18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
Blossom
I walk into the bar, my shot nerves immediately settling in my stomach. I could barely sleep last night, still rattled by everything that happened with Zack.
The last thing I want today is for him to show up here, trying to make another scene at my place of work. My gaze keeps flicking to the door as I set up for my shift, waiting for him to walk in, but nothing happens.
All I see is the usual flow of customers filtering in and out.
My shift begins without a hitch, and I manage to fall into the rhythm of pouring drinks, taking orders, moving from one task to the next with a practiced ease.
The noise of the bar and the chatter of customers begin to ground me, and for a moment, I forget the chaos of last night. Still, my eyes still dart toward the door every few minutes, my stomach tight with anxiety.
I just keep thinking I’ll see Zack’s face in the crowd, but no.
Or, at least, he hasn’t shown up yet.
The harsh pounding in my chest slows, just a little.
It’s the anticipation that’s killing me.
I’m trying to be calm, to push it all out of my head. I focus on the drinks, on the people in front of me.
I just keep hearing the glass shattering, seeing his bulk climbing through the window as the wet, cold wind rushed into the room.
It’s always in the back of my mind.
I just need this shift to be over. I need to feel safe again in Noah’s penthouse.
Just when I think I can breathe a little, Courtney arrives for her shift. She breezes in, her brown eyes scanning the room, her red hair pulled up in a thick bun, and I immediately feel the tension rise in my chest again.
I might not be able to ignore her, but I’m learning to avoid her. I always work hard to not engage with her outrage and pettiness.
Still, she’s worse than usual today, more aggressive. She walks straight up to the register, shoving past me without so much as a glance or a “sorry”.
I feel the sharpness of her movement, the coldness of it, and I force myself to stay calm. I know she’s trying to provoke me, and the last thing I need is another fight with her.
I try to focus on the bottles behind the bar, checking the inventory. I start taking stock, organizing the shelves in a bid to distract myself. As I reach for a bottle in the back, Courtney bumps into me again, this time harder.
Even worse, she still doesn’t even acknowledge it.
“Excuse me,” I mutter under my breath, but she doesn’t hear me or doesn’t care. She just slides behind the counter without saying a word, her eyes never meeting mine.
I grab the bottles I need quickly, my fingers gripping them tighter than they should.
I need space. I need to get away from her before I snap.
With a small huff, I turn and make my way toward the back, hoping the bottle storage room will give me a moment of peace. I try to steady my breath as I make my way to the storage room, but my heart is still racing from the interaction with Courtney.
I can feel her eyes on me the entire time I’m walking away, and I know she’s watching, waiting for an opportunity to start something.
I step into the back, the coolness of the room a welcome relief from the heat of the bar. But just as I start to sort the bottles on the shelves, I hear the door swing open behind me.
“Blossom,” Courtney’s voice cuts through the silence, and I turn to face her, already preparing for whatever she has to say. Her expression is cold, calculating. “We need to talk.”
I raise an eyebrow, folding my arms across my chest. “What now, Courtney?”
She steps closer, her tone dropping into something more menacing. “You’ve been with Noah, haven’t you? I know you have.” She steps closer still, lowering her voice. “If you don’t leave him, I’ll tell everyone. I’ll tell the whole staff about you two. You think Noah’s going to protect you? He’s got his whole empire to run. He won’t care about you once the truth is out there.”
My heart sinks, the words hitting harder than I expected them to. But I don’t back down. I stand tall, keeping my composure. “Go ahead,” I challenge, my voice steady. “I’ll deal with it.”
Courtney’s eyes narrow, but I see the hesitation in them. “You think you can just keep this secret forever? You’re playing with fire, Blossom.”
I take a deep breath, the anger I’ve been holding in rising to the surface. I pull my phone from my pocket, scrolling quickly to Noah’s number. Without a second thought, I hold it up to her, the screen flashing his name.
“Go ahead,” I say, my voice firm. “Call him. Tell him about me. Let’s see how that goes.”
Courtney freezes for a moment, her face flushing as she sees the contact name on the screen. I don’t back down, keeping my eyes locked on hers. “You think he’ll believe you? You think he’ll care what you say?”
She doesn’t respond right away, but her cheeks burn with the realization that she can’t intimidate me like she thought she could.
Her confidence falters, and I see the shift in her: she’s rattled. She looks at the phone, then back at me, but before she can say anything else, she quickly turns on her heel.
“I’ve got customers to deal with,” she mutters, hustling back toward the bar, the tension in her shoulders still there, but she’s lost her edge.
I watch her leave, a small smile creeping across my face. I don’t have time to let her get to me. She’s not my concern anymore. I have bigger things to deal with.
The shift goes by in a blur, with Courtney and I barely exchanging a word. We’re like two strangers working in the same space, each keeping to our corners. I keep my head down, focusing on the customers and the drinks, trying to push everything else out of my mind.
Courtney’s attitude is ice-cold, and I don’t want to engage. The last thing I need right now is another fight with her.
When Amy walks in for her shift, I almost feel a weight lift off my shoulders.
The familiar sight of her, her warm energy, is exactly what I need. She’s a welcome distraction from Courtney’s passive-aggressive silence. I give her a small wave and a relieved smile as she slips behind the bar.
“Hey, Bee! How’s it going?” Amy asks, immediately bringing a sense of normalcy with her.
I can’t hide the relief in my voice. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been...a day.”
Amy smiles, clearly sensing the tension in the air. Courtney, on the other hand, doesn’t hide her irritation. I can see her eyeing Amy like a hawk, her gaze sharp every time Amy speaks to me. Amy doesn’t let it phase her. In fact, she seems to find it almost amusing, sending side-eye after side-eye Courtney’s way.
It’s petty, but it’s exactly what I need to feel like things are okay again. The rest of the shift goes by smoothly with Amy here, but I can feel Courtney’s resentment simmering beneath the surface.
As Courtney heads off for her break, I lean over to Amy, my voice low. "You wouldn’t believe what happened earlier," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. Amy’s already polishing glasses, but she stops what she’s doing and gives me her full attention.
"What’s going on?" she asks, sensing the tension in my voice.
I look around, making sure no one is listening. "Courtney just tried to blackmail me," I whisper, shaking my head in disbelief. "She told me that if I didn’t leave Noah, she’d tell everyone about us. Like that’s something she can use against me."
Amy’s jaw drops, and she freezes for a moment, processing what I just said. “Wait—what? She actually threatened you? What a freak.”
I nod, feeling a little embarrassed to even be telling Amy this, but I trust her. She’s the one person who’s always had my back. Besides Noah, I realize with a little startle, and the thought warms me from the inside out.
"Yeah, she did. But I didn’t back down. I told her to go ahead and call him, see how that goes. She was just bluffing, though."
Amy shakes her head, her eyes wide with disbelief. "She’s nuts. You should get her fired. Seriously, she has no business trying to control you like that."
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "Could I even do that? I mean, could I get her fired for that?" The idea of getting her out of my life sounds tempting, but I don’t know if it’s that simple.
Amy’s grin widens. "If it were up to me, I’d make sure she’s gone by the end of the day. But I think you could at least bring it up to Noah or management."
Courtney is still on her break, and the bar is quieter now, just a few regulars sipping their drinks.
Amy and I work in sync, passing drinks back and forth, the comfortable rhythm of the shift settling in. But the emotional toll of what’s happened today hasn’t gone away. I can’t shake the anxiety that’s been building in my chest.
I lean in closer to Amy, my voice quieter now, a little more vulnerable. "I don’t know what to do, Amy. I’m really worried about Noah. About the baby. I mean, what if he’s not ready to be a dad? What if he doesn’t really want this? Want me ?"
Amy stops for a moment, her hand stilling as she looks at me, sensing the depth of my concern. "What are you talking about?" she asks, her tone soft.
"I don’t know, I just...I feel like I’m not what he signed up for. I’m just a bartender, struggling to make ends meet. I’m pregnant, and that’s a lot for someone like him. He’s got his whole life together; he’s rich, successful, everything I’m not. I just don’t know if I’m going to be enough."
Amy leans across the bar, her eyes soft but direct. "Bee, that’s crazy. He cares about you. I’ve seen it. You’re overthinking all of this."
But even with her reassuring words, the doubt still lingers.
I can’t help but feel like I don’t belong in his world, that I’m not enough to be the mother of his child.
Amy’s words don’t erase the doubt in my heart, but I try to let them settle in. She’s right, though, Noah’s been nothing but kind to me.
Still, I can’t shake the fear that I’m not enough for him.
"I just keep thinking I’m this poor kid who had a teen mom and now I’m a bartender, working my ass off just to make rent. I’m with this rich, handsome, famous guy, and I can’t stop wondering why he would even want to be with me."
Amy gives me a look, and I know she’s not having it. "Blossom, stop. You think you’re the only one with insecurities? You think Noah’s perfect? He’s human, just like you. He wants you , not your paycheck or your status. And you know what? If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be with you."
I take a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill.
Amy’s right, and I want to believe her, but a part of me is scared. What if I’m wrong? What if he’s just being kind to me out of some sense of obligation, something that’s going to fade away once the reality of our situation sets in?
Amy pats my hand gently, giving me a soft smile. "I get it. But Noah isn’t like that. Don’t doubt what you have, Bee. You’re more than enough."