You Deserve Better (By Your Side Series Book 2)

by A. P. Watson

  I nudged her with my shoulder. “That’s a good idea.”

  “Hey, have you heard anything about your bridesmaid dress?” she questioned.

  “No, when I called Wednesday, it was still being altered. One of their seamstresses was out with pneumonia, so they were backed up with work. They told me it should be finished by next week though.”

  “Oh, that’s so good.”

  “Thank you for picking out a beautiful dress and not some horrid eyesore.”

  “You’re going to be in like all my pictures. There is no way either of us are going to look anything but extraordinary.”

  “Have you made any decisions on a bachelorette party?”

  “I was thinking a day at a spa. You know, massages, nails, facials . . . the works. And then we could go out dancing that night.”

  “I’m game if that’s what you want to do.”

  “I don’t need to do anything crazy. I just want to have fun with my girls!”

  “And Nate,” I added with a slight laugh.

  “It wouldn’t be a bachelorette party without him.”

  “Let me know what day you want to do it, and I’ll take care of all the arrangements.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Have you and Ryan heard anything about the apartment?”

  “Oh my God!” Her voice was so loud, she attracted several stares from people nearby. “Sorry,” she called out, glancing all around us. “We sign papers to close on the apartment this Tuesday! I can’t believe we’ll eventually own two apartments in Chicago, but I think Ry is right about me needing a separate space to paint in.”

  “That’s amazing!” I took her hand in mine and squeezed it tight.

  “I’m so excited. I have an emotional connection to our apartment, so I was ecstatic that Ryan suggested we buy it. When we find a new place to live, I want you to move into our current bedroom, and then I can make your room my art studio again.”

  “So, you finally agreed to Ryan’s offer?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically. “I hate the idea of not working, but I think he’s right. Focusing all my energy into painting will be good for my soul and, who knows, maybe I’ll land a show at a gallery.”

  “You’re definitely going to be featured in a gallery someday. I just know it.”

  “Thanks, Wren.”

  “I think Ryan is right. And don’t worry about switching rooms. I’m perfectly content in my seafoam-green haven. You can turn your bedroom into the art studio.”

  “I can’t do that. You need more space than my paintbrushes and easels.”

  “No, I don’t.” I shook my head at her. “My room is perfect the way it is. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

  “Sometimes you’re too stubborn for your own good.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “It’s going to be weird not living in the same apartment as you and Ryan.”

  “I know. But I think it’s time for Ry and I to branch out and find our own space. It will be so nice to have our own place and then I can drive to the old apartment and see you and paint. It will still feel like I’m going to work every day even if I’m not working at the gallery.”

  “That’s true. Do you and Ryan have a new place you’re looking at?”

  She took a long sip of beer, her fingers playing with the label on the bottle. “Actually, we’re still looking at apartments in Jackson’s building, and a few others in that area.”

  I whistled. “Y’all are going to have some fancy digs.”

  “Too fancy,” she replied.

  “You guys deserve it! Plus, that area is really, really nice.”

  “And it’s closer to Ry’s office.”

  “All the more reason to move there!”

  “You’ll stay with us every now and then, right?”

  “The two of you might not be able to keep me away.”

  “Good!”

  Our waitress brought our food just in time for the duo’s reappearance. Their fiddles were tuned, and their throats satiated with fresh glasses of water. When they opened their mouths and began to sing, my mind still formed the same thought . . . Jacks would love this.

  I supposed that was the downside of trying to start over with a clean slate. You wiped and wiped, and yet, there were still traces of chalk left behind. That’s really what a clean slate meant. It was a personal declaration to do things right, but no matter how hard you try, you can’t always leave the past behind you. Sometimes people filter in and out of your life at a rapid pace, and sometimes they linger. And in all honesty, I hated to think about how long Jacks would linger with me.

  When our waitress came by again, I ordered another beer. During the intermission, Ter had moved her seat to the opposite side of the table, sitting beside me. I laid my head on her shoulder, still enraptured by the fiddlers in front of us. “Thanks for this. I needed it.”

  “What are friends for?”

  “Everything,” I whispered.

  After the duo finished playing at the bistro, we called for a cab and headed over to Miller’s Pub. Ter had a car, but she hated to drive in downtown Chicago. Parking could be horrendous on a good day, and when you wanted to drink, a cab or an Uber was the way to go. The second we entered the pub, I felt like I was home.

  “There they are.” Robbie shouted, pointing at us. He smiled broadly and then forced two patrons to relocate to unoccupied chairs down the bar. Needless to say, they were less than thrilled.

  “We were sitting there.” One guy growled, moving to the seat Robbie ushered him toward.

  “When two of my best patrons step inside the bar, you learn to accommodate.”

  The guy turned to scowl at Ter and I, but quickly began grinning instead. “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

  Ter flipped her hair, settling into one of the now unoccupied stools. “Two beers please,” she replied sweetly. “Thank you.”

  “Two beers, just like she said,” the man stated, looking at Robbie. He lingered next to Terayn like a lost puppy.

  “Beer?” Robbie asked, his attention focusing on me.

  “I’m going light tonight,” I stated, attempting to look as innocent as possible. I sat on the stool beside Terayn, laying my purse on top of the bar.

  Robbie grabbed two long necks, popping off the caps and setting them in front of Terayn and me. “I thought you only had one setting: hard fucking core.”

  “She’s trying to be reformed,” Ter added.

  “I see.” Robbie laughed, adjusting the thick frames of his glasses. “Where is Ryan tonight?”

  Ter took a swig of beer. “He’s in New York for the weekend on business. He should be back tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Oh my God, Robbie. I almost forgot,” Terayn shouted. Robbie glanced at me in surprise, and I returned his gaze with a shrug. I had no clue what she was up to. “Here!” She pulled an ornate envelope from her purse and handed it to Robbie. As soon as I saw the beautiful cream parchment, I knew exactly what she was handing him.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  Ter flashed him a sly grin. “Open it.”

  Robbie carefully opened the envelope and immediately began reading the ornate text. “A wedding invitation?”

  “Wedding?” The man who had been drooling over Ter stared at the invitation in shock. “You’re getting married?”

  Ter flashed her huge ring at him, the sapphire shining like a beacon. “Yep.”

  “Move along, Brandon. Both these ladies are spoken for,” Robbie spat.

  “Both of you?” Brandon asked. “What about you? Are you getting married too?” Brandon moved to stand next to me.

  Brandon had long brown hair and was cute enough, but I wasn’t in the mood to cater to any man’s ego tonight. “Nope. I’m a lesbian.” My reply was completely deadpan, and I followed it up by chugging half of my beer. Thank God I was blessed with a convincing resting bitch face, because I was certainly putting it to good
use tonight.

  “Oh,” Brandon whispered, deflated.

  “Better luck next time,” Robbie said, handing Brandon a beer. “This one is on me.”

  “Thanks.” He accepted the beer and moved back to his seat at the end of the bar.

  “Are you wanting me to bartend at your wedding?” Robbie asked.

  “No. I want you to be a guest, duh.”

  “Seriously?” The tone of Robbie’s voice only indicated surprise.

  “We can go together if you want,” I suggested over my beer. “I’m the Maid of Honor, so I get special perks and stuff.”

  “What about Sean?” Ter asked.

  “Oh, he actually has a date! A girl from one of his classes. I’m excited to meet her,” I replied.

  “Good for Sean!”

  “So, how about it, Robbie?” I asked. “I’ve got an arm here with your name on it.”

  Robbie laughed at my suggestion. “Sounds good to me.”

  The sound of my phone vibrating in my purse drew my attention away from the topic at hand. I reached inside my bag, quickly answering the call.

  “Hey, Sasha,” I said, plugging my other ear to block out some of the noise from the bar.

  “Hey, lady! I hope I’m not bothering you.”

  “Not at all. What’s up?”

  “You left your heels at the studio yesterday, and I was just calling to see if now was a good time to return them.”

  “Yeah, of course! I’m having drinks at Miller’s Pub right now. Do you want to join us for a few beers?”

  “Oh, that sounds like fun. I’d love to! I’ll be there in a few.”

  “Okay, see you soon,” I added, ending the call.

  “Who was that?” Ter asked.

  “Sasha. She is going to join us for a few drinks. I left my shoes at the studio after my lesson the other day, and she wants to return them.”

  “That’s so nice of her.”

  “Yeah, it is,” I replied, taking another swig of beer. “Hey, Robbie, do you think you can empty out one more stool for my friend Sasha?”

  “Of course.”

  Robbie motioned for Brandon to move one more time, freeing up a stool on the other side of Terayn. We’d only managed to start our second round of beers when Sasha waltzed inside the pub.

  “Wren!” Her long, slender frame moved gracefully as she sauntered toward the bar.

  “Hey!” I motioned toward the empty stool, watching as she occupied it.

  “Hi, Terayn,” Sasha said.

  “Hey!”

  “What are you guys drinking?” Sasha asked.

  “Just beer tonight,” I answered, holding up my long neck.

  “Sounds good!”

  Before she even had a chance to speak, Robbie placed an opened bottle in front of her. “It’s on the house,” he said, smiling at her.

  “Thank you,” Sasha beamed. She held out her hand to Robbie. “I’m Sasha, Wren’s dance instructor.”

  “Robbie, Wren’s bartender.”

  “Well, it is certainly nice to meet you,” she replied cheerily.

  He grinned at her again, adjusting the frames of his glasses once more. “Likewise.”

  Terayn and I glanced at one another, each giving a knowing look. Robbie was a bartender, and while part of his job was getting hit on by drunk women, he always remained very professional. He would be polite and smile, but it was nothing close to the way he was grinning at Sasha.

  “Have you ever been here before, Sasha?” I asked.

  “No, but this place is awesome! I’ll definitely be coming back,” she answered.

  The possibility of talking to a single woman prompted Brandon to return to our group. I watched as he slid off his barstool, slowly making his way over to Sasha. Just as he was about to tap her on the shoulder, Robbie’s voice stopped him.

  “Don’t even think about it, Brandon,” he stated firmly. “If they wanted to talk to you, believe me, they would.”

  “Fine,” Brandon slurred loudly.

  “And this is why Robbie is my favorite bartender in the whole city,” I shouted.

  Sasha and Ter laughed at my proclamation. “He’s certainly the most attentive bartender I’ve ever met,” Sasha agreed.

  Robbie beamed, picking up an already clean glass and pretending to wipe it. Robbie told me the first time I drank at Miller’s that he’d been cheated on before. Though I never pried, I could tell the act had taken its toll on him. He never showed interest in his customers, but if he liked Sasha, then I was all for it. She was such a sweet and caring soul—something my gut told me that Robbie desperately needed in his life.

  chapter three

  paths

  WE STAYED AT MILLER’S after the last call. I supposed that was one of the perks of being friends with the bartender. Ter, Sasha, Robbie, and I hung out and drank at the pub until four in the morning. My instincts about Sasha and Robbie weren’t wrong by any means. Though they tried to be discreet, Ter and I still heard them exchange numbers under bated breath.

  Possibilities sprang up all around me. The belief that love could endure any hardship was a foreign yet beautiful notion. I’d been cared for, but the redeeming depths of love eluded me. If Robbie and Sasha were able to find such redemption, then I was nothing but happy for them.

  Ter and I stumbled into the apartment just before five. Darkness enveloped the living room, and Ter scrambled to turn on a small lamp beside the couch.

  “Honestly, I’ve never seen him take so much interest in someone,” I stated.

  “I know. They were practically staring at each other all night!” she shrieked.

  “The hell?” a voice grumbled from the couch.

  The presence of another person brought our conversation to a screeching halt.

  “Ry?” Ter asked.

  “Yeah, it’s me. Where the hell have the two of you been? I called three times, but you never answered.”

  “Oh my gosh! I haven’t checked my phone because Wren, Sasha, and I were drinking with Robbie at the pub.” She dropped her purse and bounded toward the couch. “What are you doing home so early?”

  “By the time I got to New York, Jackson had already packed everything up. All we had to do was load up the U-Haul. And because he didn’t want to stay another night there, we drove straight through the night. I only got home an hour ago,” Ryan explained, glancing in my direction.

  “Oh,” Ter replied. “Well, I’m glad you’re back early.”

  “We’re both glad,” I added.

  Ryan sat up, stretching his arms. “That reminds me. Your souvenirs are on the counter.”

  Ter planted a kiss on his cheek. “Presents!”

  I laughed at her enthusiasm, following behind her. “Thank you for the souvenirs, Ryan.”

  “Hey, I promised my girls gifts, and I always deliver. Oh, and Nate’s is up there too.”

  Three boxes sat on the counter, each one with a different name scrawled across the top. I picked up the one with my name on it and removed the lid off the box. Inside was a snow globe. It depicted a miniature replica of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. The base was made of silver and had The Brooklyn Bridge etched on it. I shook the globe and watched as tiny flecks of glitter swirled around the iconic landmarks.

  “Thank you so much for the snow globe. I love it!”

  “It plays music too,” he added.

  I turned the crank on the bottom, listening as a short tune began to play. Terayn dangled her gift from the tip of her finger. It was a large ornament. A snowy scene of Central Park had been painted on the outer surface of the sphere.

  “This is completely hand-painted,” she shrieked.

  Ryan beamed at her. “I thought you would like it.”

  “I love it!” She gently laid the ornament back in its box before rushing toward him. “And I love you.” She threw her arms around his neck.

  “Hmm.” He swept her feet off the ground, carrying her in the direction of the hallway. “Then maybe we sh
ould go to bed,” he said.

  Ter giggled at his implication and waved as they disappeared from sight. “Night, Wren. Love you!”

  “Love y’all too!”

  “Night, Wren,” Ryan replied.

  I waited until I heard the door to their bedroom shut before placing my snow globe on the counter. I stared at it, completely mesmerized by all the little details hidden inside. My stomach growled as I studied my gift, so I decided to set my phone and purse down and make myself something to eat. It’d been several hours since Ter and I had eaten at the bistro, and I definitely needed to add something other than beer to the small brewery forming inside my gut.

  When I finished pouring myself a bowl of cereal, I grabbed my phone and plopped on the couch. My brain wasn’t tired yet, and I hoped a movie would provide the type of distraction I needed. I pulled up Netflix and quickly scrolled through a few queues. I hadn’t been in the mood for a romance flick in a long ass time, but suddenly, I was hit with a craving. Maybe it was the fact I saw my best friend in her wedding dress today, or maybe it was simply being around two people so in love. Either way, I wasn’t able to fight the warm fuzzies pumping through my body. I settled on Pride and Prejudice and prepared myself to fall in love with Mr. Darcy all over again. At least with fictional love you couldn’t get hurt.

  I was halfway through the movie when my phone buzzed. Figuring it was probably Nate drunk-texting me, I picked up my phone to read it. My heart skipped a beat as Jacks’s name flashed across the screen. Fuck. I knew I shouldn’t have talked to him. In a flurry of emotion, I had thought our conversation would provide me with some closure, and yet, all I had managed to do was rip stitches out of a wound that hadn’t fully healed yet.

  Jacks: Check your doorstep.

  Three words from him and my heart fluttered inside my chest like a freaking butterfly. Stupid fucking heart. After the excitement fizzled away, panic set in. Was Jacks just outside my door? I wasn’t emotionally prepared to talk to him again, let alone see him. My body was a traitor, and I didn’t trust it to not go running back to him with open arms. No, my head was in charge of this show, and it was high time the rest of my body got in line.

  Jacks: I’m not there. I just left something for you.