CHAPTER THREE
Zane
“Help!” Hayley’s distinct voice permeates the air, breaking through my internal darkness. It takes me a moment to get my bearings but when she calls out again, I register the panic. “Reed!”
Taking off in a run, I round the corner toward our hotel and almost lose my footing on the curb, the adrenaline keeping me moving.
Hayley’s fear plays on repeat in my mind, and I reach her and Reed just as he throws her out of harm’s way, slamming her into my chest.
The urgency strikes me, but everything happens in slow motion.
A flash of silver draws my attention as Reed falls to the ground, and acting on instinct, I push Hayley aside, running toward their attacker, tackling him to the ground before he raises the knife again.
Hayley cries out, but I don’t have time to process what she’s saying as an excruciating pain radiates through my side.
Without thinking about the consequences, I fight back, grabbing the man beneath me, slamming his head into the ground when he tries to take control.
It’s not until he stills that I realize what’s happened, Hayley’s cries jolting me out of my anger.
“Zane?” I’m pulled back to the present as Cade’s annoying tone seeps into my memory and I shake off my thoughts.
“What?” I ask, not even bothering to hide my confusion.
He frowns for a beat before repeating himself. “I asked if you remember that girl that flew in for the summer each year. The one that wouldn’t give us the time of day? Gabriella?”
“Nope,” I lie in the hope that he’ll stop playing this game. Of course I remember her. Cade was obsessed. Told us all he was going to marry her one day. But I’m not in the mood to take a drive down memory lane. The memory of last night is debilitating enough.
Although, the irony is that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m taking a drive toward the town I hoped would forever be a memory. A torturous memory that keeps me up at night, but a memory all the same.
And the closer we get, the more I’m regretting it.
Nothing good can come from being back here. I’ve got enough on my plate right now.
Cade scoffs beside me, pulling me out of my thoughts. Again. “Fuck off,” he grates but there’s a lightness to his tone. “You remember her. Everyone does.”
“Sorry.” I shrug. “I must have blocked her from my mind.”
“Whatever, man. We’re engaged.”
“What?” My head darts in his direction so fast my neck hurts. “You’re engaged? To Gabriella?”
“Yep.”
“Well, fuck me.”
“I didn’t think you remembered her.” He smirks triumphantly and I can’t help but chuckle.
“I’m shocked you’re engaged at all. I thought you wanted to stay single.”
“People change. I thought you’d end up with my sister.”
I open my mouth to argue, but that’s what he wants. He wants me to admit I was fooling around with Blair behind his back. To admit I deserted her. But I refuse to open that dialogue. That was another life, and there’s no point in dredging it up now. I’ve punished myself enough.
“That’s her house, by the way. The white brick house with the perfect little picket fence.
” His voice turns bitter and I want to question him, but that involves me showing an interest in her life, and I can’t.
It’s better if I move on and pretend I never saw her, pretend she never walked back into my life at the precise moment I needed someone.
When I ignore him a second time, Cade laughs to himself, and a few minutes later he’s turning onto an all too familiar street, making my pulse spike as my childhood home comes into view.
“Why the fuck would you come this way?”
“It’s the shortest way to the bar. If I’d gone around, it would have been another ten minutes.”
Ten minutes? He’d put me through hell for ten fucking minutes. My skin crawls and I ignore the sweat collecting on my brow, staring straight ahead, refusing to look at the house I grew up in.
My parents left not long after I did but refused to sell, leaving the house to deteriorate, the flowers to die, and the weeds to take over, engulfing the tree swing we had out front. It’s— Dammit. I wasn’t going to look.
“You’re an asshole,” I snap, to which Cade shrugs nonchalantly.
“And you’re not over it. Think of it as therapy.”
Fuck. How did I forget he gave up football to be a goddamn social worker?
“Don’t even think about using me as a case study or work experience, Cade. I’m not interested.”
“I’m fully qualified, fucker. I don’t need your issues for that.” I breathe a sigh of relief until a smug grin forms on his face, “You were my topic junior year.”
“Asshole,” I repeat, wanting to punch him.
We’re silent after that until he pulls into a parking lot and my jaw drops. “This is Halo’s?”
“Yep. They came into some money a little while back and renovated the joint.”
“Well, damn.”
The old run-down biker bar we used to frequent—because they never carded us—is now a stylish venue with fancy signage and outdoor seating. I’ve got to admit this is more my vibe these days, but I did not expect it.
“You seem shocked. We’ve got class around here.”
“Yeah, okay. But who’s we? You said we’d be getting a quiet beer together.”
“We are.” He shrugs and I hiss under my breath.
“Who’s we, Caden?”
“Don’t Caden me. It’s just us. But you might run into someone you recognize.”
Closing my eyes, I let my head fall against the headrest and sigh. “I doubt others are as forgiving as you are.”
“I’m going to save my money and not take that bet. I’ve gotta be honest…you don’t have a lot of supporters around here. But you’re back. And it’s time we changed that.”
I slowly open my eyes, hitting him with a death stare, and my stomach churns. “I’m not here to get my friends back. I’m fine with the way life panned out.”
“Yeah, okay. Humor me then.”
As if straight out of a movie, the door slams against the wall when we enter Halo’s, and the goddamn bar goes quiet. Not the music, or the sound of the billiard balls crashing on the tables across the room. But the people closest to me freeze, their eyes wide as they stare.
I’d do anything to turn and walk away, but Cade’s not having it, cupping my shoulder as he guides me inside.
“This is creepy,” I whisper and he laughs.
“Did you forget you’re famous?”
“Fuck no, but everyone fell silent at once.”
“Don’t let your head grow too big.” He chuckles again. “It’s the door. After the rebuild, it slammed shut on its own. And we all froze. Like there was some kind of ghost inhabiting the building. Now as a joke, people freeze whenever it slams. I may have orchestrated that moment to give you a rush.”
I can’t stop the incredulous laugh that bursts out of me, and while it doesn’t give me a rush like he wanted, it certainly makes me a little less uncomfortable. “You’re still the same fucker, I see.”
“Some things change. Some things don’t. Come on, there’s a table over there.” He points to a table in the middle of the room and I fake a smile. Yay.
“Take a seat and I’ll grab drinks. You want a beer?”
I’d love a beer. Actually, I’d love something stronger since Cade dragged me here against my will when I’d rather bang my head against a brick wall. But since I’m currently on medication, I reluctantly decline. “I’ll have a soft drink. You know what I like. That hasn’t changed.”
“A Sprite?”
“Yep.”
“Oh-kay.” He glances over his shoulder as he walks toward the bar, brows furrowed as if he expects me to run. If only.
For the next hour, I nurse the same drink, while Cade fills me in on all the guys I used to know.
As though no time has passed and me being here is nothing out of the ordinary.
Completely oblivious to how uncomfortable I am.
Or maybe he’s ignoring it. Pretending he hasn’t noticed my forced smile, or my gaze locked on the table where I’m currently taking my frustrations out on a poor defenseless napkin, tearing it to shreds while I listen.
When the conversation shifts to our douchebag ex-teammate still trying his luck with the cheerleader from our high school, I actually laugh.
Cade grins triumphantly, nodding as though my reaction makes everything right in the world, and I roll my eyes.
“See.” He leans forward, his smile widening. “I knew this was going to be good.”
I return his smile, but what I really want to do is throw a dictionary at his head and tell him to check the definition of “good” because this is anything but that. Though I’ll admit, it’s not as bad as I thought.
“Zane Fitzpatrick?” A voice from my past has my body tensing and my palm clenching around my glass. Fuck. Thought too soon. “Is that really you?”
“Yep.” I wave, barely giving him a second of eye contact.
“What has it been? Five years?”
“Close enough.” I shrug, hoping my curt response is the hint he needs to walk away, but all it does is piss him off.
“Is that how it’s going to be?” He stands tall and leans over the table, his nostrils flared, his angry gaze boring into mine. “Tell me, have you bothered visiting your parents while you’re here? What do you think of the redecoration?”
“Hey now,” Cade warns, his eyes narrow as he glares up at our old friend.
“Do you even know where they live?”
“You don’t have to answer that, Zane. Ignore him.”
“No, fucker. Why shouldn’t he answer? He left. He left and never looked back, leaving us all to pick up the pieces. You weren’t the only one hurting, you know?”
I open my mouth to speak despite having no idea what the hell I’m going to say.
But it doesn’t matter; he continues on without letting me get in a word.
“Why are you back, Zane? Did you think we all missed your stupid TV show? That we didn’t see your cocky face talking up your new life?
Bragging about how settled you are now that you’re living in San Francisco?
You may have moved on. But this town hasn’t. It wasn’t as easy for us.”
Fuck. Why am I back? Why am I here? Shoving my chair with a force that sends it crashing to the floor, I jump up and beeline to the exit, ignoring Cade as he calls out after me.
I don’t need this.
I don’t want this.
I hold my breath until I make it outside, but before I can release it, Cade rushes out after me. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t be here anymore, Cade. I shouldn’t have come back.”
“I get it. I do. He was a fucker. I’m sorry. But let me help. Or at least let me drive you somewhere.”
“You’ve been drinking.”
“So?”
“So?” Throwing my hands in the air, I kick the dirt in frustration. “Are you fucking kidding me, Cade? I’m not letting you drive.”
Cade’s face falls and he sighs. “Okay. That was stupid. But where are you going to go?”
“I’ll hitch a ride back to the hotel.”
“It’s nearly an hour.”
“I’ll call a fucking Uber then.”
“Take my car.” He rushes forward, his hand in his pocket as he undoubtedly grabs his key. “I’ll get Blair to give me a lift tomorrow. Even if I do have to get up at the ass crack of dawn.”
I pause, his generosity throwing me off guard, and yet he was always like that. I shouldn’t be surprised.
“Thanks.” I take the handout. “I’ll leave it at the hospital. I’ll be going in to visit my teammate early in the morning.” The thought of Reed momentarily stills me, and I subtly pinch my leg, pulling myself out of it.
“Anytime, man.” Cade tosses me the keys without a second thought, and their weight feels heavy in my hands.
“Thanks again. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“And if not, let’s not make it another seven years.” He smiles warmly before waving and heading back inside, completely trusting me with his brand-new Chevy, despite the fact that I’ve been a dick all night.
With a huff, I make it to the truck unscathed, staring at the steering wheel once I’m inside. I hate trucks. They’re big and bulky and should goddamn protect you, but they don’t.
Cade doesn’t even need one.
Taking a deep breath, I bounce my shoulders and turn over the ignition, taking off down the road without looking back. Just like I did all those years earlier.
I drive the long way, avoiding my childhood home, and I’ve just turned the corner when a perfect little picket fence comes into view.
And as if I need another opportunity to torture myself, I slam on the brakes.