Chapter 13
The Seventh Friday
Sean threw back his head, his beard shaking as he laughed.
I smacked his arm. “It’s not funny. I was being serious.” My ‘s’ sounds were slurring into ‘sh’ sounds now that I’d lost track of how many drinks we’d had.
Sean waved his hand, his face turning red from lack of air as he continued to laugh.
My lips twitched despite how rude he was being. “I mean it! Neil is all I have now. That’s why I don’t want to lose him.”
Sean shook his head, clutching at the bar. “She’s still saying it,” he gasped out.
“Stop it, Sean. She just told us about her childhood. I know you get what she’s saying.” Jack leaned toward me, his hand warm where it rested over mine. “Sorry. He’s such a jackass.”
I shrugged, my fingers playing with his hand. “Not his fault. He’s drunk.”
“Only him?” Jack asked with a lifted eyebrow.
“No.” When I shook my head, the fairy lights above me swung a little. “I’m drunk, too.” I’d had enough drinks that I’d barely even noticed when Logan’s band packed up and left.
“More water,” Jack urged, putting another glass in front of me.
Sean and I were the only customers left. Jack had already shut down and locked up. Even Wendy had patted my shoulder when she left with the other work crew.
I’d entered the sad-drunk phase. My eyes filled as I stared at the water. “It’s true. The Millers died. Neil is all I have.”
Sean’s smile died, and he smacked the top of the bar. “No!”
I flinched.
“Quit it,” Jack warned him, his hand tightening on mine when I went to pull away. “What Sean wants to say, if he weren’t so drunk, is that you have us now, too. You have more than just Neil. And as you keep meeting people, your circle will keep getting wider.”
“That’s right.” Sean’s arm was heavy as it settled over my shoulders. “You’re our girl.”
“Should I be jealous?” a new voice asked.
Sean’s eyes lit up as he scrambled up from his stool. “Derrick!” he shouted, throwing himself at the smaller man.
Derrick let out an ‘oof’ as he caught him, rubbing his back. “Wow. You’re really drunk, Sean.” He nudged his glasses up his face, sighing.
“Yep!” Sean agreed, nuzzling into the side of his neck.
Derrick looked at Jack. “Thanks for calling me.”
“Figured he could use a ride home,” Jack said. He looked at my face and bit his lip. “Um, this is Derrick, Sean’s husband. Derrick, meet Hailey.”
“I figured this was Hailey. It’s nice to meet you. Sean has mentioned you a lot.”
“He has?” I asked. I swiveled on my stool to face Sean’s husband. I tried to wrap my mind around it. Sean was married? Then why had he offered kisses? All sorts of kisses. Not that I’d taken him up on it.
Sean began to slump, and Derrick staggered.
“All right, let’s get you sitting again.
” He nudged him back onto the barstool before pulling down his soft-looking T-shirt that had ridden up, showing off skinny hips.
He was also wearing pajama pants and flip-flops.
His brown hair was tidy, though, and his simple square frames reflected the light, making it hard to see the color of his eyes.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you this drunk. ”
Sean grinned up at him. “Love you, Derrick.”
Derrick shook his head with a smile. “I love you, too.”
Sean reached for me, slipping an arm around my shoulders. “This is our girl. I love her, too.”
My heart jumped into my throat as my cheek pressed against his beard.
Derrick’s eyes softened. “I know you do, but your girl looks a little confused.”
Sean’s confession continued to swirl in my head, and the alcohol swirled in my stomach.
“Sean didn’t mention you,” I mumbled, blinking at Derrick.
“I’m not mad, but I understand if you are.” He frowned at his husband. “You should have told her about me, Sean.”
“Oh, um, no, we’re only friends. I just thought, as friends…” I trailed off, the alcohol lurching in a bad way.
“Just didn’t get there yet,” Sean slurred. “Didn’t want to make it all about me.”
“It could have been a little about you,” Jack said mildly. He studied me. “I thought he’d told you, what with your own open relationship.”
“I hate that term,” Derrick admitted. “Sean and I believe we both have a lot of love to give, more than with just one person. We don’t do casual; we’re looking for genuine connections. More people we can love.” He smiled at the big man still clutching me.
“But he offered—” My face heated as Sean’s beard tickled me again from how close he still was.
“Something casual. I know. We talked about it.” Derrick moved closer, his hand sliding over Sean’s bald head. “You’re really special to him, Hailey.”
Jack tugged on Sean’s arm. “Let her go so Derrick can drag your drunk ass home.”
When Sean’s weight shifted, I scrambled up from the barstool, my heart still racing. “It’s late. I should…” I waved vaguely at the door, almost sliding to the floor as my legs wobbled.
“No, you don’t,” Jack said, pointing a finger at me. “You wait right there. You’re as drunk as he is, remember?” He started making his way around the bar.
“Right.” I blinked and dragged out my phone. “Need a rideshare.”
Jack’s hands cupped my elbows, turning me toward him. “It’s almost three in the morning. Let me drive you home. It’s safer.”
I stared into his worried eyes. “I’m okay. You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Please let me take care of you, just this once, Hailey?” At my slow nod, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Okay, sit down for a minute while I help Derrick lug Sean to his car.”
“Okay,” I agreed, wobbling back to the stool with Jack’s help.
He switched over to Sean, dragging his arm over his shoulders while Derrick took the other side. Sean was bigger than both of them, but they looked steady as they took their first step together.
“Wait. Hailey,” Sean said, looking at me. His eyes were locked on my face, as if I might disappear.
“It’s okay,” I told him, reaching out and patting his wide chest. “Thanks for drinking with me. You can call me tomorrow to complain about your hangover.”
He smiled again, and the three of them headed toward the back of the bar.
“Drink your water!” Jack called out over his shoulder.
I grumbled under my breath but turned toward the bar and did as he asked, gulping it down as fast as I could. I held on to the bar as I made my way behind it so I could wash the glass, careful not to drop it.
“You ready, Hailey?” Jack asked as he returned from the back. He paused, watching me finish drying the glass and set it near the sink. “I would have gotten that.”
“Now you don’t have to.” The shrug made me dizzy. “I think I’m still really drunk, Jack. Drunk Jack.” I giggled at the similar ending ‘k’ sounds.
Jack moved toward me. “I know you are. Time to go home and sleep it off.”
“Okay.” I reached for him when he got close, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing my face under his chin, pleased when his hands gripped my waist. “You smell good.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Thanks.” He shuffled us toward the bar’s pass-through.
“I probably don’t. I threw up earlier, you know?”
“I know.” He pulled back, and my arms strained to stay around his neck. “How about I carry you to the truck? You okay with that?”
“You have a truck?” I tried to picture it, but I couldn’t. Jack didn’t seem like a truck guy.
“It helps when hauling things for the bar. Can I pick you up, Hailey?”
“Sure,” I agreed. I clung tighter as he supported my back and legs in a princess carry. Neil had never carried me like that.
The world spun when he moved, and I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. I was not going to throw up on Jack. That would be awful.
“Here we go,” Jack said. The truck was already running at the back door, the passenger door open, as if waiting for me. He put me inside, fastening my seat belt for me. While he walked around to the driver’s side, my hands slid along the soft gray cloth seat, liking the texture of it.
“I like your seats,” I told him as he got in. “Never expected you to drive a red truck.”
“Makes the country music more likely, doesn’t it?” Jack asked, making me giggle.
The radio played in the background, too softly to make out the words, but it was something mellow, soothing. The AC blew into my face, taking away the heat from my cheeks.
The truck didn’t move. I looked over at Jack. He was turned, looking at me, his eyes so warm and soft.
“You’re not driving me?” I asked, not wanting to go home anyway.
“Daydreaming a little about keeping you here.” He reached for his phone. “What’s your address?”
“Oh, right.” I rattled it off, watching him plug it into his app for directions. “It’s not far. I can tell you where to turn.”
He set his phone in a display stand hooked to the dash. Then he reached for me, his knuckles grazing my cheek. “I’ve got it. Close your eyes and rest.”
“Okay,” I agreed, watching his musician’s hands grip the gearshift and the wheel before my eyelids slipped closed. It was a bad idea. Dozing made me dizzy and confused when I blinked back open to find Jack hovering in the passenger doorway.
“We’re here.” I was pretty sure I’d heard him say that before.
“Okay. I’m getting out.” We both waited, but my body didn’t move. “Sorry. Tired.”
“It’s okay. Do you have your keys?”
I shook my head. “No keys. Didn’t drive.”
He snorted. “I meant your keys to the house. I’ll help you inside.”
“Oh. Garage code.” I held my arms up, the seat belt tightening. “Help me up. I’ll plug it in.”
Jack’s hand brushed against my stomach as he unbuckled the seat belt, the sensation sending heat between my legs. The heat spread when he picked me up again, and I pressed in close.
“Neil here?” he asked, frowning at the driveway where only his truck sat.
“Not sure,” I admitted, lifting the plastic cover to the garage panel. My hand came up to hover. “Don’t look.”
I waited for him to look away before punching in the code, the whir of the garage loud in the quiet night around us.
“Sorry. I trust you, but it’s Neil’s house.” It didn’t feel right for me to give the code to anyone without asking Neil about it first.
“Neil’s house?” Jack asked with a frown.
I shrugged. “His grandparents left it to him. It was around the time the Millers—” I swallowed, wishing I didn’t get so weepy when I drank.
“They left me their house, but it had a mortgage, and this one was paid off, and, well…” I swallowed.
“Neil said he could only picture me as a kid there. He preferred a new house, one of his own.”
“But this one belonged to his grandparents,” Jack said, his jaw hard.
I wasn’t sure why he repeated that. My eyes drifted past his shoulder into the garage, where only my car sat. Neil’s spot was empty. “He’s not home,” I mumbled, my sight blurring.
“I thought you guys weren’t supposed to spend the night anywhere.” Jack glared at the empty side of the garage.
“He’s stayed out a few times,” I admitted in a whisper, as if he wouldn’t be able to hear the words if I said them softly enough. A tear slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away, pulling in a shuddering breath. “Sorry. It’s because I’m drunk.”
Jack’s arms tightened around me. “I’m going to carry you inside, okay?”
I nodded, laying my head on his shoulder.
It felt strange for Jack to see inside the house I shared with Neil. Not like he didn’t belong there. More like the house didn’t even feel like mine.
When he started heading toward the white-cushioned couch, I lifted my head. “Can you take me to the bedroom? I’m really tired.” I pointed toward the other side of the living room.
Jack squeezed his eyes shut, his chest rising as he took a deep breath. “Sure,” he agreed, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat, moving to the other side of the house.
He froze after I switched on the light, staring at the bed. It had a massive red wood frame with a gorgeous sheen, and I’d picked out soft black sheets and a pillowy gray-and-black comforter. “I like the bed,” he said, his voice deep.
“Really? Neil didn’t like it.” It’d been a huge argument, and he’d refused to chip in any money for it.
“I bought it anyway,” I confessed. My hand reached toward the footboard, which had a space under the metal bar that ran across.
It made me think of the wrist and ankle restraints I’d once bought. “See this? I always imagined—”
“Stop talking, Hailey. Please.” Jack sounded choked, like he was upset he had to tell me to be quiet. He set me down on the bed.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my cheeks heating.
“No, don’t be. It’s—” He broke off, his pupils wide as he stared down at me. He reached for my feet, slipping off my sneakers.
I wiggled my toes. “Socks, too.”
He smiled, some of the tension leaving his face as he stripped them off, and I fell back to the bed. He tucked the socks inside the shoes and placed them neatly against the wall. “I’ll be right back.”
My eyes shut as I listened to his footsteps recede. I felt a lot less dizzy lying still. I decided not to bother brushing my teeth or putting on pj’s.
“Hailey,” Jack’s voice called softly.
My eyes slitted open, watching him draw closer.
“I’m putting these here.” He placed a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol on one of the matching nightstands. I didn’t tell him it was Neil’s side.
“Thanks, Jack.” My throat felt tight, and I let my eyes shut so he wouldn’t see me blubber again.
His warm hand brushed over my cheek and back into my hair before pulling away. “Get some sleep, Hailey.”
I listened until I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore, making out the beginning rumble of the garage lowering before exhaustion dragged me under.