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But it didn’t make a difference. No matter how much I wanted Marley back, I knew I would have to work hard for it. Seven years was a long time.
I downed the rest of my beer, threw some bills on the bar top and stood.
“Your money isn’t good here, Atlas.” Ricki nodded toward the cash. “Take it as a welcome home present.”
I nodded, muttered athanksand went to leave when I was stopped short by the deepest blue eyes I had ever seen. I was instantly brought back to that day. That day so damn long ago, it was like it happened yesterday. The look of pain flashed before my eyes. If I could take it away, I would but right now, as I stared down the woman I had loved as a boy, I realized rather quickly that I would have a lot of work to do to win her heart back as a man.
Marley
Atlas Fucking Horne.
Why the hell was he back in town? Especially after all of this time? Oh right, his grandfather had died, and his funeral was this coming weekend. But I was still surprised to see him. He had never been close with his grandfather and I had heard through others that even his daddy never made it back to town, which left a sour taste in his grandfather’s mouth.
As Atlas and I had a stare down, I crossed my arms under my chest and lifted my chin. He looked good. Too good if you asked me. With his well-tailored suit that probably cost more than my years wage, perfect brown hair that was shorter on the sides and longer on top, I wanted to smack that smirk off his face. He still affected me, and he knew it. Even when we were kids, my heart would stutter when he was near. My palms would become sweaty. And the tiny hairs on my skin would tingle. All because of him.
Atlas cocked his head to the side, raising a dark eyebrow, challenging me. What could I even say to him? Oh, there was plenty that I wanted to say but he didn’t deserve to hear it.
Uncrossing my arms, I nodded once. “Atlas.”
His smirk grew. “Marley.”
I swallowed a whimper at how deep his voice had become. How my name rolled off the tip of his tongue like melted honey. How it sounded good on his full lips.
“I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather.” My parents raised me to be polite. Even though Atlas didn’t deserve it, I always liked his grandfather. And Iwassorry that he had died.
“Thank you.” Atlas nodded toward the bar. “Can I buy you a drink?”
I searched his face for a hint that he was wanting something more or that there was a catch, but when he only stared at me and waited for an answer, I let out a soft sigh and walked toward him. “Sure.”
“What would you like, Marley?”
My jaw clenched.An apology, asshole.“Just a beer please.”
He nodded. “Ricki, two beers please.”
Ricki poured two mugs and placed them on top of the bar. He glanced my way.
I swallowed hard, muttering athank you.
He nodded once and went back to serving other customers.
Without handing me my beer, Atlas walked to a nearby booth that would give us more privacy.
My heart skipped a beat, but I followed him anyway. Sitting across from him, I took my beer and downed half of it before I placed the mug on the table in front of me.
“So, Atlas. How’s life in the big city?” I had heard that he was working toward becoming a successful lawyer. Stories became strewed when they passed from person to person. Someone had said that he settled down and got married. That rumor I had hoped wasn’t true. Even though I was mad at him, I didn’t want him happy. I wanted him to suffer like I had suffered over the years.
“It’s boring.” His lips twitched into a slow smirk.
“Boring?” I raised an eyebrow, sitting back and played with the napkin beneath my mug. “How so? I can’t imagine it’s any more boring than this place.”
Atlas gazed out at the mass room. His jaw ticked like he was deciding on what he should say or what he could get away with saying without me slapping his handsome face.
“It’s the same old shit, different day kind of deal.” His eyes flicked back to mine. They dropped to my mouth, the tension between us becoming thick and unwarranted but needed just the same.
I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?”
His eyes popped to mine. “I mean that it’s not overly exciting. Sure, putting away vile predators can be fun but it gets repetitive after a while.”
