31. Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty
Sunny
I stare at my phone, biting my lip, my finger hovering over Zane’s number. I don’t remember putting it in my phone and saving it, but here it is, and here I am. I've been sitting in this exact position for close to half an hour trying to work up the nerve to press the button.
It’s been three days since he was here, and I haven’t stopped thinking about him—or, Levi. Every time I close my eyes, I see Levi’s face, hear him say my name. The raw emotion it brings rattles around in my mind, refusing to settle.
But this isn’t about that or them. I need to start getting my life back.
I take a deep breath and tap the screen, pressing the phone to my ear before I can talk myself out of it. The ringing feels endless, each second stretching longer than the last.
“Sunny.” His voice is warm and low, like he’s genuinely happy to hear from me, and something in my chest loosens at the sound. My fingers grip the phone harder and I swallow hard.
“Hey,” I manage, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I, um… I wanted to check. Did you guys—did Levi leave town?”
The silence stretches so long I almost hang up. Finally, Zane speaks. “Yeah, Levi's gone. Left two nights ago with Colt and a few of the guys. I stayed back with everyone else.”
Relief floods through me so fast it makes me dizzy. I exhale loudly and sink deeper into the couch, my body heavy. “Good. That’s… good.”
“Which part?" Zane’s voice has a faint edge of something I can’t quite read.
“Oh. Um, all of it. Maybe,” I admit. The honesty in my answer surprises me. “I don't know. It's been a rough week."
“Yeah," he agrees quietly. "It has been that."
My free hand finds the edge of my blanket, twisting it between my fingers. "I thought... I mean, I assumed you'd all leave together."
"No." His voice is careful, measured. "Things came up here that someone needed to stay back and handle."
"Things?" The word comes out sharper than I intend, old fears and insecurities rising to the surface.
"Business," he says, but there's something in his tone that gives me pause.
"In Oak Valley?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady. "I can't imagine there's a whole lot here to stick around for."
There's a heavy pause. "I disagree."
My heart stutters a bit at his words. "Z, I just… I didn't expect you to still be here."
"I could leave," he says quietly. "If that's what you want."
"What do you mean?"
"What I said Sunny. One word from you, and I'm gone." His voice is steady, matter of fact. "Or say nothing and I'll stay."
"That's not really my call," I say with a nervous laugh. "Why would you do that?"
"Because I refuse to do anything that would hurt you or make things any harder for you." The simplicity in his answer catches me off guard
The silence stretches between us, heavy with things unsaid.
“Sunny?”
“I have to go,” I manage to choke out, clutching the phone like it might slip from my grasp.
“Okay,” he says, his voice is rock solid and calm despite the abruptness of my words. “I’m here if you need me.”
I hang up and set the phone down slowly. My apartment feels too quiet, too small now. The space that had felt like a refuge for the past week and a half suddenly feels like a trap, holding me hostage to my own thoughts.
The thought sends me to the kitchen, desperate for a distraction. I grab a glass and pour myself a drink—soda, nothing stronger. The last thing I need right now is a fuzzy head. I sip it slowly, leaning against the counter and staring out the small window above the sink before heading back to the living room.
I sit cross-legged on the floor. Zane’s voice lingers in my head as my gaze drifts out the window.
The sunlight streaming in feels good. Bright, warm, alive—everything I haven’t been since I locked myself inside this apartment.
I press my fingers to my temples, trying to quiet the thoughts warring in my head. It’s not just about going back to work, I tell myself. It's about getting back to some semblance of a life.
My hand drifts to the scars at my collarbone, brushing over them lightly. A memory surfaces unbidden—Zane’s steady eyes locking with mine, his voice soft but firm as he said, “You’re stronger than you think.”
I roll my eyes at the memory, but a faint smile tugs at my lips. That man could sell ice water in a blizzard.
Standing up, I smooth my hands over my thighs and look around the apartment. The mess I’ve let pile up stares back at me—a reflection of the chaos I’ve been letting consume me.
“No more,” I whisper.
I lean back and find Benny’s number. Hesitation bubbles up in my chest making me pause.
What if it’s too soon? What if it’s a mistake?
But then I hear Zane’s voice in my head again. You’re stronger than you think.
I press the button before I can second-guess myself anymore.
Zane
I stare at my phone, thumb hovering over Sunny's number. It's been almost a week since she called to see if Levi was still around.
My phone buzzes with another text from Colt: "You can't avoid him forever, Z."
I toss the phone onto the bed without answering. He's right, but I'm not ready to deal with Levi yet. I need the space from him as much as he probably needs it from me. Our last conversation replays in my head—him breaking down, confessing everything. The shame in his voice when he admitted leaving her there. Part of me understands he was just a kid faced with something horrific. But another part...
The image of Sunny's face when she described that night— feeling him hold her, hearing him call 911, only to have him walk away—haunts me. Makes me question everything I thought I knew about the man I've followed for years.
The safehouse is almost completely done. Ready for permanent crew to move in. It's amazing that we've managed to accomplish as much as we have in a few weeks. It's not going to be long before I don't have an excuse to keep from going home.
I keep thinking about how Sunny looked that evening in her kitchen—so hurt, so worn down. The trust she placed in me weighs heavy in my mind. I know she only let me in out of sheer exhaustion, but the fact that she let me make breakfast for her while she showered, and then ate every last bite speaks volumes.
As a bartender, even one without her history, it had to take a huge leap of faith to accept food and drink from someone she didn't know and didn't watch prepare it. It required a level of trust that maybe she didn't even recognize at the time. Her vulnerability in that moment, choosing to believe I wouldn't hurt her, conscious or not, makes me feel oddly protective.
It's a strange feeling, this satisfaction. Like I passed some test I didn't even realize I'd been taking until it was over. Usually, I measure success in fear or respect, not in whether someone trusts me. But somehow, that small gesture of faith means more than I would've imagined.
My phone buzzes again. This time it's Wolf with an update about a potential warehouse space near the port. Business should be my priority. It's what I'm good at. What I know.
Instead, I find myself pulling on my jacket and heading for my car. The evening air is cool as I step outside, stars just starting to appear in the darkening sky.
I tell myself I'm just going to check on her, make sure she's okay. That's what friends do, right?
Are we friends?
The truth is, I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore. I feel off-balance. Everything has shifted and I can't find my footing. The past few weeks have changed everything and I'm not sure I can make any of it make sense.
But as I slide behind the wheel, I realize I have to try. For her sake. For mine. Maybe even for Levi's, though I'm not ready to examine that part of it all too closely yet.
The neon signs lining the entrance to Sirens cast their familiar glow across the parking lot as I pull in. It takes a few minutes to find a spot. It's busy for Tuesday night. Somewhere inside, Sunny's working her shift. As Angel.
I sit in my car, the engine idling, caught between going in and driving away. Between loyalty to an old friend, someone I consider my brother, and something new I don’t have a name for yet.
I kill the engine and step out into the night air. The neon bathes everything in a harsh red glow. Stepping inside is like stepping into a different universe.
Inside, the music pounds and throbs with fierce intensity. My eyes scan the room, finding Sunny behind the bar. She's wearing a white crop top and short white mini skirt. Her hair is pulled back from her face and tied with a white ribbon. She's beautiful.
She spots me and freezes for a split second before recovering her composure. I watch her shoulders square as she steels herself. Even from here, I can see the shadows under her eyes that makeup can't quite hide.
I take a spot at the end of the bar, away from the main crowd. Sunny approaches, professional mask firmly in place.
"What can I get you?"
"Whiskey, neat." I study her face. "You look tired."
Her fingers tighten on the glass she's holding. "I'm fine."
"It would be understandable and okay if you're not."
"Actually, no. It wouldn't be okay." She sets my drink down with more force than necessary. "This is my job, Z. I can't afford to be anything but fine right now."
I take a slow sip, letting the whiskey burn. "When do you get off?"
"Why?"
"Because you need to eat something, and I know a place that makes decent food at two a.m."
A ghost of a smile touches her lips before vanishing. "I don't need you to take care of me."
"I know. But maybe I need to do something besides sit and stare at the walls and overthink everything."
She studies me for a long moment. "Two-thirty."
"I'll wait."
The next few hours pass slowly. I nurse my drink and watch Sunny work. She moves with practiced efficiency, dodging wandering hands and deflecting crude comments with a smile. It never quite reaches her eyes though. Every so often, she glances my way like she's making sure I'm still here.
Jade appears around midnight, sliding onto the stool next to me. "You're back."
"Apparently."
"She told me what you did. Feeding her, listening to her..." Jade's voice softens slightly. "You left that part out. Thank you for taking care of her."
"How bad’s it been?"
"Bad enough." She sighs. "Look, you seem like a good guy. Colt tells me you are. But when it comes to Angel, I don't trust anyone or their intentions completely. She needs someone right now who knows and can understand what she's been through. She loves me, but I think there’s things she doesn’t want me to know. She needs someone who isn't me."
"I'm not trying to—"
"Save it." Jade cuts me off. "Just... if you're gonna stick around for a while, be good to her. She's been through enough. Okay?"
Before I can respond, she's gone, disappearing into the crowd heading for the VIP section. I check my phone—several missed calls from Colt and one more from Wolf about the warehouse. Business can wait.
At two-fifteen, Sunny starts her closing routine. I watch her count tips, wipe down the bar, stack glasses with mechanical precision. When she emerges from the back room at two-thirty-five, she's changed into jeans and an oversized sweater.
"Ready?" I stand, offering my arm out of habit.
She hesitates before taking it. Her hand is small and cold against my sleeve. "Where are we going?"
"Place called Mary's. Best pancakes in the Valley."
The drive is quiet. I can feel her tension, see how tight she grips her hands in her lap. When we pull into the parking lot of the small diner, she finally speaks.
"Why are you doing this?"
I turn off the engine but don't move to get out. "I don't know."
I see her wring her hands in her lap. "That's… honest. As long as you know that you don't owe me anything. You don't have to feel sorry for me."
I meet her gaze, searching for understanding in her eyes. "I know I don't. There's a lot I'm trying to figure out right now, same as you."
She nods slowly, a flicker of appreciation crossing her face.
The air between us feels heavy, charged with a sense of loss, the weight of the past, and the uncertainty of the future. Her grip relaxes a little on her lap.
"Sunny," I say softly. "I'm here because I care, and even if I'm a little lost right now, I'm here because I want to be."
"Okay then," she says decisively. She lets out a breath with a long sigh, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. "Let's get those pancakes you promised."
Inside, the diner is nearly empty. The fluorescent lights are harsh against the early morning sky, making everything feel too bright, too exposed. We slide into a booth near the back. Sunny orders coffee and pancakes. I order the same.
"Tell me something," she says after the waitress leaves. "Did you know? Before? About what happened that night?"
"No." I grip my coffee mug tighter. "Levi only told us a small part of the story. He told us that he thought you were murdered. That he believed Garrett killed you and his mother and that it had been a random attack. Everything we've done since then—building the business with him in the ways we have—it was all about finding Garrett. Getting revenge for taking the people he loved away from him."
"Do you believe him?"
"I don't know what to think. Or what to do."
She traces patterns in the condensation on her water glass. "That makes two of us."
Our food arrives, and I watch her pick at her pancakes. She's lost weight since that morning in her apartment. Dark circles under her eyes suggest she's not sleeping well.
"You should eat more than that."
She gives me a weak smile. "Sure thing, Dad ."
"I'm serious. You look exhausted."
"Yeah, well, finding out the guy you loved didn't only break up with you badly, but actually thought he was leaving you to rot tends to mess with your sleep schedule."
The bitterness in her voice makes me wince. "Have you thought about what you want to do?"
"Besides hide in my apartment forever?" She sighs. "I don't know. Part of me wants answers. Part of me wants to run as far away as possible. But apparently I'm really bad at not being found."
"You don't have to decide anything right now."
"Don't I?" She meets my eyes. "He knows where I am now. You all do. Everything I've built here—my job, my life—it's not just mine anymore, which means it's not safe for me. I don't know what to do with that."
I reach across the table, stopping just short of touching her hand. "We can protect you."
"Yeah. I've heard that one before." Her voice cracks slightly. "Look how well that turned out."