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When the rush finally slows down, I slink towards my best friend, who’s leaning against the service bar pouring us shots for moral support. She takes hers with a smile but keeps her eyes over my shoulder as she drinks it down. I bring the glass to my lips, swallowing the gin in one gulp. I hold the back of my hand to my mouth as the familiar burn trails down my throat.
“Dude, who's the hottie in the corner?” Lenix asks with a crooked smile, still peering over my shoulder. I watch her tilt her chin over to the corner of the bar, prompting me to follow her gaze and swivel around, curious.
I find piercing green eyes staring back at me. My heart crashes into my ribcage and I duck down on instinct, adrenaline shooting up my spine.
“Sunny?” Lenix laughs peering over the bar only to find me trying to hide and failing. With the way the bar is designed—an oval area with a large space in the middle for the bartenders to work in—and his current vantage point, I’m not hiding for shit. And he’s staring straight at me. I look at him in defeat, knowing all to well it’s pure terror he sees splashed across my face.
It’s the one with the scar coiled around his neck. The one who I still remember in perfect detail even if I’ve tried very hard not to.
Unbothered, he continues to watch me, an amused look in his eyes. I turn my attention to Lenix, my body beginning to shake.Am I going into shock?Her smile suddenly drops when she sees the expression on my face.
“Babes, what’s wrong?” She looks over to him and then back down to me, confusion dragging her eyebrows down. I’m once again paralyzed, unable to sound out any words, let alone move.
Lenix finally grabs my arm from over the service bar and shoves me out and into the hallway near the kitchen. “Sunny what the fuck is going on? You’re scaring me.” Her worry rises as I tremble in place, barely able to push the words out of my mouth.
“I…I need some air,” I manage to mutter out. Lenix is clearly confused by my sudden reaction but says nothing more, she makes sure Jack is covering the bar and follows me out back.
As soon as we’re outside near the dumpsters, she finally speaks, “Bitch, you better tell me what the hell is going on right this fucking second!”
I’m barely keeping it together as I glance at her, wishing I could be anywhere else but here. Her arms are crossed looking worried, waiting for me to start explaining. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to gather my thoughts.
“It’s him, Len.” I feel small and defeated like an animal waiting to be slaughtered, while Lenix's expression goes from slightly annoyed to confused to sudden realization in under five seconds. Her mouth falls open, her eyes growing wide. “Well, it’s one of them at least,” I add.
“What thefuck,” she whisper-yells. “What is he doing here?”
“I don’t know,” my voice rising in panic. “I didn’t tell anyone anything…what if they think I did? Why else would he be here?” I splutter, swallowing hard and looking at Lenix with defeat. “I’m fucked aren’t I?” I finally say, my voice trembling, eyes watering.
For once, Lenix is at a loss for words and simply stares at me with what I can only assume is pity. She looks up to the night sky as if waiting for an answer from the heavens and then glances back at me. Instead of answering, she snakes her arms around me and burrows her head into the crook of my neck.
Her warm breath on my skin grounds me and I wrap my arms around her waist, squeezing hard. There’s nothing she can say to make this situation any better. She knows it. I know it, too.
I’m screwed. Pure and simple. Eventually, I take a deep breath and unravel myself from Lenix’s embrace. I’m desperately trying to convince myself I can do this while I eye the door with dread.
“I need to go back in. There’s no way out of this,” I murmur, turning to Lenix. “No one caneverknow, you hear me? I shouldn’t even be telling you this.” My bottom lip trembles, so I bite it hard to make it stop.
“Don’t worry about me, babes,” she sighs with a sad smile. “I’m a pro at faking it.” She winks and struts back inside, ready for the best performance of her life while I ready myself not to implode in the middle of Sammies.
I turn the corner and walk back behind the bar, finding him sitting exactly where I left him, his eyes boring into mine. I quickly look away, my mouth turning as dry as sand. I thank Jack for covering for me and peer around the bar, trying to see who needs a drink.
Fuck.
He's the only one who seems to be missing a drink. I grab a hold of Jack before he walks away. “Has he ordered anything yet?” I ask, covertly pointing to the threat at hand.
Jack glances over and shrugs. “He said he was waiting for you.”
Great. Of course he is.
Jack walks away and I’m left alone with no choice but to step toward him like a sinner walking the narrow plank to their death. Or hope the void hovering above me can swallow me up whole instead.
Anytime now.
Since the void seems to be ignoring my urgent request, I continue towards him, back straight, head held high. His sly grin hasn’t moved from his face as I approach him, and I fight the sudden urge to punch it clean off his stupid fucking face.
“You ready to order?” I sing-song but my voice cracks and I cringe internally.
He just sits there with his smug look, observing me for far too long. His eyes rove over my face and then down my body while I try not to spontaneously combust.
Finally, he speaks, “I’ll have a Talisker on ice.”
