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He looks over at me. “You serious?”
I nod. “Yeah. There was a decent bit of money left in his account when he died, and I want to open a bar with my half of it. But I don’t think I could handle it on my own.”
His expression turns thoughtful as he considers it. “I think that’s something I could get on board with.”
I may not know where my future is going, but I have a feeling it’s going to be great. Laiken was right—taking back some of the joy he stole does feel good.
Leaning against the counter,I stare at the five words he sent. I’ve been reading it over and over. Right before he answered, I was seconds away from getting all of our friends together to form a search party. Overdramatic? Maybe. But I was worried. And honestly, I still am. The text helped, but what I need right now is to be in his arms.
The muffled sound of two voices outside grab both mine and Mali’s attention. We share a confused look just as the door opens and in walks Cam, with Hayes right behind him.
“Why not?” Hayes groans.
Cam rolls his eyes, going straight to the fridge. “Because The Salted Rim is a stupid name.”
“Oh, because it’s so much worse than Island Reef?”
“It is!”
Hayes stares at him like he’s lost his mind. “Dude, we live in North Carolina. Where the fuck do you see any islands?”
“The outer banks,” he points out.
“We don’t live there!”
Cam scoffs. “Whatever. The Salted Rim sounds like a chick bar. It’ll be filled with people asking for appletinis and watermelon margaritas.”
A smirk spreads across Hayes’s face. “Oh, so you’ll fit right in then.”
My brother laughs. “You’re such a prick. Let’s just settle this over a game of Center Ice. Winner names the bar.”
“You’re on.”
All Mali and I can do is watch with wide eyes as they banter like the last two weeks never happened. But seeing Hayes, perfectly fine and ten times happier than he was this morning, makes my heart swell with joy.
Cam goes to head upstairs when he stops and glances back at Hayes.
“I’ll meet you up there,” he tells him.
My brother glances between the two of us before sighing. “I wonder if bleach would work.”
Hayes chuckles and then turns to me. With a hand on the back of my neck, he pulls me in and wraps his arms around me, holding me close. I breathe in the smell of him and feel as my blood pressure returns to normal again.
When he backs away slightly, he rubs his thumb against my cheek and stares into my eyes. “I’m sorry I disappeared. I just needed to get my head on straight, and I didn’t want to drag you down with me.”
“You don’t need to apologize for needing some space,” I tell him, shaking my head. “But I want to make sure you know that you’realwaysable to come to me.”
“I do. I know that,” he confirms.
Eliminating the space between us, he kisses me, and I melt right into it. This, right here, is exactly what I needed. The feeling I get when I’m around him. The way he makes me feel safe and loved.
He breaks the kiss and smiles. “You’re so important to me.”
“Stop macking with my sister and get up here so I can kick your ass!” Cam yells from upstairs.
Both of us chuckle, and I can’t help but love how carefree he looks right now. It’s the look I’ve been craving to see back on his face.
“Go,” I tell him softly, nodding toward the stairs.
