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A good portion of my day was dedicated to fixing an old beater car that hadn’t had any replacement parts manufactured for at least fifteen years, and the rest was spent arguing with my mom about future dates she enlisted me for.
But the day was coming to an end, and I didn’t want to think about any of it. I just wanted to kick back and relax. To take off the edge and think about anything else.
Luckily, my drink was served to me before long, and I took a long, greedy sip of it.
“Donovan let you out at a decent time?”
Cocking a brow at the familiar voice, I spotted Rowan and Willow as they approached the bar. They were both fairly dressed up and prepared for a night out.
“Surprisingly, he’s an understanding man.”
Rowan snickered. “That’s likely because he was itching to get here himself.”
“I suspect he won’t miss the game tonight,” I added, happy to see Rowan taking a break from his work too. “With all the wings he could eat and beers to drink, the Roadbar is his happy place.”
“I’m sure Yara is thrilled,” Willow commented. Her vibrant red hair was slicked back and pulled into a relaxed half-updo.
“Hey, it means he can ogle at her while she works,” Rowan chided.
We glanced over at one of the tables as Yara served customers, darting around efficiently with her beaming smile. Everyone who worked at the Roadbar seemed more than happy to be there, and I even recalled how enthusiastic Sara had been.
She was part of the establishment’s heart and soul. I had the feeling some of the locals came by so often just to strike up a conversation with her. She seemed easy to talk to that way, but for some reason, our conversations were only ever tumultuous.
“It also means she gets to do the same in return,” Willow suggested with a knowing grin.
We both shook our heads and laughed since it was probably true. Everyone who was already shacked up in the group seemed to be completely smitten with their partners. While I wasn’t particularly interested in the drama that normally came with it, I couldn’t deny how at least part of me felt envious.
At the very least, they had people to come home to. Someone to keep their bed warm and to remind them why they push through each day.
The thoughts were making me nauseous.
“Also,” Willow began, pointing a harmless finger at me. “Take it easy on Sara. She’s been so worked up lately, and it’s messing with the store’s energy.”
Throwing my hands up in defense, I tried to deflect any blame. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Although, it does take two.”
She gave me an unimpressed look, although it wasn’t all that scalding. “When she comes in all wound up, she always has something to say about you. I wonder why.”
“She talks about me?”
It was meant as a joke, but I was still curious, nonetheless.
Willow rolled her eyes and chuckled at me. “Sara is the nicest witch in Rose Valley, and if you’re able to piss her off, then you must have some sort of skill to achieve it.”
Rowan laughed at that and patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t disturb the coven, pal.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I mumbled against the rim of my glass. I pulled in a sip and let it cool down my piqued interest.
Once the two of them had new drinks, Willow threw me a smile, and Rowan offered me a nod.
“Have a good time, Griff.”
I returned the sentiment, and before long, I was alone at the bar again.
Doing my best to focus on the music and my drink, I didn’t want to think about the aforementioned witch, but I just couldn’t help it. My mind wandered back to her no matter how hard I tried to refrain.
Even if I did enjoy getting under her skin from time to time, it was never my intention to get her so worked up that others had to deal with it. In fact, I thought she was able to shake off our arguments and move on unphased. It seemed I was wrong.
The guilt trickled into my system as the beer did the same, and I sighed to myself.
