Christ. Women.
“You want to talk about it?’”
I hate how well my best friend knows me. I braid my blond hair, letting the finished product hang over my left shoulder and look in the mirror. We’re almost ready to go out, and it’s only Blair and me in the room we’re sharing tonight.
“What?”
“Sean and the Australian beauty we’re trying to hate, but the bitch is making it hard.”
“I don’t hate Adele.”
Blair squeezes mousse into her hand, tossing her head forward and massaging the product into her hair. Guess she’s going for the wavy, casual look tonight. “Bullshit. Part of you wants to go all feral and tear her apart.”
“Blair, I don’t want to talk about this.”
She flips her hair back, standing up straight and massaging the mousse into her hair thoroughly as she also looks in the mirror. “You can play ‘sweet Mel’ with everyone else. I’ve known you forever, and I saw the way you looked at Adele when he put his arm around her.”
I groan and walk over to one of my many suitcases, undoing the zipper and pulling out a pink, long sleeve wrap dress that lands about mid-thigh. It’s nothing fancy and completely appropriate for dinner with friends.
I change into it, and Blair and I choose strappy heels, perfect for spring, After final touches, we make our way downstairs where Sean, Adele, and Rhys are waiting at the door, all wearing what they wore earlier.
We are so fucking extra.
“Sorry we took so long.” I apologize as Blair flips her hair over her shoulder with a confident stride toward the rest of the group.
“Not a problem, love. Tavern is still open.” I look to Adele, unable to not return her kind smile.
Sean is standing right next to her, and I’m not sure what they were talking about before we came downstairs, but they look cozy, familiar with one another.
The fact that she slept with Sean is killing me even if I won’t admit it out loud. Watching how close they are is gutting me. Clearly, he cares for her. He didn’t leave her lying alone in a park after they slept together, wondering what the hell she did wrong.
Instead, he went on a road trip with her and seems to already know a lot about her.
Am I witnessing the beginning of an epic love story?
Will she end up staying in Kansas? Or will he move to California? Or will they both relocate to Iowa?
The thoughts are too much to bear. I sling my purse over my shoulder and reach for the door. “Well, we better get going before they close.”
Everyone follows, and Sean drives us to the small, quiet, and completely dead downtown. We park in front of the small tavern, which can only be described as a hole-in-the-wall.
Blair stares at the glass front door from the back seat of the SVU. “Seriously? People eat here?”
“You’re being a pain again,” Rhys says as he climbs out of the vehicle.
I turn to Blair as Sean and Adele also climb out. “We can do this. Adventure.”
“We could be in a cushy hotel room ordering room service right fucking now.”
I laugh and open my door. “Let’s go. This could be fun.”
I notice there are three cars parked outside as we walk into the small bar. There are four booths, one table, and several wooden barstools lined up at the bar that has a friendly woman behind it. She waves and tells us to sit where we like.
Blair looks around the tavern like she’s afraid she might catch something, her purse clung to her chest. I take a deep breath, feeling out of my element.
Adele settles into the booth with Sean, and Rhys grabs a chair from the one table and sits at the end, waiting for us to slide into the booth across from Sean and Adele. Are they a couple?
They look like a beautiful match.
I’m the first one to take a seat, and after we order, our food is brought out not long after. I have to admit the crinkle-cut fries and hamburgers we’re served are exactly what I needed at the moment. The comfort food softening the blow of the familiarity Sean and Adele seem to have as everyone jokes around and chats like old friends.
I watch a couple of guys around our age walk through the door, not half bad-looking in a country boy sort of way. One wearing a green baseball hat, t-shirt, and jeans approaches the bar with an easy grin on his handsome face, ordering a round of beer for his friends and himself.
Maybe I need more than just comfort food.
“We
ll, that hit the spot, yeah?” Adele asks the table, and my attention is brought back to Sean and her, sitting right in front of me.
Rhys and Sean nod their heads in agreement, and Blair nibbles on a fry, but doesn’t seem as repulsed as I expected.
“See? It’s not a bad little town.” Adele is talking to Sean, and it’s like no one else is around when he answers.
“You gonna move here?”
She shrugs her shoulders, her playful smile intact. “You never know. You gonna move here with me?” She laughs. “You know since we’re in love, and all.”
I nearly gasp, but I think I play it off pretty well as a cough when Sean and Adele’s eyes fall on me. I pat my chest a couple of times and throw in a couple of over-the-top coughs as I grab my water and take a drink.
“Are you okay, sweet Mel?”
I nod my head, the glass still at my lips as I look over at Adele. Maybe her tone was sarcastic and possibly joking, but I can’t tell with these two.
I’m all out of sorts and can’t think so I turn to Blair. “Can I get out for a minute?”
Her eyes are locked on mine with uncertainty, and I know she wants to ask me what the hell I’m doing. But she stands up and lets me slide out of the cramped booth.
I smooth the skirt of my dress as I stand up. “Thanks.” I turn to Adele. “I know you can’t drink, but I could use one after this day.”
For a moment, I think I see a hint of concern in her pretty eyes, but she seems to shake it off almost instantly.
No wonder Sean is in love with her. She’s perfect. Nothing gets to her for long. She’s beautiful and seems to be at peace with who she is. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Adele and Blair share a look, and Blair looks up at me, taking my hand. “You okay?’
Oh great, now she’s having mental conversations with my best friend?
“I’m fine. I just need a drink.” I pull away from her grasp and walk to the bar, flagging down the female bartender.
“What can I get you, sweetie?”
I look at the bottles lined up behind the bar. I don’t drink, not really. I only turned twenty-one a few months ago and at parties before that, I would have a sip here and there, but I didn’t go crazy.