by Adele Niles
I eased back from the kiss, putting my hands on top of Garrett’s. “Hey…”
“Hm?” He lifted his head, looking down at me with a smile. “What’s up?”
I bit my lip. “I, uh, I think we shouldn’t.”
“Shouldn’t…?”
“Sleep together.”
“Oh.”
I knew he’d be disappointed, but I just didn’t feel right about it.
“I—sorry. I want to, Garrett, but there’s a lot on my mind. I wasn’t even sure I was going to go on this date with you.”
He was quiet for a minute. Then, finally, he looked at me. “Ryker?”
I nodded. “I want to talk to him. Clear the air. And then we’ll see about this thing you and I have going. Because I’m really into you.”
His smile returned. “Well, that’s good. I’m really into you, too.”
I smiled back. “Stay the night?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’d like that.”
I pulled him toward my bed, content to sleep in my underwear. He followed, stripping down to his boxers before climbing into bed with me.
I fell asleep fast, his arm over my waist, and didn’t dream.
Chapter Eleven
Garrett
I slept great.
Bailey’s bed was comfortable, and she was so warm. It was impossible to sleep badly when I was next to her.
I went to work in a great mood, even stopping to grab coffee for the guys. The place was going to be full today; Malone was having power problems, so the whole group was coming back to the home shop.
It was gonna be cool to work with Benny and Logan again. It was nice to have the shop a little quieter sometimes, but I did miss them when they were over at the new location.
The morning was quiet. We all chatted, did our work.
I thought about Bailey a lot.
She said she wanted to talk to Ryker before we kept seeing each other, and I could respect that. He’d been a big part of her life for a long time.
She deserved the chance to clear the air. That way, she and I could start a relationship without any guilt or anxiety.
But I hoped it happened quickly.
I wanted her. Not just sexually—although I definitely wanted to sleep with her—but I wanted to take her out without worrying about Ryker seeing us or hearing about it. I wanted to spend nice nights together and not be stressing about word getting around.
I wanted to give this a real try and not have to sneak around.
I wanted to make her happy the way she deserved.
But still, as much as I was eager for her to rip the bandage off and talk to him, I was shocked as hell when she walked into No Regrets a little after noon.
But not as shocked as Ryker.
His tattoo gun clattered to the ground when he saw her—thankfully he was cleaning it, not working on anyone.
“Bay?”
His voice sounded tight.
Shit.
What if he still wanted her? What if he broke up with Sydney to get back with Bailey?
I kept my head down, but stole glances at her as she came up the stairs to stand at the entrance to Ryker’s booth.
She didn’t even look my way.
Probably for the best.
Around the shop, the guys’ heads popped up. Everyone was watching.
We hadn’t seen anything like this since Benny’s ex had walked in a few months ago, but the circumstances had been very different. Bryn had been our business rival and a pain in our collective ass since I started, although they’d worked things out.
Bay was almost a legend.
She smiled at him, leaning over the half-wall. “Hey, you got an appointment coming up?”
“Why?” he asked, his voice full of suspicion.
“I was hoping we could talk?”
Ryker hesitated. He glanced at the clock on the wall, then turned toward the front. “Hey Zoe? If my next guy shows up, tell him I had to take care of a…personal matter.” Then he turned to Bradley. “Boss, can I borrow your office?”
“Yeah, sure. Go for it.”
“Cool.”
He stepped out of his station and went toward the back. Bailey followed.
I watched her go until the office door closed behind them.
Time slowed to a crawl.
The next five minutes felt like an hour, but the door finally opened.
Bailey came out of the office, walking quickly.
Her head was bowed, but I could see the tears on her cheeks.
She glanced up, her eyes meeting mine. She shook her head.
No.
No what? I didn’t have a clue what it meant.
I didn’t make a move to go after her, or even talk to her. But did she mean we couldn’t see each other at all? That something was still there between her and Ryker?
If that was the case, I wasn’t sure I could stay at No Regrets.
I wasn’t sure I’d even want to stay in Richland.
Ryker came out of the office a moment later, head up. He looked like nothing had happened.
I had to know.
I cleared my throat. “Hey, uh, is she okay?” I asked. “That girl came out of here in tears, dude.”
Ryker snorted. “She’s my ex.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s all good. She’s just back in town and wanted to let me know. So it wasn’t weird if we saw each other out and about.”
“Then why was she crying?”
He puffed his chest out.
Anger surged up inside me.
“‘Cause she still has a thing for me, obviously,” he said. “I’m the best she’s ever gonna get. And now she’s all upset because she’s shit out of luck. I’m with Syd and I’m happy. I don’t want to get back with Bay.”
I looked away. Because if I tried to keep the conversation going, I was going to say something stupid.
She could do so much better than him.
I could be so much better than him.
And I was going to make sure that he didn’t convince her to stay away from me.
Chapter Twelve
Bailey
I had seven texts by the time I made it home, all of them from Garrett.
Of course he was worried, but I needed time to process.
Ryker was such a jerk. I wondered why I even hesitated with Garrett and had concern for Ryker.
Of course, he framed the whole thing like I was coming in for a second chance. He made sure I knew how happy he was with his girlfriend, how hot she was, how great the sex was.
I wasn’t a violent person, but slapping him had crossed my mind.
And now I was on the couch at Jackie’s, my feet kicked up, listening to my phone chime with reminders that I had unread texts.
I just couldn’t deal with them right now.
I couldn’t think about Garrett or Ryker.
Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything but how stupid I felt. I’d said I was going to swear off men, and here I was, letting two of them mess with my head.
I shouldn’t have let Jackie talk me into sleeping with Garrett. If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened.
My phone went off again.
I groaned and picked it up, reading the text messages I had.
Bailey, are you okay?
What happened?
He’s being a jackass about it, trying to tell us you still have the hots for him.
Can I see you after work? Just to talk?
Bailey?
Are you all right?
Please just let me know you got home safe?
I’m worried about you.
What a sweet guy.
But honestly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to him right now.
I didn’t want to talk to anyone.
Of course, as soon as I thought that, I heard Jackie’s key in the door.
I turned my head, looking up as she came in. Her smile faded as our eyes met.
“Bailey, are you okay?
Girl, you look like you just got your heart broken.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
“Hell, no.”
She smiled sympathetically and dropped her bag by the couch, sitting down next to me.
“Okay, spill it. What happened?”
I sighed. “I went to No Regrets.”
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“Because I wanted to talk to Ryker before I kept this thing going with Garrett.”
She made a little ouch noise and rubbed my shoulder. “And I’m assuming it went poorly?”
“You’ve met Ryker, right?”
She laughed softly. “Yeah. I have.”
As hurt as I was, I appreciated that Jackie could smile at a time like this. I needed a little humor after the day I’d had.
“He was kind of a jackass. He wouldn’t really let me get a word in, you know? Just started in about how it was too late for me to come begging, how he had moved on and gotten a new girlfriend and she’s super great and sexy.”
Jackie rolled his eyes. “Oh my god.”
“Right?”
“He’s turned into such a jerk.” She frowned.
I nodded. “It’s really off-putting. Like, he still looks good, but he’s being a dick.”
Jackie put a hand on my shoulder. “Okay, so what about your other guy? Garrett?”
I shrugged. “He’s really great. But I feel weird dating him after me and Ryker, you know?”
“Okay,” she said, “but here’s a thought.”
“What?”
She leaned close, looking into my eyes. “Fuck Ryker and fuck what Ryker thinks.”
I snorted. Only Jackie would give me a response like that. “It’s not that easy, Jackie.”
“No? Why not?” she asked.
“Because they work together.”
“So?”
“So, it’ll be weird. Especially if Ryker still thinks I have a thing for him.”
She looked at me for a long moment. “You don’t, right?”
“Hell, no.” I shuddered. “Especially not after today. I can’t believe you’d even consider that.”
“Okay,” she said, holding up her hands. “Sorry, just had to check.”
“I get it. It’s cool.”
She sighed. “Well, listen. I think you and your fella should talk. Invite him to meet you at the bar tonight. Have a drink and a heart-to-heart.”
That wasn’t a bad idea. And if we didn’t meet until later, I’d have some time to think and figure out what I wanted to do.
Because right now, nothing made sense.
I sent him a text.
Hey. I’m home, talking to Jackie. I’m okay, I think. Can we meet tonight? At the same bar as last time? I just want to talk about some stuff.
The response came in immediately.
Of course. You sure you’re okay?
I’m all right. I will be. Just gotta think through some things.
Okay. I’ll see you tonight. Eight?
Eight is good. See you then, Garrett.
I tossed my phone on the coffee table and closed my eyes. Jackie got up from the couch.
When I opened my eyes again, she was holding a bottle of beer out in my direction.
“Here. Drink up. You need to get your nerves under control.”
“Is it that bad?”
“You’re like…vibrating with stress. I can feel it coming off of you.”
“Shit. Sorry, Jackie.”
“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “Just have a drink and figure out what you want to do. Whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”
I smiled and leaned over, putting my head on her shoulder. She hugged me tight.
“You’re the best, Jackie.”
“I try. You’re pretty good, too.”
“You think?”
“Yeah.” She ruffled my hair affectionately.
At least she was on my side, no matter what I decided to do about Garrett.
Chapter Thirteen
Garrett
I had to figure out what was going on.
Bailey wasn’t texting me back anymore. I didn’t know what was happening with her, except that she was sort-of okay and we were meeting for drinks later.
Ryker wasn’t talking about it, either. Once she’d left, it was like Bailey had never shown up at the studio.
I would have imagined that a run-in with his ex would have rattled him more. He had been hung up on her until Sydney came into the picture, and now Bailey was back, and he was being a total prick about it.
I didn’t know enough about their history to really understand it.
But Bradley would.
And he would have my back.
Luckily, Ryker left early. His schedule had been pretty light all week, and he was enjoying having some extra time with Sydney.
I was enjoying extra time without him.
I waited until the shop closed to ask Bradley to talk. Zoe cut out as soon as we closed, leaving us alone in the shop.
I looked across my half-wall at him and sighed. “Hey, Bradley?”
He looked up, eyebrows raised. “What’s up?”
“I just, uh, got a question. About Ryker.”
“Jesus, Garrett…”
“I know, I know. So, that girl.”
“Bay?”
“Yeah. How bad was Ryker? After they broke up?”
He gave me a suspicious look. “Why do you want to know?”
“I just do.”
“Is this some kind of blackmail shit?”
“What? No! God, no! I just…I need to know.”
Bradley sighed. He leaned on the wall between us, arms folded. “He was a wreck. Like, completely falling apart.”
I swallowed.
Bradley kept going, looking down at the floor. “He was totally in love with her. Wanted to marry her. And after she split, he kept trying to contact her. She wasn’t having it, though. Didn’t call or text back at all.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, it was bad. Really bad. I was a little surprised by how nonchalant he was, you know? With her walking into the shop like that.”
I bit my lip, looking away.
I was so screwed.
And Bradley somehow sensed it. He leaned over the wall, slugging me in the shoulder. “All right, now ‘fess up. Why are you so hung up on Ryker and Bay?”
Shit.
I didn’t really have a choice, did I?
“Well, nobody told me ‘Bay’ was short for Bailey.”
Bradley raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“I thought it was a nickname. Y’know. How you call your girlfriend or whatever your bae.”
“And?”
“And, we…met at a bar. She told me her name is Bailey. Which isn’t a lie.”
Bradley went silent, staring at me.
He was disappointed.
I would have preferred him being pissed.
He said, “Garrett, you didn’t.”
I sighed. “I slept with her. And we went on a date last night. And now she’s acting weird, and I want to get with her, you know? Like, I want her to be my girlfriend.”
“You want Bay to be your bae.” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes. “Hilarious.”
But he was right.
I wanted that. More than anything.
Bradley sighed heavily. “All right, look. If you want to do this, you gotta handle Ryker. It’s not up to only her. You’re the one who wants to date his ex.”
“Bro code and all that crap.”
“It’s not bro code. That’s bullshit, and you know it.” He gave me a stern look.
He really was everyone’s big brother.
“You want her,” Bradley said. “And he’s your friend. I know you butt heads sometimes, but he’s still your friend. So you need to handle this head-on. And fast. Because if he finds out from anyone else but you, he’s gonna knock your teeth out.”
“My
parents spent a lot on braces. I better make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Exactly. So figure your shit out fast. And try not to do it in my shop. I don’t want to have to clean up any more blood than usual.”
I nodded. “Right. Right. Got it. I’ll talk to him. Soon. But I gotta talk to her first. I don’t know what the hell’s going on.” I looked at him, frowning. “Does Lora ever do this thing where she, like…she won’t really tell you what’s wrong, but you know something’s wrong.”
Bradley snorted. He shook his head—he clearly understood that too well. “She used to sometimes, but now we just talk about it. You better nip that shit in the bud, too. No reason not to talk like adults.”
That was a good point.
“Okay.” I nodded, pulling my phone from my back pocket to check the time. I sighed. “All right, well, I gotta finish cleaning. I’m trying to wrap my shit up here so I can go meet up with her.”
Bradley nodded. “Get it done and get out of here. Straighten it all out and get your head clear, got it?”
“Yeah, I got it.” I smiled at him, turning away.
* * * * *
I pulled up to the bar where we’d met, parking next to Bailey’s car.
She was waiting at a booth inside. Two beers sat untouched on the table.
I slid into the bench across from her, giving her a smile. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
She looked tired.
Or maybe she looked sad.
Sometimes, they looked kinda the same.
But I kept my smile in place and offered her my hand. She took it, laying hers in mine.
I squeezed a little.
She didn’t squeeze back.
“So,” I said, “are you okay?”
Bailey sighed. She bobbed her head, a non-answer that made my stomach drop.
I liked her so much. I really felt like we had a connection.
And she looked like she wanted to skip town all over again.
“Garrett, I…”
She trailed off. I didn’t interrupt; I just wanted her to collect her thoughts, tell me what she was feeling.
But I squeezed her hand again anyway.
She exhaled, looking up at me. Her eyes were wet with tears.
“Garrett. When I moved here, I said I wasn’t going to rush into a relationship. I didn’t plan on this, you know?”
I could see where this was going, and I didn’t want it to continue, but if this was what was best for her, I wasn’t going to try and tell her no.