Chapter 9
The chaos of the funeral had finally come to an end, which meant I could wind down in my old bedroom and collect my thoughts. Staring up at the canvas photo that hung above the dresser, it read make yourself at home .?The room was comfortable, but it didn’t feel like home whatsoever. It had generic decorations, and nothing about it felt like a place I wanted to come back to at the end of a long day. Unfortunately, it would have to do for now.?
Healing would take time but being home near my family gave me the hope that I would get the closure I needed. I wanted to make sure I was doing my best to check in on my mom and grow closer with her. She may not admit it right now, but I think she needed me as much as I needed her. And the thought of a fresh start wasn’t bad, either.
Sitting there, deep in thought, mindlessly scrolling through my phone, my thoughts were taken back to the moments I spent with Declan today.?
The more time I spent with him, I noticed how attentive, protective, and sincere he was.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want his company even more because of it.
The way he stuck up for me and pretended to be my boyfriend, like he was swooping in to save the day—it was hot. By the way he was acting, it seemed he had the vibe that Logan wasn’t a good guy, something I already knew. And nothing was more attractive to me than a guy who took charge of a situation.
I wasn’t sure what Logan had been up to in the last handful of years, and I didn’t care. Although, I’m sure Declan might know a thing or two about him—the town was small and every move you made was tracked. If someone was a good person, everyone knew it. They would take the time out of their day to say hello in passing. If they were bad, well then, no one would take the time to acknowledge their existence.
Fumbling my phone between my fingers—itching to have a distraction—I remembered I had Declan’s phone number. I’d had it for days now and hadn’t found a reason to use it. I didn’t want to seem desperate by texting him the first day he gave it to me. But after today had come and gone, what better time to text him than now?
Pulling up a new text thread with his name on top, I started to type. It made me nervous, maybe even a little anxious. Like I was back in high school again, texting a boy for the first time. I backspaced every couple of words, not knowing what to say, when I finally settled on something that would hopefully come off flirty. I was sick of being so serious. I needed a reason to have a little bit of fun.
Me: Hey, it’s your “girlfriend.”
I blushed immediately after pressing send.
Was it stupid? Would he even text back?
The three dots at the bottom of the screen showed up, almost like he was right by his phone this whole time, waiting for me to text him.
Declan: Hey, baby girl. Finally found a reason to use my phone number, huh?
Yup. Definitely blushing.
I was so glad he wasn’t here to see me hiding my face behind my hands right now. This was why texting had always been the superior way to communicate. It gave me time to think, and I wouldn’t stumble over my words like I’d done once before with him—as he stood right in front of me like the tattooed Greek god that he was.
Picking up my phone, I had a goofy grin on my face. Who knew texting him on the evening of my dad’s funeral would change my mood completely??It was exactly what I needed.
He gave me a reason to smile, even in the darkest moments.
Me: I guess you could say that.
Declan: Hmm... and what reason would that be?
Me: I guess I just needed a distraction. And I wanted to thank you, for earlier. You didn’t have to step in to rescue me the way that you did.
Declan: Well, I’ll do my best to help distract you. Let me know what would help most:
1. A shirtless picture of me in bed.
2. Picking you up to take you on a joyride.
3. Hand delivering every flavor of ice cream I can find at the store.
Uncontrollable laughter hit me. I knew he was joking, but damn, did I want to say, “All of the above, please.” Instead, I kept it casual.
Me: LOL. Wow, so many tempting options. Could I take a rain check on all of the above? I just need someone to help distract me before I fall asleep.?You seemed like the best option…
Declan: Are you using me, Paige?
Me: You should take it as a compliment. Being a good distraction isn’t a bad thing.
Declan: Well, in that case, I’ll make sure to arrange a time to make 1-3 happen. But no need to thank me. From what I’ve seen and heard of the guy, he’s a douche. Not to open old wounds or anything, but… Logan Brooks, huh? I take it he’s your ex, based on what I saw earlier.
Me: High school boyfriend. I broke up with him before I left town.
Declan: Is he what took you away from here?
There wasn’t a clear-cut yes or no answer for Declan’s question. In the grand scheme of things, he made my decision a lot easier, because it wasn’t a relationship I wanted to entertain anymore. He made running away from home light years easier because, at the time, when I was eighteen, I didn’t want him anymore. I wanted more . I wanted options. I wanted a chance at new friends and relationships, and I didn’t feel like I needed my family within arm’s reach. Even though now, my feelings were different when it came to my family.
For now, I’d keep what felt like a complex answer short and sweet.
Me: Sort of. He definitely made it an easy decision for me to leave. But I also always wondered what the big city was like. I wanted more for myself.
Declan: Did you? Get more for yourself?
Me: I always thought I did until I came back here and realized that maybe life wasn’t much different. I was working at a bar, with no education, no serious relationship, nothing to hold me down there. Life was pretty similar, except the city was bigger, and at the time, my dad was alive.
The conversation was turning just a bit too somber for my liking. If anything, I was back to having too much to think about. Before giving him the chance to respond, I cut the conversation short.
Me: I should get some sleep. It’s been a long day. Thanks again for today, for everything. And I guess you have my number now…
The little three dots showed up and disappeared, then appeared once more before my phone dinged.
Declan: See you around… soon. I hope. Good night, Paige.
Walking into Peaks for my first official shift by myself, a huge cloud of relief warmed over me. It meant I would be busy, with every customer to myself. More money and even more work to keep me occupied.
Before my dad’s funeral, Sophie showed me the basics. How to open, how to close down the bar, where things went, how to set up the tables and chairs, where everything was placed behind the bar, and how to turn the music on. All pretty self-explanatory when you’ve been doing the same type of job for years on end.
I turned on the music to the country playlist they had on repeat every day. Luke Combs’ She’s Got The Best Of Me echoed through the speakers. With the music being the last thing to set up, the bar was ready to open for the lunch rush.
Based on the last few days I had worked; I knew shortly after I unlocked the doors that people who worked in the area would be coming in for a quick bite to eat.?
It seemed to be the same customers every day. This town was full of people who supported their own and the small businesses that flooded Alpine Peak. A few things that were necessary if you were going to make it as a bartender: be as personable as possible, remember their name and remember their order. Better service equals a better tip in return.?
The hours flew by, and when the bar emptied out after the lunch rush, I escaped to the back to devour my sandwich before the early dinner rush.
I had just finished my food when I heard the bell ding over the door, indicating that someone had walked into Peaks. I couldn’t quite make out who was entering the bar with the way the sun was shining in. The person just looked like a dark silhouette headed in my direction, and it wasn’t until he stood right in front of me that I brought my gaze up to meet his, recognizing the same dark eyes that had a special place in my nightmares.
“Logan?” I looked around him, hoping there was someone tagging along with him and it wasn’t just the two of us alone. Instead, I was met with an empty bar and loud country music that was drowned out by the sound of my heart thumping inside my chest.
How did he know I’d be here?
News traveled fast in a small town. I could only assume that he asked around to find out what I was up to.??
Logan looked right at me with a sinister smirk as the blood drained from my face. “A new job and a boyfriend.” He said it as a statement, with no question laced in his voice. “You work fast. Looks like you might be sticking around after all,” he added sarcastically.
I was torn between being nice and telling him to fuck off. Which version of Logan was I going to get today?
It’d been years since I had to tread lightly with him. I wanted to direct him up to the bar so I could create some distance between us. Me on one side, and him on the other.
My first instinct was to be nice to him. I’d play with his feelings a little bit until someone else walked in and saved me from this interaction. Anytime now, someone would be waltzing in for an afternoon drink.
I stepped to the side, attempting to walk toward the bar and ignore his snarky comment, when he matched my stride, placing his body right back in front of me.
“Logan, what are you doing here? Why don’t you just sit down at the bar and I can get you something to drink?” I refused to look up at him. The nerves ran through me as I bit down on my lip so hard, I tasted the metallic flavor of blood.
“I didn’t come here for a drink. I came here to talk to you.” His hand shot up to grip my arm firmly as he pulled me around the corner, hiding me from the potential of anyone spotting us if they came in the front door.
“Take your hands off of me, Logan!” I swatted at his arm when my back hit the wall behind me. My eyes went wide at our proximity. “We can talk about whatever you want, but I’d prefer you to be sitting at the bar. I’m working, and someone could walk in at any moment,” I begged him to let me go.
“You left me years ago, Paige, and you never looked back. What the fuck is wrong with you?” He gave my arm a quick shake as his grip tightened and his anger boiled over. “You wouldn’t take any of my calls or return my messages. You’ve ignored me for the past decade, then you waltz back into town with a new boyfriend, a new job, and a new life, and you didn’t think you even owed me a conversation?” Was he fucking kidding? He was so close to me I could smell the whiskey lingering on his breath.
“You’re a jackass, Logan. You know that?” I shook my head and pushed against his chest hard enough that it broke his contact with my arm and finally created the distance between us I was desperate for. “Don’t you ever fucking put your hands on me. If you want to have an adult conversation, you will go sit at the bar right now,” I said sternly, throwing the nice version of me out the window.
I waited for him to turn around and start moving toward the bar before I moved. Once he was seated, I ducked under the opening that allowed me to see him from the other side. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak a word, I shut him down.
“No part of me owes you any conversation, Logan. I left town for many reasons, with you being a big one. We were in a high school relationship twelve years ago that was absolutely toxic. I’m sorry if you were hurt in the process and wanted more from me before I left, but I had enough. This is a prime example of exactly how toxic it was. You haven’t changed a bit, and you’re so unpredictable.” His expression softened, like he was coming down from an episode and realized just how out of hand his actions had been. His eyes raked over my arm where he once held a tight grip. The same area I was running my hand over in an attempt to rub away the bruise that was bound to form.
“I’m so sorry…” He looked down at his lap with regret plastered across his face. “I came here today with innocent intentions, I swear. But when I saw you, my emotions overwhelmed me, and it’s not right what I did back there, but I just wanted to talk. After so many years of being ghosted… I just didn’t know what to do.”
I stood on the other side of the bar with my arms crossed against my chest, my heart still pounding as I came down from the anxiety of Logan being here. “It was inevitable that we would run into each other with me being back. But my priorities are to my family—my dad. When I found out he passed, my whole life was flipped upside down. Sorry to break it to you, but you weren’t my first thought, Logan.”
“I know that. I know that even more now, and I’m sorry today went down this way. I fucked up. I’d still like to talk with you, though. I have some things I want to get off my chest—” He wasn’t able to finish his thought when both of our heads swung toward the front door. A couple of regulars walked in and headed straight for the opposite end of the bar.
Saved by the bell.
“Looks like I have to get back to work.” I started to step away when he spoke up.
“Wait, can I just sit here and have a drink and maybe grab a bite to eat?” I feared if I said no that he would act out.
Nice Paige was back.
“Sure.” I handed him a food menu as I ran over my plan of action in my head. I’d get him what he needed and place myself at the other side of the bar with the other customers—that way, I could appear busy and unable to help him or entertain any more conversation he wanted to have.
“What can I get you to drink, Logan?” I asked in the most monotone voice I could manage.
“Whiskey, neat. I’ll probably hang around for a while.”
Of course he was going to be here for a while.
I rolled my eyes and let out an irritated sigh as I turned around to grab his whiskey. There were over fifty different types of whiskey in this bar; it was our specialty. Out of spite, I chose the cheapest one, hoping it would taste terrible. Logan didn’t deserve top notch whiskey. Placing it in front of him, along with a menu, I excused myself to help my other customers.?
I was counting down the minutes to five-thirty. It always seemed to be around the same time when Declan came into Peaks , and I crossed my fingers that he wouldn’t skip out on his routine today.
I needed him today more than ever.