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She’d said callous, thoughtless things, and she’d hurt him. On top of that, she hadn’t replied to his texts or calls today. She knew she had to apologize, but she was feeling vulnerable, too. And the truth was, she wasn’t ready to face him because she didn’t know what she could say to explain herself.
But none of that changed the fact that she’d reacted poorly, and she’d been raised better than that. Truth be told, recently, she’d reacted poorly more often than she’d care to admit. Her response to finding out the truth about her adoption was something she’d come to regret. Running away instead of staying and fighting for her family wasn’t something she was proud of. Her reaction had been purely emotional, but she was going back to Cali this weekend to fix all that. Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly sure how to fix this mess with Gabe. Or if she could.
As if he sensed her looking at him, Gabe lifted his head and his molten green-eyed gaze collided with hers. His expression was grim, his lips drawn in a tight line, and his eyes looked tired—like he’d gotten about as much sleep as she had. Even from across the room, she could see the lingering pain and confusion in them.
Meanwhile, she was dressed up and drinking with their laughing friends—like nothing in the world was wrong. She broke eye contact and turned to face Carter.
“Yeah, seems rowdier than usual,” she agreed, not even sure if they were still talking about the same thing.
Ivy sauntered back to their table. When had she left?
“Line up at the ladies was insane.” Ivy wiggled back onto her seat. “I bailed when the chick in front of me started drunk dialing every ex she’d ever had—which was a lot, by the way—and went up to our apartment to pee. That’s why I took so long. In case anyone noticed I was missing.” She glanced at Hope with an arched eyebrow and a smirk.
Hope had most definitely not noticed Ivy was missing, or anything else in her surroundings other than the tall, dark, and broody man behind the bar.
“I always notice when you’re missing,” Sean announced, and every head at their table turned to face him.
A much-needed smile tugged on Hope’s mouth, and her mood shifted instantly. Sean was so good for Ivy, in so many ways, and it made Hope feel good knowing her friend was cared for by such a decent human being.
Carter snorted a laugh. “I’m cutting you off, dude.”
Ivy turned beet red.
And Sean shifted uncomfortably in his seat, suddenly becoming very interested in the golden liquid that remained in his beer glass as he muttered, “I always notice shit people do, okay?”
“Right,” Carter said, chuckling, but he had enough self-preservation not to push this particular issue. Instead, he hopped off his chair and made a show of stretching his arms above his head and cracking his knuckles. “Whelp. Sorry to love you and leave you guys, but my break’s over. Anybody want another bevy before I head back behind the bar?” He pointed his finger at Sean’s face. “Not you, Romeo.”
A muscle in Sean’s jaw twitched, and Hope wasn’t sure if he might clock Carter or dump his beer over his head. But Sean never had a chance to do either because his death glare was interrupted by a slurred voice coming up far too close behind her back.
“Well, fuck me. If it isn’t little Miss Ivy Harrington and her cheating friend, Hope fucking Morgan.”
It’d been three years since she’d heard this voice, but it was the one that haunted her nightmares ever since. She’d know it anywhere.
Adrenaline flooded her body, making her heart pound wildly in her chest. She leaped off her bar stool and spun to face the owner of the voice, clenching her fists so hard her nails bit into her skin.
Beside her, Ivy went completely and utterly still. Around them, everything—music, people, the sounds of the bar—melted away. And for a long, blinding moment, the two of them were transported back to that one terrible night that changed both of their lives irrevocably.
She knew that if she looked at Ivy, she’d see blind fear on her friend’s face. She already felt it emanating from Ivy in cold, shivering waves. But she couldn’t take her eyes off Adam, didn’t dare to so much as even blink.
He looked the same as he had that night three years ago, eyes glassy from too much booze, a sheen of sweat on his brow, classy business shirt unbuttoned at the neck, sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He appeared casual, handsome even, but she knew better. She knew the faint scar that reached from eyebrow to temple was a clue to the demon that lived inside Adam Reed.
Sean must have picked up on the tension choking her and Ivy, because out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw his full intimidating height standing in front of Ivy, protectively blocking her from Adam’s view. Sean had no idea what Adam meant to either of them, but he was never one to ask too many questions. He’d sensed something was off and gone into Guardians of the Galaxy mode.
“Do we have a problem?” Sean demanded in a low voice.
Adam grinned, copious amounts of alcohol and arrogance fueling his audacity. “A problem? No problem, man. Hope, Ivy, and I go a way back,” he said, sounding innocent, non-threatening, like he wasn’t actually the devil himself.
Nausea turned in Hope’s stomach as he spoke. Her body grew cold and sweaty as her past collided into the present.
Adam glanced from Sean back to Hope. “Don’t we, girls?” The bastard had the guts then to lean sideways and try to peer around Sean’s massive torso to stare down at Ivy. “We’re old pals. Right, Ive? So why don’t you call off Goliath here? I think we’re long overdue for a good catch up.” He paused, his smile evil, his glassy eyes leering. “You look good, Ive. Real good.”
Beside Hope, Ivy shot out of her chair so fast she knocked the glasses off their table. They crashed to the floor, spraying beer and glass everywhere. Ivy would have gone down with the crash, but Sean quickly steadied her, guiding her securely behind his body. Ivy clutched to the back of his shirt like it was her only armor, and Hope moved to stand beside Sean, shoulder to shoulder—forming a double-barricade between Ivy and Adam.
Something brushed her arm. Hope glanced sideways to find Carter flanking her other side. In a low voice, she said to him, “Get her out of here.”
Carter didn’t hesitate, but he also didn’t move fast, probably sensing that might spook Ivy. Slowly and very carefully he took Ivy’s hand in his. “Come on, Ivy, let’s bounce,” he murmured. And with a gentle but firm tug, he led Ivy away.
Before she could take another breath, the space where Carter had stood beside her was filled by Gabe. The crashing glasses must have alerted him to the altercation. Casually, like this wasn’t a gut-wrenchingly tense situation, he put his arm around Hope’s shoulders and held her close.
