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I took another step back from him, colliding with Jessie as I did so. He gripped my hand in his, reminding me that I wasn’t alone. “Crystal,” I retorted.
He walked out of the garage on that note. “Still that fucking bad after six years, huh?” Lincoln asked as he turned to look at me once Lucky drove off, most of his anger gone.
I shrugged. “I left my mark on this town and its residents. It wasn’t a good mark, either,” I reminded him. I turned to look at Jessie. “This is why I can’t stay here, Jessie,” I reminded him quietly. “I’ll never survive in this shit hole.”
He sighed and pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on top of my head. “Lincoln, hold down the shop for a little while,” he requested as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the garage.
Lincoln nodded once. “Got it, bro.” Lincoln sighed as he looked at me. “Sorry for the shit I said,” Lincoln apologized to me. “It’s good to see you again, West.” A small smile tilted his lips, and my entire body responded to it in a way I wasn’t prepared to deal with.
My heart skipped a beat in my chest.
Jessie closed the trunk on the Camaro and studied me as I leaned against the side of the car. The truck would take too long to fix, and I needed to get out now. So, Jessie put the spark plugs back in the car while I gathered my few meager things.
“Don’t ghost me again, West.” I shook my head at him. I couldn’t rip Jessie out a second time. I barely survived it the first time. “I’ve had a taste of you, and I promise that I will come hunt you down if you ever cut me off again.”
I strode around the car to where he was standing. “Promise you won’t have to worry about that, Jessie.” I blew out a soft breath. “I’ll see you this weekend, okay?”
We’d agreed he’d come see me on the weekends when his shop was closed. It kept me out of this town, kept me out of trouble. And hopefully, Jay wouldn’t realize where Jessie was going.
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Yeah,” he grumbled. “This weekend.”
He leaned down and kissed me before he stepped back from me. “Drive safe,” he told me, staring at me with that same longing in his eyes that he had stared at me with all of those years ago when I’d been ripped from his arms and carted off to jail.
I swallowed thickly, nodding at him. I slid into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the driveway, leaving rubber behind me as I high tailed it out of that fucking town as fast as fucking possible.
“I’m missing a damn mac and cheese for this plate,” I told Brent as I pushed the plate back towards him.
He rolled his eyes. “Wasn’t on the ticket, darlin’.”
“Don’t play that shit with me, Brent,” I snapped at him. “I’ll reprint the ticket for proof and shove it down your throat if I have to.” I was in a foul fucking mood, and I was not in the mood for his fuck-ups. Customers were dicks tonight, and I had one table in particular that was a problem—the table this fucking mac and cheese went to.
Brent tolerated me more than anyone else. My bad moods always just breezed over his shoulder. He took it in stride, and I’d even caught him chewing out one of the other cooks when he caught them bitching about me.
He held his hands up in surrender as he served up a helping of mac and cheese and put it on the plate. I grabbed the plate and two other ones before I headed to the table that was impatiently waiting for their food.
“About damn time,” the younger guy spoke up. “Christ, service here is slow.”
I purposely knocked over his glass of sweet tea as I set his plate down, sending it all into his lap. I’d had enough. To hell with it if I lost this job. I didn’t make near damn enough to deal with this shit night after night from assholes like this kid.
“Fuck!” he yelled as he jumped up from his seat. “You stupid bitch!” he roared at me. I only arched an eyebrow at him.
“Christ, West!” Eric, the manager, yelled as he rushed out of the kitchen. He gripped my arm roughly and yanked me towards him. I bristled, every guard in my body going up hard against him. “Get out of here. You’re done for the night.”
“Get your fucking hands off of me,” I snarled up at him, ripping my arm from his tight grasp.
“Come on,” Annabelle said as she rushed over to me. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”
