Chapter 43
RAIN
Thirty minutes later, I was buzzed.
I was supposed to be the driver, but I was too buzzed for that. We’d just been drinking and chatting, even though Tyler didn’t want me to share all the weirdness happening between us. And Paul kept refilling our drinks.
Actually, no. Wait. He’d been filling my drink, and Tyler got water. Grrr. I didn’t like that move. But I drank them. They were delicious fruity drinks.
The bar had gotten busier, and now the dance floor was hopping. Eric thought we should definitely join the dancing. I wasn’t convinced, but Tyler just kept watching the door.
With a shrug, I slid off my stool.
Eric caught my hand and pulled me into the middle of the group. Soon we were a sweaty mess. It was fun. A few guys came over to dance with Eric, but he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulled me close, and shook his head until they moved away.
I wasn’t sure how long we danced. It was long enough that I felt a lot less intoxicated when Eric patted my hip and swung me around.
“Look.”
It took a minute for me to see what he was pointing at, but I found Paul. He nodded discreetly toward the door where Tyler stood. His sister ducked out as he continued to hold it open. He was looking for me. His gaze swept over the dancers until he found me.
Our eyes caught, and something fluttered in my chest.
Oh. No, no, no.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I wasn’t supposed to get feelings. Not these types of feelings. Sexual feelings—arousal, lust—yes, those were fine. But not the kind that made my heart feel like it was floating and all sunshiny.
Tyler indicated that he was going outside, and I nodded. He disappeared out the door.
“Ow. Sweetie.” Eric held up our hands and tried to disentangle the tight grip I had on him. “I need this hand for things, you know, like washing and basic daily living.”
I released immediately. “Sorry. I…” I glanced back to where Tyler had disappeared with his sister. “I…”
He wrapped his hand gently around my arm. Moving in, he rested his head against my shoulder. “It’s like that, huh?”
I sighed, placing my head against his. “Apparently.”
He laced our fingers. “For what it’s worth, he’s dreamy.”
“I know.” I sighed. “That’s the problem.” Eric knew about the hate sex. Now he knew about my feelings. “Did we just become best friends?”
His smile was blinding. “I’d love that. I’m a testy bitch, but I’m a loyal testy bitch.”
“I believe you.”
We laughed, having a moment.
“I could use a friend, to be honest.”
“Girl.” He squeezed me from the side. “Consider me caped up.”
I didn’t know what that meant, but I liked the sound of it.
“Come on.” He started through the crowd, still holding my hand. “Let’s go eavesdrop.”
“Ah. You’re that type of friend.”
He flashed me a grin over his shoulder. “I never said I wasn’t nosy.”
He took me past the bar, where Paul did a doubletake at our joined hands, to a side door. Easing it open, he stepped past a couple workers having a smoke outside. One snorted, shaking his head. “I don’t even want to know, Eric.”
“Yeah? And keep it that way, Bertle,” he shot back.
Bertle tipped his head back, taking a long drag and letting the smoke drift out as he drawled, “I’d like to keep it another way.”
They held a long and intense stare before Eric blinked and shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. “I’m down for that,” he said, his voice a little husky.
Bertle let out another puff of smoke, his eyes smoldering. “Good.”
Eric continued staring, as if in a trance, and I had to nudge him.
“Right,” he said. “Sounds like a plan.” He tugged me down the alley to the parking lot, and we both leaned forward
“—didn’t need to do all this and track down my coworkers. We’re fine, Zoey and me.” That was Sky. She sounded angry, but tearful at the same time.
“I was worried. I am worried. I didn’t say that stuff to—I’m not coming at you, Ski. I’m not saying it’s going to happen again…”
Oh. I fisted Eric’s shirt sleeve. They were talking about Zoey’s overdose.
Tyler’s tone was ragged. “How is Zoey doing? What’s the plan?”
There was silence.
“Skylar.”
She made an exasperated sound. “Fine. She’s home with me, but she is talking to a therapist. Or, they’re talking. She’s not talking to me.”
“She hasn’t said what happened?”
“She’s a teenager. And she came from my loins. It’s like herding cats to get her to talk to me. She won’t do it.” She choked back a sob. “I’m at my wit’s end, Ty. I don’t know what to do.”
“Come here.”
Eric and I both craned our necks. Tyler wrapped his lean, muscled hockey arms around her. She almost disappeared in his hold. They stood like that for a minute before Skylar stepped back, sniffling. She wiped her face and hugged herself, looking at the ground. “But what if you’re right?”
Tyler went still.
“What if it happens again?” She lifted her head. “What if I’m too late the next time?”
Tyler shook his head. “That’s—that’s not what I meant when I texted you. I meant that as a worst-case scenario.” He sighed. “I meant that we need to be proactive and preventative so there won’t be a next time.”
“But she’s not talking to me.”
His voice came out gentle. “I think if you ignored what she did, that worst-case scenario could happen. But you’re not ignoring it.
She’s talking to a therapist. You might not be privy to what they’re talking about, but she’s talking to someone who knows what they’re doing.
That’s something. And you’re not going to stop.
I know you. You’re going to keep harassing Zoey until she has no other choice but to finally open up and let you know what happened that night. I mean, shit. Your methods work.”
She snorted. “Maybe it’s a twin thing. You’re at a gay bar looking for me. If that doesn’t say dedication, I don’t know what does.”
“It’s not that big of a stretch. It’s not a common hangout for me, but I’ve been to gay bars before.”
“You have?” she said.
“Yeah. North Allistair’s gay. Remember? He’s a buddy.”
Eric gave me a questioning look.
I shook my head, trying to relay that I’d explain later.
North Allistair had been the first NHL player to come out as gay last year.
I’d been sequestered in my NFL bubble, but even I’d gotten wind of the story.
It was an announcement made bigger by the fact that his father was a governor in a state where the politics ran red.
“Oh. That’s right. I forgot you were buddies with North.” Sky laughed. “Eric and Paul would piss themselves if you walked in with him and they found out he was gay.”
“Yeah,” Tyler said. “Real buckets of fun, those two.”
She laughed again, sounding more sold. “They’re both sweethearts. Eric especially. He’s all vinegar at first, but then he gets sweet and melty. Wait. Paul said you were here with someone. They’re with Eric now?” She suddenly seemed alarmed.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Who is it?”
My hand tightened on Eric’s sleeve. We rose carefully and started to step backwards.
“Eric was on the dance floor with my friend.”
“Your friend?” Skylar rasped. “What friend?”
“The, uh…”
“The same friend you brought to the hospital with you? That friend?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Are you fucking serious? What are you doing? Still haven’t screwed her or just haven’t had your fill of her? Tyler, you don’t know who she is. Come on!”
She grabbed his arm and dragged him back inside Harry’s Tulip.
Eric turned to look at me, a question on his face. “Do you know what that’s about?”
I sighed. “Yeah. Unfortunately.”
He waited.
I didn’t want to explain the worst parts of my life, because who would?
“And?” he prompted, just as there was a short, shrill whistle from behind us in the alley. His gaze moved past me.
“My brother used to date Skylar,” I began to explain, feeling a little faint.
“Bert, I swear to God, I’m not just going to steal your phone, I’m going to snap your SIM card if you don’t tell me where Eric is. And you know I’ll do it.”
Skylar’s voice rang out behind us.
We both turned to look as Skylar’s gaze moved past Bertle, who was no longer smoking, but had remained in the alley. He was alone. Tyler stepped out to stand next to Skylar.
When Skylar saw me, I had a flashback to the first time Tyler saw me after finding out who I was. Such hatred. It wasn’t a fun déjà vu.
I braced myself as Skylar came our way.
“She didn’t recognize me the first time we met,” I told Eric under my breath.
He nodded. “I think it’s safe to say she’s remembered now.
” He stepped in front of me and raised his voice.
“Skylar! Hello. You decided to scurry off of Bertle’s couch and join us.
I’m so happy. I held them off as much as I could, but I need to warn you that since then… ” He shot me a questioning look.
Ah. My name. “Rain.”
He swung back to beam at Skylar. “Since then, Rain and I have become friends. If you’re going to lay into her, just know that I’ll be at her side, and you know more than most how I am with my friends.
Also,” he chided softly. “We can’t choose our families, honey.
Please remember that. And with all that said…
” He stepped aside and waved in my direction. “We were just looking for you both.”