Where Jos went alleat your heart out, Alec Kade, I went for a more casual, twenty-first birthday party vibe—dark jeans, cute white top, even cuter white sandals. I opted to leave my hair down, which I rarely do anymore, and kept my makeup light. A little mascara and lip gloss, nothing fancy.
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t tempted to really go all out in hopes of catching Penn’s attention, but then I realized that Penn never wanted me to be anything other than exactly who I am. Wearing some sexy dress felt like I would be trying too hard.
Though I’m not really sure why I care at all. It’s not like he’s going to magically forgive me, and everything is just going to go back to the way it was. Honestly, I’m not even sure I’d want it to. Because let’s not forget, I didn’t just leave... He let me.
“I’m serious, L,” Josie whines. “Do I look okay?”
“Jos, you look like you’re going to put Alec Kade in an absolute chokehold when he sees you.”
“Really?” She grins.
“Really. Then again, you already knew that, which is precisely why you wore that dress.” I gesture to the navy blue material. “Though I thought you didn’t care about Alec.” I feel the need to remind her.
“Oh, I don’t. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to make him regret dismissing me so easily.”
“So this is about your pride.” I chuckle.
“Something like that.” She winks, tugging open the door without waiting to see if I follow her inside, which I do.
Rockets has been around for as long as I can remember. A little hole in the wall off the main strip of town. I’ve been in here dozens of times over the years but never after the kitchen closes, mainly because I wasn’t old enough.
During the day, it’s a family-friendly little restaurant and not gonna lie, they have amazing burgers, but once the kitchen closes at eight, an entirely different kind of crowd trickles in.
I follow Josie across the worn wood floors toward the back where there’s a room designated specifically for parties. I can hear the music well before we reach the door, my nerves seeming to multiply a hundred-fold with each step I take.
“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea,” I blurt before Josie can push open the door.
“You’re only saying that because you’re nervous to see Penn outside of a work setting,” she says, giving me a reassuring smile over her shoulder.
“And?”
“And there’s nothing to it but to do it. If you’re staying in Wren Cove, you’re bound to find yourself in a setting where you’re both present. Might as well get the awkward bit out of the way now.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I murmur under my breath, grumbling my grievances as Josie enters the party room, leaving me only two options—follow her inside or turn and flee.
I’m seriously considering the latter when I hear a throat clear behind me. Turning, I see Penn standing a couple feet away, white-knuckling a huge bucket full of ice.
“You gonna go in or stand here blocking the door?” he asks, the smallest smirk tugging up the corner of his mouth.
He looks so different than he did even yesterday. His hair is combed back away from his face, beard freshly trimmed, and he’s dressed in a black button-down that’s open, revealing a white T-shirt underneath and dark jeans.
The sight of him steals the breath from my lungs and makes the next several seconds feel like hours.
“I...” I try to think of something to say that doesn’t make me sound like the most pathetic woman currently inhabiting planet Earth, but flounder like a fish out of water instead.
“Could you maybe get the door?” He gestures behind me. “This isn’t exactly light.”
I fight the urge to feel embarrassed. This is weird; there’s no pretending that it isn’t.
“Oh yeah. Sorry.” I quickly jump into action, pulling the door open for him.
“Apparently, they’re short-staffed, so not only am I footing the bill, but I’m also playing barback,” he says by way of explanation as he steps past me.
“Fun.” I follow him inside, a little taken aback by how many people are in attendance.
I know Alec said a lot of people would be here, but I think that was maybe putting it mildly. The room, which is quite large, with its own bar and dance floor, is packed. And I mean, I have to literally squeeze between people as I trail after Penn, who makes a beeline toward the bar. And my best friend—who knows where she went and I sure as heck can’t see her anywhere.
“What in the actual college frat party,” I say to Penn’s back as he slips behind the bar, dumping the ice into the ice well, because a frat party is exactly what this puts me in the mind of.
