3. Lainey
THREE
LAINEY
The rest of the day goes by in a blur.
The oven being out was a pain, but we made do with what we had. We served toast instead of muffins and cold sandwiches instead of hot ones. Most of the regulars didn’t even notice, or if they did, they didn’t complain. We also got a surprising influx of new faces. By the time I get back home, it’s a little bit past seven, and I’m exhausted.
When I step inside, my best friend and roommate, Ruby, is sprawled on the couch, scrolling through her phone. Spike, our bearded dragon, is perched on her shoulder like a scaly little guard dog.
“Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence,” Ruby says with a laugh as she looks up at me. “Spike and I were starting to think you’d been kidnapped.”
I let out a tired laugh. “Nope, not today, unfortunately.”
I drop my bag by the door and walk over to the couch.
Our apartment isn’t much—600 square feet of mismatched furniture and dreams we can barely afford. The kitchen’s little more than a narrow galley with counter space for exactly one person to cook, assuming the ancient oven decides to work.
But it’s home, or at least the closest thing Ruby and I have managed to create since Dad died, and I couldn’t keep up payments on the house.
“You look exhausted.” Ruby sits up, tucking her legs under her to make room. “Bad shift?”
I sink down next to her, letting my head fall back. “The worst. The oven’s dying. Carl came by to look at it. But he says it’ll cost at least twenty grand to replace.”
“Oh no!” Ruby’s eyes go wide. “The one that does all the pies?”
“And the biscuits. And basically everything else.” I close my eyes, seeing dollar signs swimming behind my lids.
“We could do a fundraiser? Get the regulars involved?”
I shake my head. “Dad never took handouts. I can’t start now.”
“It’s not handouts if people want to help.” Ruby nudges my shoulder while Spike scrambles down her arm to investigate the couch cushions. “The diner means something to this town.”
A lump forms in my throat.
Ruby Wilson has been my rock since we were kids. I remember the first day she showed up at Cooper Heights Elementary, her red hair wild and her green eyes daring anyone to mess with her. She plopped down next to me at lunch, declared my PB&J looked better than hers, and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
When Dad got sick during my senior year of college, Ruby was there—holding my hand at the hospital, helping me study for finals when I could barely keep my eyes open, and showing up at the diner after school to bus tables when I needed an extra hand. I don’t know what I do without her.
But before I can get too emotional, my lips curl into a small smile.
“There was one bright spot today.”
“Yeah?”
“Marcus came in.”
“Ooh, Marcus Ruins? Spill. Now.”
I groan, covering my face with my hands.
“It was mortifying. Before he got there, I spilled dishwater all over my uniform. And then I slipped right in front of him because my shoes were still wet.”
“Please don’t tell me you fell on your face”
“I almost did. But right before I hit the ground, he caught me.”
“He caught you?”
“Yep. And when he asked if I was okay, I started babbling like an idiot. I told him that I was fine, just a little wet.” I peek at her through my fingers. “And then I said, ‘not that kind of wet, just regular wet.’ Regular wet, Ruby! I actually said that to Axel’s fucking dad.”
Ruby gasps dramatically. “What did he say?”
“Just sat there looking all intense and gorgeous.” I pause, remembering the heat in his eyes and the way his jaw tightened. “Fortunately, he took mercy on me, and I ran back to the kitchen before I could embarrass myself any further.”
Ruby’s laughter fills our tiny living room.
“Well, it’s a good thing that Marcus is probably secretly in love with you too,” Ruby says, her grin widening as she leans back against the couch, clearly enjoying herself. “I mean, come on. He caught you mid-fall? That’s some rom-com-level heroics right there.”
“Ruby!” I swat her arm, my face flaming. “Stop it. You can’t just say things like that about Axel’s dad. It’s weird.”
“Weird? Or is it just true?” she fires back, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Spike chirps in agreement, or maybe he’s just reacting to Ruby’s dramatic hand gestures.
Either way, I’m outnumbered.
“Marcus is not secretly in love with me,” I say, trying to sound firm but failing miserably because now I’m laughing too. “He’s just polite.”
“And ridiculously hot,” Ruby interrupts, smirking. “Don’t forget ridiculously hot.”
I groan again, burying my face in a throw pillow. “You’re impossible. You know that, right?”
Fortunately, my phone buzzes on the couch beside me, saving me from more of Ruby’s teasing. I glance at the screen, and my stomach drops. It’s a number I know by heart—Blackwater prison.
My heart starts pounding, and I feel that familiar mix of dread and hope churning in my chest.
Ruby notices my expression immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“My brother’s calling me.”
Her face softens. “You should take it.”
I nod back, already standing up. “I’m going to my room.”
She doesn’t say anything else, just gives me a small, reassuring smile as I grab my phone and head down the hall. My mind races as I close the door behind me and sit on the edge of my bed.
My older brother Derrick went away to prison five years ago for armed robbery. I still remember the day the police showed up at our door, the grim expressions on their faces as they told us what happened. Derrick had always been a bit wild and prone to making bad decisions. But none of us ever thought he’d go so far to rob someone at gunpoint.
I take a deep breath and answer the call. “Derrick?”
“Hey, kiddo.”
Five years inside haven’t changed the way he calls me that, like I’m still the kid who used to crawl into his bed during thunderstorms. He was my protector back then – the one who walked me to school and who scared off bullies.
Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile that Derrick with the one who got caught up with the wrong crowd, who started running with the Southside Kings.
“How are you? Is everything alright?”
“Sure, sure.” There’s a pause and I hear the background noise of other inmates. “Listen, Lainey. I need a favor.”
The knot in my stomach tightens.
Derrick’s “favors” have gotten more frequent lately. And all of them usually involve me giving him money.
“What kind of favor?”
“I owe a guy some money. And I can’t pay him back.”
My stomach turns, a sickening lurch that feels all too familiar.
Even before he went to prison, Derrick had a gambling problem. It started small—a few bucks on football games, then poker nights that stretched into early mornings. By the time he was arrested, he owed more people than I could count.
I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “How much?”
There’s a long pause, the kind that makes my heart race.
“Five thousand.”
“Five thou—” I choke on the words, my voice rising. “Are you kidding me, Derrick? Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?”
“Lainey, please,” he says, his voice urgent. “This is the last payment, I swear. After this, I’m done. Clean slate.”
I want to believe him. I want to believe him so badly it hurts. But I’ve heard this before, too many times to count.
“Who do you owe it to?”
Another pause, longer this time. When Derrick speaks again, his voice is barely above a whisper.
“Enzo Castellano.”
Shit.
Enzo Castellano isn’t just some bookie or small-time loan shark. He’s dangerous.
“Lainey, please.” His voice softens, and I can hear the desperation in it. “Enzo said if I don’t pay him back by tomorrow night, things will get ugly for me in here. You know what that means.”
I do know what that means.
Enzo Castellano has a reputation. I know what he’s capable of, the kind of power he wields behind bars. If Derrick doesn’t pay...
I close my eyes, my head spinning. The oven. The diner. Dad’s legacy. But Derrick... he’s my brother. My only family left.
“Fine. How do I get the money to Enzo?” I ask, already mentally calculating how much this is going to set me back.
“You need to meet him at the Summit tomorrow night. Give the cash to him there.”
“Derrick, no,” I say immediately, my voice trembling. “That place is dangerous. I can’t just walk in there with that kind of cash.”
“Look, Lainey. I know it’s a lot to ask. But you’re all I’ve got now. Mom and Dad are gone, and you’re the only one who’s ever stuck by me. I know I’ve messed up, but I swear, this is the last time I’ll ask. I just need to get through this.”
Those words crack something in my chest. He is all I have, too. Two more years and he’ll be out. Two more years, and maybe we can be a family again.
“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll figure it out.”
“Thanks a ton, kiddo. I owe you one.”
“That’s what family is for.” I swallow hard, gripping the phone tighter. “Love you, big brother.”
The line goes dead before I can hear if he says it back.
I flop back onto the bed, my heart pounding in my chest. The ceiling above me blurs as tears well up in my eyes, and I let them fall. I miss my Mom and Dad so much it feels like a physical ache.
They’d know what to do. They’d know how to handle Derrick, how to keep him safe without putting me in danger. But they’re gone, and it’s just me now. Just me trying to hold everything together.
I think about the diner, about the broken oven and my dwindling bank account. About how nice it would be to pick up the phone like Derrick does and call someone who could fix it all. Someone who’d say, “Don’t worry, Lainey. I’ve got this.” Someone who’d swoop in and handle the mess without me having to beg or scrape or sacrifice.
Someone who’d take care of me for once.
But that’s not how my life works.
I wipe my cheeks with the back of my hand and take a shaky breath. “It’s going to be okay,” I whisper to myself. Then I stand up and head back to the living room.
Spike has migrated to his favorite spot on top of the TV, watching me with those unfathomable reptile eyes.
“Everything okay?” Ruby asks softly from the couch.
“Yeah.” I sink down next to her, trying to keep my voice even. “Everything’s fine.” But even I can hear the tremor in my voice.
Ruby mutes the TV. “What did he want?”
I pull my knees to my chest and sigh. “He owes a guy some money.”
“How much?”
“Five thousand. He wants me to meet someone at The Summit tomorrow night to hand it over.”
“The Summit?” Ruby sits up straight. “No way. That place is dangerous, Lainey.” She leans forward, her expression fierce. “And isn’t that what Carl said he needed for the oven part?”
I press my palms against my eyes. “Yeah. But Derrick says things are getting rough in there. You know what they say about Blackwater.”
“I know your brother always has some story about why he needs money,” Ruby cuts in. “And it always sounds shady.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Because it’s true? That’s why he got locked up in the first place.”
“He’s all I have left.” My voice comes out smaller than I mean it to. “I can’t let him down.”
Ruby’s expression softens. “At least don’t go alone. I’d offer, but I’ve got a late appointment with a client.”
I tap my chin thoughtfully. “I could ask Axel.”
Ruby frowns. “Is he even in town. I thought the band had shows in Seattle this week.”
“They got back yesterday. He texted me a photo of his cat.”
Spike scuttles across the back of the couch between us, and I reach out to stroke his scaly head while my mind drifts to Axel.
Axel Ruins is my other best friend and has been the third part of our little trio since sophomore year. Ruby and I used to spend afternoons watching Axel’s band, Highland Rye, practice in his mom’s garage. We’d sprawl on the old couch he kept out there, sharing convenience store slushies and critiquing their covers of classic rock songs.
Back then, he was just Axel – our goofy friend with the beautiful voice who dreamed of playing stadiums.
Then, last year, everything shifted.
After my Dad died, Axel was there for me in a way that he had never been before. He showed up at my door the night of the funeral, his guitar slung over his shoulder. We drove to the lake, where we sat on the hood of his car under a blanket of stars. He played songs I’d never heard before—ones he’d written just for me—and for the first time since Dad died, I felt like I could breathe.
For a few weeks, we tried to date and see if there could be more between us. But it wasn’t long before I saw photos on social media of Axel making out with a gorgeous redhead after a show.
I realized then that what we had was never going to be more than friendship. He’s a free spirit, always chasing the next high, the next crowd, the next girl.
And I’m… not.
I need stability, someone who’s grounded, someone who’s there for me when it matters. Not just when it’s convenient.
Somehow, we managed to salvage our friendship. These days, he’s back to being just Axel – the guy who still sends me cat photos and crashes on our couch when he’s between tours, who knows all my secrets except how I feel about his dad.
“Axel will help me out. He knows how things are with Derrick.”
Ruby snorts. “Well, just make sure you check his Instagram first. Make sure he’s not busy wooing this week’s future ex-girlfriend.”
I pull out my phone and start typing: Need a favor tomorrow night. Important. You free?
His response comes instantly: For you? Always. What kind of trouble we getting into?
I sink deeper into the couch, some of the tension leaving my shoulders. One problem solved, at least for now.
“Alright,” Ruby says, tossing a throw pillow at me. “Enough about Axel and Derrick. You’ve had a hell of a week. Let’s just chill. Order a pizza, put on Gilmore Girls, and forget about everything for a few hours. What do you say?”
“Pizza and Gilmore Girls?”I giggle. “Now, you’re speaking my love language.”
She grins, already pulling her phone out. “Damn right I am.”
The next evening finds me pacing our tiny living room, checking my phone every thirty seconds.
My stomach churns with each step. Ruby’s perched on the kitchen counter, watching me wear a path in our already threadbare carpet while Spike bobs his head from his favorite perch on her shoulder.
“He’s only five minutes late.” Ruby tosses a piece of kale into Spike’s waiting mouth. “You know how Axel is with time.”
“I know, I just—” A sharp knock cuts me off, followed by the distinctive sound of someone trying to kick our sticky door open.
“Use the key I gave you, dumbass!” Ruby calls out.
The lock clicks and Axel shoulders his way in, all six-foot-two of him filling our doorway. My heart does that familiar little skip, not from attraction anymore, but from the pure comfort of his presence.
He’s wearing dark jeans and a black button-down that probably costs more than my rent, his dark hair artfully messy in that way that takes an hour to style. A garment bag hangs from one hand, his guitar case from the other.
“Evening ladies.” He flashes his signature grin. “Miss me?”
“Hardly.” Ruby throws a dish towel at his head and Spike scuttles down her arm. “You were just here three days ago eating all our cereal.”
Axel catches the towel without looking, his movements fluid and precise like always.
Where Marcus moves with the contained power of a predator, all raw strength and intensity, Axel has the grace of a performer, every gesture calculated for maximum effect. Not that I should be comparing them. Not that I should be thinking about Marcus at all, or how his calloused hands would feel against my skin, or— I cut that thought off hard.
“I brought presents to make up for it.” Axel holds up the garment bag with a flourish. “Well, one present. For our girl who’s about to infiltrate the most exclusive club in Cooper Heights.”
My palms start to sweat. “What kind of present?”
“The key to getting you past the door.” He unzips it to reveal a black dress that makes my breath catch. The material looks like liquid shadow, all draping fabric and subtle shimmer. It’s the kind of dress that demands attention, the opposite of what I usually wear. My fingers tremble slightly as I reach out to touch it.
“Before you say no, remember that The Summit has a strict dress code. You show up in flannel and jeans, they won’t let you within a hundred feet of the place.”
“I have dresses,” I protest weakly, though my regular wardrobe suddenly feels childish in comparison.
“Church dresses and sundresses.” He holds the dress against me, his height forcing me to look up. The fabric feels cool and expensive against my arms. “Trust me. This is what you need.”
“Since when are you a fashion expert?” But I can’t take my eyes off the dress, imagining how it might feel to wear something so beautiful.
Ruby hops off the counter and comes to inspect the dress.
“Damn, Axe. This is gorgeous.” She nudges my shoulder. “Go try it on while I interrogate our friend about his latest romantic disasters.”
I grab the dress and head for my room, Axel’s dramatic groan following me. “That was one time?—”
“This month,” Ruby finishes.
Their friendly bickering fades as I close my bedroom door, and I can’t help but smile. Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky with these two.
I walk into my room and take the dress out of the plastic cover to examine it more closely. It looks expensive, the kind of dress you see in those boutique windows downtown where they don’t even bother putting price tags on anything.
I slip it on, my breath catching as the material slides over my skin. The mirror shows someone I barely recognize – curves I usually hide suddenly on display, the fabric clinging in ways that make me feel both powerful and exposed.
“Holy shit.” Ruby’s voice makes me jump. She’s standing in my doorway, eyes wide. “You look incredible.”
My cheeks flush hot. “You think?” I twist to see the back, nervous energy making my movements jerky. The dress moves with me like water. “It’s not too much?”
“It’s perfect.” Axel appears behind Ruby. His expression suddenly serious. “Hey Ruby, give us a minute?”
Ruby glances between us, then nods. “Let me get my contribution to tonight’s adventure.”
Axel waits until she’s gone, then steps into my room.
Even after all this time, there’s something surreal about him being here, this rising rock star who still feels like the boy who used to share his lunch with me in high school.
“You really think the dress is perfect?” I ask. I smooth the fabric over my hips. “I mean, it’s… a lot.”
Axel steps closer. “Yeah, I do,” he says firmly. “But the real question is—are you sure?”
I blink at him, confused. “Sure about what?”
His expression softens. “About this whole thing. About going to The Summit tonight.” His voice drops low. “You’re about to walk into a shady nightclub to hand over thousands of dollars to some guy you don’t even know. That’s risky as hell.”
“What other choice do I have? Derrick needs me. He’s my brother.”
“Yeah, and he’s also the reason the diner is in so much debt in the first place.”
“That’s not fair,” I snap. “Derrick made mistakes, but he’s trying to fix them. He’s in over his head, and I’m not going to just stand by and watch him drown.”
Axel crosses his arms, his jaw tightening.
“I get that. But you’re not exactly a lifeguard here. You’re walking into a situation you don’t understand. These people—they’re not like us. They don’t play by the same rules.”
“And what, you think I’m too naive to handle it?” I shoot back.
Axel sighs, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I can take care of myself.”
He steps closer, his amber eyes searching mine.
“Can you? Because this isn’t some high school drama or a bad date. This is serious. And if something goes wrong, things could get bad quick.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong,” I interrupt, though I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince him or myself.
Before he can respond, the door bursts open, and Ruby strides in, holding up a small black clutch.
“Alright, I found it. Now let’s—” She stops mid-sentence, her gaze darting between Axel and me. Her eyebrows shoot up. “Uh, everything okay here?”
Axel steps back and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Yeah,” he grumbles. “Everything’s fine.”
Ruby narrows her eyes but doesn’t press it. Instead, she holds out the clutch to me.
“Here. It’s got your ID, some cash, and pink pepper spray for your purse. It matches your dress and can blind a man at ten feet.”
I can’t help but laugh, the tension in the room dissolving as I take the clutch from her.
“Thanks, girlie. I’ll text you if anything goes sideways, okay?”
“You better. And don’t let this guy”—she jerks her thumb at Axel—”talk you out of calling me if you need backup.”
“I won’t,” I promise, squeezing her hand.
Axel rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue. Instead, he steps toward the door. “Let’s go. We’re already late.”