“This is why I’m a fucking lesbian,” she mutters under her breath. “Okay, so here’s what you’re going to do. The blonde one ordered drinks. I think you should take them over there.” Lindsay hands me a tray.
“I made their drinks before she even ordered,” I mutter, placing the drinks on the tray. I hold it out to Lindsay, silently letting her know I’m not delivering them.
“Oh no, I’m not doing your dirty work,” she says, waving me away.
I freeze, tray in hand, and ask, “What the fuck do you mean?”
“Put your big-boy pants on and go deliver drinks to yourexand your friends. Maybe by the time you get to their table, you’ll learn what words are and how to fucking use them, dumbass.” She moves toward the back of the bar, effectively stopping any rebuttal I might have had.
I guess I’m delivering these drinks.
To Avery.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
avery
right where you left me – Taylor Swift
Oh my god, he’s coming over.
Of course.
As if today hasn’t thrown enough in my path, apparently it decided that a night out for a little distraction would lead to yet another encounter with my past. Which also means I’ll be drinking extra to forget the way I had to fight not to gasp the moment our eyes finally locked. I hadn’t realized he would be working tonight, but after the heinous day at work, I needed a drink, desperately.
He looks good. I mean, he always did—does. His hair is messy in the way that suggests his fingers have been combing through it. His standard black T-shirt stretches tight across the chest I’ve slept on more times than my own pillow, putting the beautiful art covering his thick biceps and veiny forearms on full display. His dark jeans strain against his thighs as he eats up the distance between us way faster than I’m prepared for.
I smooth my hair away from my face, nervously twisting the strands.
After our encounter last night, I’m not sure how to act. I know I was harsh, but all I could see was him and that blonde, the way they looked together, and it hurt.
Itstillhurts.
I look down, taking a deep breath and readying myself as he approaches the table.
“Hey.”
His smoky voice floats over to me, reminding me of the first time he spoke to me—as the kid who was dropped into our tiny town in his senior year of high school and sat behind me in English.
“Your drinks,” he states, pulling me back to the present. He looks away as soon as my eyes meet his, setting the drinks on the table. He places the beer in front of Grayson before sliding mine across to me, already knowing which drink was mine given he made it for me every time we came to this exact place. Either while I watched him working or out with our friends when he’d come behind me wherever we sat, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and letting me use him as a backrest for however long I sat there.
“Kane!” Morgan shouts. “What a coincidence. We were just talking about you.”
I shoot daggers at her, wondering what in the world she’s talking about. I mean, wewerejust talking about him, buthedid not need to know that.
Grayson looks at me with a faint guilty expression before his eyes drift over at one of the TV hosting some sports game.
I grab my drink, shoving the straw between my lips as I look up, finding Kane’s eyes staring at my mouth. When he noticesmy gaze fixed on him, he quickly looks away, red rising to the apples of his cheeks.
“You were?” he asks, looking a little spooked.
“Yes, see Avery and I are swamped. I’m talking so busy, blah blah blah, and unfortunately today our dishwasher broke. I was going to call a plumber but then Avery remembered the last time you fixed it. And I was saying that a great way to save money would be to see if you could come look at it again.” Morgan lays it on thick with Kane, refusing to look at me as she speaks.
A laugh comes from across the circle table before Grayson tries to cover it with a cough into his fist. I throw a scowl in his direction before placing my look back at Morgan.
I had no idea our dishwasher was broken, so this is news to me. Truthfully, I really would not put it past her to have broken it herself, just to shove Kane and me in a room together.
I kick her shin under the table to get her attention. I’m impressed when she barely flinches, still refusing to look at me.
