Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
AARON
The Tavern was packed tonight. Aaron hadn’t seen it this busy in a while. He knew they needed this though. The small-town bar had been struggling; that was why the owner’s daughter had moved home to help out. Together, Olivia and Wyatt were working to turn things around.
According to Wyatt, business seemed to be pretty steady, but something had been bleeding the place dry for too long. They were putting together a fundraiser soon to hopefully help make up the difference.
Becca, one of the bartenders Aaron had known since high school, handed him another round of beers for him, Aiden, and Lars.
“How’s everything going with that?” She nodded to the tall table where their friends stood talking and laughing. She vaguely knew what was going on with Lars, enough to know Aaron was playing wingman tonight. Lars had told her about the separation when they’d first arrived.
Aaron shrugged a shoulder. “No luck yet, but I think he’s at least having fun.”
“Good.”
“You working all night?”
“Probably,” she said, sliding over a glass with the screwdriver she finished pouring for Charlie.
Aaron picked up the beers and her drink. “Well, if you get off early, you and Shawn should come hang out with us. Charlie’s already drunk, and that’s always entertaining.”
Becca smirked and glanced at the table again. “Yeah, don’t want to miss that.”
He headed back to his friends and passed out the drinks.
In true Charlie fashion, she thanked him with a big hug and then didn’t let go.
Not that he minded. After everything that happened, he honestly didn’t think he would ever have this again.
He’d been certain none of them would speak to him anymore, that Charlie and Aiden wouldn’t be able to forgive him.
Squeezing her to his side, he leaned his head to rest on top of hers.
He met his brother’s gaze. Aiden just smiled though, as if reading his thoughts.
Aaron was grateful Aiden knew holding her like this didn’t mean anything.
When the roles were reversed, Aaron hadn’t been as understanding.
He’d always been insecure and afraid that they still loved each other.
But Aiden trusted them both. It took a lot of hard conversations to make it back here, but they’d made it.
“All right, so,” Vi said, returning from another table, where she’d been talking to some man who had his back to the rest of them, “anyone catch your eye, Lars?”
He glanced around for a few seconds before shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
Aaron tried to look too, but he still had Charlie attached to him. With a laugh, Aiden gently tugged her into his arms. “Come here, Char Char.”
“Harper!” she said loudly as their friend appeared.
Everyone laughed. Harper shook her head with a grin. “Looks like I got here just in time for the fun.”
“Definitely,” Aaron said.
Lars stepped closer and asked if he could get her a drink. She nodded and went with him to the bar while Aaron watched.
Charlie giggled. “Remember when we were dancing with those people to make each other jealous, Aid?”
Aaron glanced at his brother who nodded and kissed her cheek before whispering something into her ear that made her blush.
“That was a really good night,” she said. “Well, the next morning—”
“All right, baby,” Aiden said with a laugh. He kissed her mouth to stop her. “You are really on one tonight.”
She shrugged, and Aaron’s attention returned to Lars and Harper. The two remained at the bar, talking and drinking. Neither seemed inclined to come back to the table. Several minutes passed, and they still didn’t make a move away from their spot together.
Aaron took a long gulp of his beer, wishing he’d ordered something stronger.
He was so stuck in his head. Jealousy flowed through him, despite knowing it shouldn’t.
There was no reason. He’d brought his friend here to be his wingman.
Both had agreed that the other night was just a fun bit of release.
Aiden and Charlie got up to go dance, leaving him to stew even more. He all but slammed his beer down before running his fingers through his hair.
“Hi,” a young woman said, standing next to him. She was attractive—dark brown hair and eyes, curves for days. If she’d approached him a couple weeks ago, he would’ve already been flirting with her. But now…
All he could bring himself to do was smile in greeting.
“Do you want to dance?” she asked.
Eyes still on Lars, he shook his head with a sigh. “Sorry, I’m not in the mood tonight.”
“That guy flirting with your girl?”
He almost laughed. “Not exactly.”
“The girl you want, then?”
Looking at the woman again, he forced himself to smile.
“Okay, I can take a hint. Good luck with that.” The woman walked off, rejoining her friends on the other end of the bar.
The second she was gone, he dropped the fake smile. His gaze returned to his best friend, the man he couldn’t stop thinking about, no matter how hard he tried. Lars and Harper were laughing, grinning at one another. As if sensing him, Lars looked over at Aaron with a question in his eyes.
Aaron just took another drink and continued staring.
Harper asked Lars something, and he turned toward her once again.
Then, another woman joined them, and he began talking to her too.
This time, he seemed more flirtatious. He said something to Harper before setting his drink down and following the stranger to the small dance floor.
Aaron’s stomach sank as he watched them dance close together. He hated this so much.
“What is going on with you?” Charlie asked, drawing his attention away from Lars. She’d made her way to him while Aiden seemingly went to get more drinks. Vi went to join him, needing another herself.
“What do you mean?” he asked Charlie.
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re acting weird.” She glanced from him to Lars. “Do you not want him to find someone?”
“Of course I do,” he said. “I’m his wingman.”
“Really? Because it looks to me like Harper is doing that more than you.”
He shook his head but didn’t know what to say.
Aiden appeared and set another round of beers on the table. Aaron thanked him, still watching Lars. He was barely conscious of Charlie and Aiden leaving to dance again.
Drinking his fresh, cold beer, he watched Lars finish out the song then tell the woman goodbye. Aaron couldn’t help but feel a slight wave of relief. Until he returned to the bar. To Harper.
“Do a shot with me,” Vi said as she took a seat next to Aaron, setting not two shots on the table but a whole little tray of them. Enough for their whole group.
They both lifted one and did them together. Then, he took another. And another.
“Whoa. Easy, my guy.” Vi chuckled. “What’s…” She trailed off as she followed where he’d been staring for the past twenty minutes. “Oh my God, you lied yesterday. It meant more, didn’t it?”
He hesitated, but that seemed to be enough of an answer. He reached for another shot.
“Aaron.” She grabbed his arm and repeated, “Aaron, look at me.”
With a groan, he did.
“You know they’re just friends. Harper has a thing for Colby, even if she doesn’t want to admit it,” Vi said.
“They’re just hanging out. Neither have a lot of nights off like this, so they’re probably bonding over that.
” When he still didn’t respond, she reiterated, “They’re just friends. There’s nothing to be jealous of.”
Finally, he grumbled out, “Fine. Okay, yes. I know, but it’s not that simple.
I can’t… I can’t stop thinking about it, about him.
” Taking the fourth shot, he sighed. He was already feeling the first three, on top of the beers he’d had before that.
“I feel like I’m going crazy, Vi. I don’t know what to do. ”
Lars glanced over again. But it was Vi who said, “I think you should talk to him.”
“I can’t,” he whispered. Louder, he added, “Even if they’re just friends, that doesn’t mean he won’t go home with someone else.”
“Not if you take him home first.”
“You heard him yesterday. It didn’t mean more to him.” Aaron shook his head again. “No, I… I can’t do this. I can’t watch anymore.” He chugged down his beer. “I’m going home.”
“You’re not driving anywhere,” she said firmly, standing when he did.
“I know.” He swayed ever so slightly on his feet. “I’m walking.”
“Maybe someone should go with you.”
“I’m fine, Violet.” He wrapped one arm around her. “I’m not that drunk yet.”
She raised an eyebrow in clear disbelief.
“It’s just a few blocks.” He chuckled and squeezed her shoulders. “I’m really glad we’re friends again, by the way. In case I haven’t told you. I really missed you.”
“We were always friends, asshat. I just didn’t want to see you, speak to you, or hear about you for a few months.”
He let out a laugh then kissed the side of her head. “I love you, Vi.”
“Okay, yeah, you’re drunk. Time to go home.” But even as she said it, she grinned at him. “But I love you too, weirdo. Text me when you make it to the apartment.”
Aaron pulled his phone out of his pocket and waved it around. “Will d—” The phone fell, and he stumbled to pick it up. “Will do.”
“Oh God,” she muttered, snatching it out of his hand and shoving it back in his pocket. “Keep it in there until you get home, otherwise you’ll fucking lose it.”
“No, I won’t. What if I want to call someone and talk on the walk home?”
“All of your friends are here,” she said. “Who else would you call?”
He shrugged. “Someone from Love Hunters.”
“That’s a horrible idea.”
He sighed dramatically. “I don’t know, then. My mom?”
At that Vi laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t bother her. It’s like midnight.”
“She loves me. She would answer.” Unlike anyone else.
Vi stared at him for a moment, her gaze turning soft. Had he said that last part aloud? She hugged him tightly. “Any of us would answer the phone, Aaron.”
Shit. He had said that part out loud.
“Come on, I’ll walk you home.”
When she leaned away, he said, “No, really, I’m good. Just… sad and lonely. Don’t let my misery ruin your night.”
“Aaron—”
“I’ll be fine, Violet. Promise. Tell the others I had a headache or something and went home.
” He straightened his shoulders, trying to put on his best fake-sober appearance.
She didn’t seem to be buying it, but she didn’t stop him from walking away.
No one stopped him from leaving, from stepping out into the darkness all alone.
As he walked away from The Tavern, he clenched his jaw.
He kept picturing Lars with Harper. Lars with that other woman.
He thought about the way Aiden and Charlie looked at each other, how deep their love ran and how everyone could see it from a mile away.
He wanted that so fucking badly. Just once, he wanted someone to pick him.
He wanted someone in his life to go home with at the end of the night.
He wanted someone to call his own. Someone to start a family with.
Crossing the street, he groaned. That last part wasn’t really true. He didn’t want to start a family; he wanted to belong to the one he already kind of had. To those three perfect little girls who owned his heart. To his best friend.
Aaron stumbled over the edge of the curb and started falling toward the street. His momentum was carrying him too fast. Bright lights blinded him for half a second before a strong pair of hands yanked him back onto the sidewalk.