CHAPTER FOURTEEN | London #2
Like he said, we were friends once. Maybe one day, we can be again.
At least, I hope we can.
“HOW DO I LOOK?” JOSIE slows to a stop just shy of the front door to Rockets, fidgeting with the tight-fitting tube dress that fits her body like a second skin.
“Like you even have to ask.” I shake my head, giving my beautiful friend a once-over.
As per usual, she looks fantastic. Then again, she looks amazing in pajamas with her hair tied up in a messy bun, so it’s not really hard for her to pull it off.
But tonight, she really does look incredible.
Her brown hair pulled back on the sides and left in loose waves down her back.
Smoky eyes, red lips, and just enough blush to make her look flushed, you’d be hard-pressed to find a living person as gorgeous as Josie Edwards when she goes full glam.
It’s enough to make anyone standing next to her feel like an ugly duckling. Not that I feel ugly, per se. I don’t. I just don’t feel like I look like a runway model like my best friend, either.
Where Jos went all eat your heart out, Alec Kade, I went for a more casual, twenty-first birthday party vibe—dark jeans, cute white top, even cuter white sandals. I opted to leave my hair down, which I rarely do anymore, and kept my makeup light. A little mascara and lip gloss, nothing fancy.
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t tempted to really go all out in hopes of catching Penn’s attention, but then I realized that Penn never wanted me to be anything other than exactly who I am. Wearing some sexy dress felt like I would be trying too hard.
Though I’m not really sure why I care at all. It’s not like he’s going to magically forgive me, and everything is just going to go back to the way it was. Honestly, I’m not even sure I’d want it to. Because let’s not forget, I didn’t just leave... He let me.
“I’m serious, L,” Josie whines. “Do I look okay?”
“Jos, you look like you’re going to put Alec Kade in an absolute chokehold when he sees you.”
“Really?” She grins.
“Really. Then again, you already knew that, which is precisely why you wore that dress.” I gesture to the navy blue material. “Though I thought you didn’t care about Alec.” I feel the need to remind her.
“Oh, I don’t. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to make him regret dismissing me so easily.”
“So this is about your pride.” I chuckle.
“Something like that.” She winks, tugging open the door without waiting to see if I follow her inside, which I do.
Rockets has been around for as long as I can remember. A little hole in the wall off the main strip of town. I’ve been in here dozens of times over the years but never after the kitchen closes, mainly because I wasn’t old enough.
During the day, it’s a family-friendly little restaurant and not gonna lie, they have amazing burgers, but once the kitchen closes at eight, an entirely different kind of crowd trickles in.
I follow Josie across the worn wood floors toward the back where there’s a room designated specifically for parties. I can hear the music well before we reach the door, my nerves seeming to multiply a hundred-fold with each step I take.
“Maybe this wasn’t the best idea,” I blurt before Josie can push open the door.
“You’re only saying that because you’re nervous to see Penn outside of a work setting,” she says, giving me a reassuring smile over her shoulder.
“And?”
“And there’s nothing to it but to do it. If you’re staying in Wren Cove, you’re bound to find yourself in a setting where you’re both present. Might as well get the awkward bit out of the way now.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I murmur under my breath, grumbling my grievances as Josie enters the party room, leaving me only two options—follow her inside or turn and flee.
I’m seriously considering the latter when I hear a throat clear behind me. Turning, I see Penn standing a couple feet away, white-knuckling a huge bucket full of ice.
“You gonna go in or stand here blocking the door?” he asks, the smallest smirk tugging up the corner of his mouth.
He looks so different than he did even yesterday. His hair is combed back away from his face, beard freshly trimmed, and he’s dressed in a black button-down that’s open, revealing a white T-shirt underneath and dark jeans.
The sight of him steals the breath from my lungs and makes the next several seconds feel like hours.
“I...” I try to think of something to say that doesn’t make me sound like the most pathetic woman currently inhabiting planet Earth, but flounder like a fish out of water instead.
“Could you maybe get the door?” He gestures behind me. “This isn’t exactly light.”
I fight the urge to feel embarrassed. This is weird; there’s no pretending that it isn’t.
“Oh yeah. Sorry.” I quickly jump into action, pulling the door open for him.
“Apparently, they’re short-staffed, so not only am I footing the bill, but I’m also playing barback,” he says by way of explanation as he steps past me.
“Fun.” I follow him inside, a little taken aback by how many people are in attendance.
I know Alec said a lot of people would be here, but I think that was maybe putting it mildly.
The room, which is quite large, with its own bar and dance floor, is packed.
And I mean, I have to literally squeeze between people as I trail after Penn, who makes a beeline toward the bar.
And my best friend—who knows where she went and I sure as heck can’t see her anywhere.
“What in the actual college frat party,” I say to Penn’s back as he slips behind the bar, dumping the ice into the ice well, because a frat party is exactly what this puts me in the mind of.
There are half-naked girls. Men with no shirts. Tables set up where several people are playing beer pong. The music is way too loud, making the voices that are raised to be heard over said music dang near deafening.
“Tell me about it.” He blows out a hard breath as he turns back to face me. “And this has only been going on for an hour. Imagine what this crowd is going to look like in three or four.”
“I’m not sure they’re going to make it that long,” I say, able to count at least ten people doing shots in my current line of sight.
“Are you kidding? They’re college kids. This is an every weekend occurrence for them. Probably some weeknights too.”
“My stomach hurts just watching them drink,” I admit, my throat already feeling a little prickly from having to raise my voice.
“Understandable considering you have the alcohol tolerance of a mouse.” When he smiles, I swear the floor beneath my feet sways a little.
My goodness, how I’ve missed that smile. More than I ever thought possible until this very moment.
“What?” I fake offense. “I’ll have you know I can do some damage to a bottle of red wine.”
This turns his smile into a laugh, the sound hitting me square in the chest as it takes me back to a time when hearing that sound was a regular occurrence.
“Wine doesn’t count.” He shakes his head, pulling out two shot glasses and placing them on the bar in front of me. “Now tequila...” He snags a bottle and proceeds to fill both of the glasses. “Definitely counts.”
“I know one of those isn’t for me.” I shake my head.
“Oh, don’t be such a buzzkill.” Josie slides up next to me, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.
Taking one of the shot glasses, she brings it to her lips and tosses it back like it’s water.
“She doesn’t drink tequila,” she tells Penn, taking the second shot, and drinks that one as well.
“Not since New Year’s Eve 2023. Instead of getting to watch the ball drop, I was stuck holding someone’s hair back. ” She jerks her head in my direction.
I brace for his reaction to Josie bringing up my time in New York, but he doesn’t miss a beat as he grabs another bottle and holds it up so I can see the label.
“Vodka?”
“Even worse.” Josie shakes her head with a laugh, remembering something she thankfully doesn’t speak out loud, which is that I got really drunk on my twenty-first birthday on vodka cranberries and may or may not have shown off some of my dance moves on a stage where the band was trying to play.
Not my finest moment and probably why I don’t drink often; it never ends well for me.
Amused, Penn sets the bottle down and lifts another.
“Fireball?”
“Now we’re talking.” Josie smacks the bar.
Penn refills the two shot glasses and slides one in front of me.
“Oh no. I am not drinking that.” I shake my head back and forth.
“Don’t worry, if you get sick, you have Josie here to hold your hair back.”
“And who’s going to hold hers?” I fire back.
“Fine. You hold her hair. I’ll hold yours.”
“As humorous a sight as that would be... Pass.” I crinkle my nose.
“Oh, come on, LV. Live a little.” Alec slides up next to me, tossing an arm around my shoulder.
I don’t miss the way Penn’s eyes track the movement nor can I deny the zing of excitement I feel knowing even after all these years, he still doesn’t like to see another man—even his brother—touching me.
“Swallowing poison is not living in my opinion.” I glance up at Alec’s profile just in time to see him give Josie a once-over, swallowing hard before quickly looking away.
I smile to myself.
“Poison never tasted so good.” He picks up the shot made for me. “What do you say, Josie cat?” He clinks his glass against the one she’s currently holding.
I can’t tell if she wants to throw her drink in his face or jump his bones a second time, the way she looks at him.
“Cheers.” She gives him a sickly sweet smile before tossing back her shot. He quickly follows suit, pouring the liquor down his throat.
“Now.” Alec sets the glass down on the bar. “Maybe we could try that again. I think you’re short a couple glasses there, brother,” he says to Penn.
“I’m good.” Penn refills his brother’s glass.
“I’m good, too,” I say, slipping out from under Alec’s arm. “I’m too old to be drinking like a college kid.”