Willow
willow
M usic blared through The Taphouse, the neon lights flashing and a spotlight shining on the person on stage. It was an older woman singing some Shania Twain song, her gray hair wild and frizzy around her face.
Gracie leaned toward me, a drink in hand. “I think I’m looking at you in the future,” she shouted over the music. I laughed, nodding in agreement.
Trinity and Brynne danced together on the dance floor. A few men tried to get their attention, but they were too wrapped up in each other and having fun to even notice them. Benny and Ronan were in deep conversation next to me, their heads close as they shouted in each other’s ears.
Ronan looked like he was concentrating really hard on what Benny was telling him, but his hand rested on my thigh. My dress had ridden up earlier, but I didn’t move it. I liked the way it felt to have his bare skin touching mine, the way his finger tapped against my inner thigh.
“So.” Gracie nudged me with her elbow to get my attention. “How are things with…” She jerked her head toward Ronan, and I felt my face flame. “You look good together.”
My bottom lip slid between my teeth as I glanced at him. He was already staring at me, and when our eyes met, he winked. I nearly melted into the floor right then and there.
“Need another drink?” he asked, pointing at my empty glass.
“Please.”
I smiled as he squeezed my thigh before getting to his feet. He and Benny disappeared into the crowd of people, and I turned toward Gracie. I hadn’t been able to talk to her about everything that had happened, and I needed to get it out before I exploded.
“He kissed me,” I blurted, grabbing her arm. Her jaw hit the table.
“What?” she squealed, and excitedly clapped her hands together. “Seriously?”
“Yes!” I glanced over my shoulder, making sure he was still in line. Thankfully, it looked like he wasn’t coming back anytime soon. “He packed my bag, and then—I don’t know. It just happened. He said he wanted to kiss me, and I told him to do it, and…he did. And then earlier?—”
“Wait. You wanted him to kiss you too?” she asked, and I shrugged.
“I think I like him.”
“Oh my god, finally.” She let out a dramatic groan. “I’m pretty sure everyone on the freaking planet knows you’ve liked that man forever.”
“I wouldn’t say forever,” I mumbled, but she just rolled her eyes. “Anyway.” I elbowed her, and she laughed. “Earlier, at the beach…”
“Again?” she cried, and a massive smile split her face. “Tell me everything!”
“He said we should practice kissing before my family gets to town,” I said, a goofy grin pulling at my lips.
“He’s so full of shit,” she laughed. “I love him. He just needed an excuse to kiss you again.”
“You think so?” I thought that might’ve been true, but I didn’t want to let myself believe it.
“Girl, yes. He’s so head over heels for you, it’s painful to watch.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes and twirled my cocktail straw in my empty glass. “He’s not.”
“Girl…” She laughed again. “He looks at you like he wants to eat you alive. And you look at him like you want him to do it.”
Maybe I do.
My cheeks heated, and she howled. “Are you going to sleep with him?” she asked, and I shrugged again.
“I don’t know,” I groaned. “You know my past. What if this is just me slipping into old habits?”
“Did you like any of those men the way you like Ronan?” Her dark brow lifted as she stared at me.
“No.” I answered instantly. I didn’t have to think about it at all. “He’s different.”
“And I don’t think he’s the type of man to hump and dump. I think he’s the type to take sex very seriously,” she said softly. “I think all the Caldwell’s are like that.” She scrunched her nose. “Okay, except for Theo. He’s the definition of a man-whore. He always has been. But Ronan and Adam were—” She choked on Adam’s name, and I laced our fingers together, gently squeezing. “Ronan and Adam were really similar before Adam left. I don’t know if sex is as sacred for him anymore, but he always told me that Ronan really knocked into his head how important it was. He’s a good guy, babe. He’ll treat you right.”
“I’m not worried about that,” I muttered. “But what if—what if I fall harder for him? What if he’s not as into it as I am? What if he wakes up one day and decides he doesn’t want to be with me anymore?”
Gracie’s eyes were red and glassy as she stared at me. “That’s the risk we take when we fall in love,” she rasped. “Sometimes it works out, and sometimes…” She shrugged sadly. “Sometimes they leave you high and dry, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. You just have to decide if he’s worth the risk.”
“Vodka cran, extra lime,” Ronan said, just like he had the other night, as he slid my drink in front of me. His hand rested on my back as I tipped my head back to peer at him.
With the multicolored neon lights reflecting off the planes of his face, his blue eyes sparkling in a way I’d never seen before, I couldn’t help but think that, yeah, he might be worth the heartbreak.
Benny went to Gracie’s other side and rested her fresh drink in front of her. He kissed the top of her head, and she leaned into him. I knew she said that their relationship wouldn’t go anywhere, but she looked happy, and he seemed to really like her.
I rested my head against Ronan’s arm, and he stiffened for all of a moment before he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He stroked his thumb along my upper arm, and I turned my attention back to him.
Everything melted away, and all that was left was him . There was no more music, no more lights, no more screaming or cheering.
It was him.
It was me.
It was us.
The thought of him breaking my heart hurt. Thinking that he’d take what he wanted and leave like every other man in my life had hurt . But with the way he was looking at me, with a warmth I felt down to my soul, I didn’t think he would. There was something in my head screaming at me that he would take care of me. That he’d never leave.
And that was ridiculous—because how could I know that? I couldn't tell the future, and I couldn’t read his mind. So maybe I was just projecting, but I didn’t care. Because I believed that he wouldn’t do those things. I believed that he wanted me. And that was almost enough.
“Next up, Trinity and Brynne!”
The crowd roared with cheers, and I blinked, the moment screeching to a stop, and those thoughts floating from my head. Ronan laughed as he looked at the stage, watching his sister and her best friend stumble up the steps to the microphones.
In the corner, Dean cupped his hands around his mouth and booed. Trinity leveled him with a glare and lifted her middle finger high for him and everyone to see.
“This one’s for you, Teenie Weenie,” she cooed into the mic. The crowd screamed again, everyone’s attention rapt. Ronan must’ve noticed me looking around, and he leaned closer.
“Her and Brynne are karaoke royalty,” he explained. “They won some competition years ago, and no one has ever beat them. Brynne helped Trinity learn how to sing, and now they come to karaoke night every week.”
“Brynne taught her how to sing?” I asked.
“Yeah, she’s an incredible singer and musician. Her whole family is.”
I blinked. “Her family?”
“You don’t know?” A smile spread across his face as I shook my head. “Her brother is Mason Hughes.”
My eyes widened. “Are you serious?” My head snapped back to Brynne, and the more I stared at her, the more I started to see the similarities between her and the famous rockstar.
“Don’t tell me he’s your celebrity crush,” he groaned, and I laughed.
“Why? Worried you’ll have some competition?”
“Yeah, actually,” he grumbled, his arm tightening possessively. “He comes to town to visit her sometimes.”
“Oh my god, you’ve met him?” I shouted, nearly leaping out my chair.
“A few times,” he laughed. “Nice kid.”
“Nice kid, he says,” I mumbled. “Like he’s just some random person who isn’t the biggest rockstar in the world right now.”
Ronan chuckled, and before he could say another word, music filled the air. My head snapped back to the stage as the opening of “I Hate Everything About You” by Three Days Grace started playing.
“She is not ,” I breathed. Ronan cackled, his hand resting on his belly and his head thrown back. I glanced at Dean and his friends, finding the latter laughing just as hard. But Dean had his thick arms folded over his chest, glaring.
Trinity and Brynne turned fully toward him and began singing, Brynne’s arm slung over Trin’s shoulders. I laughed until tears leaked from my eyes as they belted the words. They were surprisingly amazing singers, but I didn’t think anyone would care if they were awful. They owned the stage and the crowd.
Everyone cheered when the song ended, and the girls bowed. They pranced off the stage, and Trinity blew a kiss to Dean. I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep my jaw in place.
“What?” Ronan asked, his voice serious. “Do you feel sick?”
“No—” I pointed at the crowd that had just swallowed her up. “You didn’t see…” His brows creased, and I waved dismissively. It wasn’t my place to tell him his little sister might’ve had a crush on her rival. And her rival might’ve had a crush on her . “Never mind.”
Tommy walked on stage, but no one really paid him attention as he grabbed the mic. He had a list in his other hand and quickly scanned the names. “Up next, Ronan Caldwell.”
“You’re gonna sing?” I asked, turning toward him. He shook his head.
“Fuck no.”
Trinity emerged from the crowd with a massive smile on her face.
I giggled at the same time Gracie did. We glanced at each other, then threw our heads back and died in a fit of laughter.
“You have to!” I said, gently nudging him.
“I do not sing,” he said firmly. “No way.”
Trinity jumped up beside him and tugged on his arm. “Come on, big bro!” she cried. “It’s your turn!”
“I am not singing, Trinity.”
“Come on ,” she groaned. “I picked the perfect song.”
“Trin—”
“It’ll be so fun!” I said, and he turned his gaze to me. Our eyes met and held for a long moment, then he let out the longest sigh I’d ever heard.
“Fine. But you owe me, shortcake,” he growled, pointing at me. I smiled brightly as he let his sister drag him through the crowd. People slowly quieted as he reluctantly climbed the stairs. By the time he stood in the middle of the stage, the whole bar was silent.
“Is that the fucking sheriff?!” someone shouted, breaking the awkward tension.
The mic let out a high-pitched sound as Ronan picked it up. Roughly, he cleared his throat. His eyes were massive. He looked like he was seconds away from freaking out.
Sliding off the stool, I pushed through the crowd until I was front and center. His eyes immediately met mine, and I gave him a thumbs up. “You can do it!” I mouthed, smiling.
His chest expanded as he took a deep breath. He seemed to calm down…until the song started playing. You’re Beautiful by James Blunt filtered through the speakers, and I rolled my lips between my teeth to keep from smiling.
“You are fucking joking,” he said quietly, but the mic picked it up loud and clear. The tips of his ears turned red as everyone laughed.
Trinity sidled up beside me and bounced on the balls of her feet. She leaned toward me, her voice low as she said, “He’s only up there to impress you. Is it working?”
“It is,” I laughed. She wrapped her hand around mine and squeezed.
“You’re good for him.”
Her words blended in with Ronan’s voice as he hesitantly began singing. My eyes lingered on Trinity for a moment, before I turned my attention fully to Ronan. His voice wasn’t bad, but it was quiet and shy. Breathless, like he was struggling to not have a panic attack.
But his eyes were on me, and the longer he stared, the more confident he became. His voice became stronger, and slowly, the crowd melted away again. It felt like it was just the two of us in that room, like he was singing to me and only me.
He moved closer to the edge of the stage, and my heart soared into my throat. My head was tipped all the way back, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. But I couldn’t stop. Not when he was singing such a cheesy song, with a cheesy smile on his face.
The song was both too long and too short. It felt like it was never-ending, but also was over too quickly. When he slid the mic back into the mic stand, everyone cheered and clapped for him. He strode off the stage and headed straight for me. I didn’t realize I was moving to him until his arms wrapped around my waist and he yanked me into a tight hug.
He effortlessly lifted me off the ground, and I buried my face in his neck, breathing deeply. His warm pine scent grounded me, sending a wave of electricity through my body.
“You owe me,” he said again, his voice vibrating against my skin. I smiled, nestling deeper against him.
“Get a room!” someone shouted, and I finally pulled away. But his arm stayed wrapped around me as he guided me back to our table.
The rest of the night was a blur of drinks and Ronan’s hand sliding higher and higher on my thigh. All I could think about was getting him home and ripping his clothes off. If he was thinking the same, he didn’t give anything away.
Not until his hand slid all the way under my dress, and I gasped. Not quite high enough to touch between my legs, but enough to make me realize that was what he was aiming for. He quickly removed it and slid it back down to my knee. But the teasing smile on his face told me all I needed to know.
He wanted me just as badly as I wanted him.