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Willow gives me a loaner bag of clothes before I get out of her car since mine are burned to a crisp, and I’m waiting for my online orders to be delivered to my parents’ house. I kiss her cheek, thank her again, and think about Gage on my ride home.
I need to find out if he’s home for good.
If he is, I’m not sure how much pain that’ll put me through.
My new home search might be out of Blue Beech if that’s the case.
* * *
I throwmy arms around the chest of my big brother, Hudson, and squeal. “Happy birthday, you old man, you!”
Yes, I’m curing my hangover by attending my brother’s birthday party at the Down Home Pub. Even if I do feel like shit, I can’t bail on his party. Down Home Pub is the only place to drink in Blue Beech, so if you’re looking to have a good time, this is where you go. Even though it gives you a comfortable and homey atmosphere, you’ll still always end up running into someone you hate.
Hudson squeezes my shoulders and narrows his eyes on me upon pulling away. “Old man? I still don’t regret cutting off half of your bangs when you were six.”
Hudson is the middle child between Dallas and me. He’s a tough dude, a former Marine, and a part-time bodyguard to his fiancée, Stella Mendes. She happens to be TV’sitgirl.
At first, he didn’t want to work for her, but he broke down and took the job after dealing with the reality that his high school sweetheart and my former best friend were screwing behind his back. The fuck-boy bestie married said cheating ho on her and Hudson’s scheduled wedding day. Good thing he did take the job, considering his life is hearts and roses with a talented and independent woman.
Yes, our family is one big dating-confusion circle. It’d take hours to break down every relationship situation. It’s hard for me to keep up with it at times. They all got name tags from me for Christmas.
I slap his chest. “Joke’s on you, homeboy, because I’m the one who cut the heads off your G.I. Joes, which Mom didn’t ground me forortell you because she understood it was done in retribution.”
He plops down on a barstool at the crowded table and pulls the one next to him out. “Waitress delivered our drinks before you got here, but I’ll track her down to get you something.”
I wave off his offer and stay standing. “I’ll run up to the bar and order something from Maliki. This place is a madhouse. It’ll take forever for a drink.”
He picks his beer up. “Throw it on my tab.”
“You’re the birthday boy. I should be buying your drinks.” I hold a finger up. “Nothing too expensive though. This chick is on a budget.”
He takes a drink and wipes his mouth. “Exactly. You’ve lost everything you owned. Add it to my tab.”
I shake my head. “Nope, you know us Barnes kids don’t like people feeling sorry for us.”
“I don’t feel sorry for your evil, G.I. Joe–killing ass. I’m having a good night, and I already told everyone at our table that drinks are on me.”
I tap his head while he takes another drink and then move around the table to complete my hugging and greeting duty to everyone, including Willow, Dallas, and Stella. That takes a good fifteen minutes. A crowd of people surrounds the bar, but luckily, Maliki skips over them and heads straight to me.
A smile beams on his dark-skinned face. “There’s my favorite arsonist nurse. What can I get you? Fireball?”
I lean against the bar to smack his shoulder. “So hilarious, ass. There goes your tip.”
Maliki and I had a thing for a few months last year. He graduated with Hudson, and neither one of us was looking for anything serious, so we didn’t feel the need to tell anyone. Not an ounce of drama happened after parting ways when the flame dimmed. That’s the kind of sex relationship I want.
Perhaps I should ask him to share his bed with me tonight to fuck out all the sexual thoughts I’ve been having about Gage.
I shake my head.Nope.That’s a bitchy thing to do. I won’t use someone to get back at my pain-in-the-ass ex.
Maliki grins, showing off his bright white teeth. “Your usual? Lemon drop martini?”
I tap my chin. “I might be in need of something stronger this evening.”
“Rough week?”
“Considering I’m homeless, yes.”
He goes to open his mouth, most likely about to offer up his spare bedroom, when someone wedges himself between us, stopping him.
