Chapter 16
I walked into work more wound up than I’d ever been—and for once, I didn’t mean sexually. I hated how tense things were with James. I didn’t like tiptoeing around someone, and I didn’t like being tiptoed around either. Especially when the culprit was clinging to me like a koala.
Don’t get me wrong, he’d always been the clingy one out of the two of us, but since accepting the bond, he had gotten much worse.
It was the middle of the week and had been an uncharacteristically slow one, so Shiloh was more than capable of closing the bar on their own, but I was desperate for anything that didn’t require talking to my boyfriend.
They were nowhere to be found when I walked in, but I threw myself behind the counter and found things to do. Since Shi had done most of the prep work, I was left checking already-full bottles and stocking extra towels just to keep myself busy.
Shi emerged from the restroom a few minutes later, and I popped up from behind the bar, startling them. “Fuck, I didn’t hear you come in. ”
I opened my mouth to reply, when I noticed that their cheeks were flushed and their eyes were red. “Is everything okay?” I asked instead.
“Fine.”
“Someone’s cranky.”
“Someone needs to shut up,” they snapped, choking on the last word as if they were trying not to cry again.
“Whoa!” I spun to face them as they stormed past me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers. If you need, I can handle the bar by myself.”
The fight went out of them, and they slumped against the counter. “I’m fine,” they reiterated, brushing their hair out of their face. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, and thanks for coming to help. I just… want to get through this shift.”
The corner of my lip tipped up in a grin, and I was grateful for the stop I’d made on the way, despite being late. “I have something that might make it better. I hope it’s the right thing.” I grabbed the box I’d left on the counter and handed it over to them.
Skeptical, they lifted the lid on the box… and smiled. “A sticky bun!”
After they’d mentioned it, I spent some time researching and found a nearby bakery that made them. Frankly, the thing looked like a cavity waiting to happen: similar in size and shape to a cinnamon bun but smothered in chocolate and topped with some sort of nut. But it seemed to make Shi happy, and they practically hummed as they took a big bite of the pastry.
“Hopefully it makes up for me being a dick to you last night.”
“Want to try?” they asked, offering it to me.
I respectfully declined, if for no other reason than it meant they had more. “You know you can?—”
“Talk to you if I need it.” They gave me a tight-lipped, chocolate-tinted smile. “Thanks, Ryder. ”
Except when necessary, they didn’t say a word for the rest of the night. As I suspected, it was a slow evening. Though I saw it coming, it was still odd. Typically, the weeks leading up to Halloween were some of our busiest. As the night wore on, Shi only seemed to get uneasier.
“Go home,” I told them. “I’ll close up.”
They let out an exasperated sigh and threw the towel onto the bar. “I don’t want to go home.”
I didn’t want to set them off again by prying, so I simply said, “Okay,” and went about cleaning the taps.
Before I locked up, Shi surprised me. “Do you have anywhere to be?” they asked.
I snorted. “It’s after midnight and the only other place I’d be is at home—but I don’t really want to be there either.”
“What are you avoiding?”
“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
They searched my eyes, and the moment lingered a little too long. Their cheeks flushed that adorable shade of pink, but for the first time, they didn’t look away. It was hard not to squirm under their scrutiny. “Want to have that drink?” they finally asked.
I considered it. Carlos would be fine for a little longer, and I didn’t have anywhere else to be. My only other option would be to go home and pretend like I hadn’t been fighting with my boyfriend.
Fuck, that word still felt weird—even in my head.
I grinned. “Mojito, right?”
I mixed, only for Shi to chug the damn thing in about ten seconds.
“Slow down,” I said, accepting the empty glass back. A silent gesture that demanded more. “You still have to get yourself home. ”
“Walked,” they said, wiping a drop of liquid from the corner of their mouth.
“My point stands: we want you walking home, not stumbling.” I made a second drink, cutting the alcohol in half. “You ready to talk?”
“Not yet.” I tensed when they took the glass from me, but relaxed when they only took a sip. “You first.”
Unsure of where to begin, I drank half of my vodka and Sprite—and cringed. Ugh, was that Sprite stale ? “I don’t…”
“Trouble in paradise?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I was caught up with a vampire who wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with me. Sounded like some angsty teenage romance novel. “Guess you could say that.” Shi simply waited for me to continue. After a moment, I relented. “It’s time for us to take the next step. I thought I was as ready as he is.”
Shi’s face was already flushed from the booze, their eyes shining. Their first drink had hit. Hard. “I know the feeling.”
“Okay, I spilled. Your turn.” I nudged their arm and hid in my own drink, feeling exposed. Then I heard their breath hitch. Glancing over, I caught a single tear running down their cheek. I set my drink down and gave them my undivided attention.
“I’m not from here, you know?”
I shook my head. Shi had kept their personal life close to the chest.
“I’m from Texas. Houston. I’m a city kid, born and bred. I met a guy, fell in love… but he wanted to move back home. Smalltown life didn’t really appeal to me, but I loved him, so I did it.” They shrugged, as if it were the easiest decision they’d ever had to make. “But things changed when we got here. We fought. A lot. And not the usual ‘who put the peanut butter in the fridge?’ kind of arguments that normal couples have.”
I scrunched my nose. “Peanut butter in the fridge ? ”
“I get confused in the mornings!” They laughed, brushing away another tear.
“Continue.”
They avoided my eyes. “I guess he wasn’t as happy here as he expected he’d be. He wanted to go back to Houston, but I was already settled. To my surprise, I love it here.” Shi sniffled and wiped their face. “We’ve fought about it for weeks. This morning, it finally ended.” Shi’s voice broke—along with my heart.
“The fight, or…?”
With a sad smile, those tear-filled eyes turned to me. “Come on, Ryder. You’re smarter than that.”
“Well, I like to remain hopeful. I’m sorry, Shi.” I picked up my drink and downed the rest of it. “And here I am losing my mind because my boyfriend wants me forever.” At their silence, I continued. “It’s the forever part that scares me. Though I suppose I should be grateful.”
“Don’t think like that. Stress is subjective. Your feelings are valid.” They finished off their second drink before speaking again. “Did you realize that today is the first time you’ve referred to James as your boyfriend out loud?”
“No, it’s not.”
They shrugged. “First time you’ve said it in front of me.”
That feeling started creeping over me again: a fist tightening in my chest, blood rushing in my ears. Shi brought me back to the present with a nudge to my shoulder. “Hey. Don’t overthink it.”
I snorted. “I’m not usually one to overthink anything.”
“I can see that.”
I collected Shi’s glass from them.
“Is that a sign you’re not going to make me anymore drinks?” they asked as I walked toward the kitchen. I heard their voice calling after me. “Because I can make them myself. Yours just taste better.” I spun at that opening, grinning at their groan of reg ret. They clapped a hand over their mouth. “Told you I was a lightweight—my filter’s already gone.”
“God forbid you give me a compliment, Shi Baby.”
Though they’d accepted the nickname by that point, they still rolled their eyes. “And stroke your ego? Not a chance.”
I threw them a wink. “My ego doesn’t need any help.” I continued to the kitchen, washed the glasses, then returned to the bar to stack them. “Besides, I’d much rather you stroke something else . ”
They groaned. “I set you up for that one.”
“It was a team effort. Just the way I like it.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t drink anymore. I’ve already reached the ‘saying stupid things’ portion of the evening.”
“Maybe not.” I turned off the lights in the main room, preparing to lock up. “But if you do want to drink more, at least don’t do the irresponsible thing and stay here by yourself.”
“My ex won’t be out of the house until morning.”
“If you can deal with my four-legged roommate, I’ve got a bedroom no one’s using tonight.” Their eyes widened, and I held a hand up to let them know I wasn’t finished. “No funny business. Just a safe space to do whatever you need to do.”
They hesitated. “You’re sure?”
“You don’t have to be alone unless you want to be.” They followed me down the hall as I turned the lights off one by one. I popped into James’s office to grab my jacket and hand theirs over, then we made for the back door. “I know I talk a lot of shit, but I’m not a bad guy.”
Shi thought it over, then smirked. “Just a guy with commitment issues?”
I stared at them in stunned silence. Their mouth widened into a full smile and they brushed past me to walk out the back door .
I set the alarm and exited after them. “You’re getting the Carlos treatment.”
They turned to look at me, walking backward to my car. “That’s not some freaky sex thing, is it?” They barely managed to say it with a straight face.
“Get in the car,” I said, giving them a playful shove on the shoulder.
Ten minutes later, we made it to my place. I was relieved to see the windows were dark. I had half feared James would be waiting for me.
“Brace yourself,” I said, unlocking the front door. Shi only got a single step in before I heard the inevitable scream and crash. Carlos had cleared the baby gate.
Shi fell to one knee and had enough time to get out, “Hi, sweet angel face!” before the rambunctious hound leapt, knocking the unsuspecting person to the ground—not that they seemed to mind. They laughed while Carlos gave them a precursory sniff before licking every part of them he could get to.
It was safe to say that Shiloh crying was something I never wanted to see again. Hearing their laughter was like a soothing ointment on a burn, so I was happy to let Carlos go on for a while. Only when they started gasping for breath did I move to the back door and open it, letting Carlos bolt into the backyard.
I helped Shi to their feet. “Should I apologize for him?”
“Please don’t,” they said, righting their clothes. “I really needed that. Can I rinse off my face though?”
After directing them to the bathroom, I began mixing us more drinks in the kitchen. They raised their brows when they walked in and saw a mojito waiting for them. “You just happened to have the ingredients for a mojito lying around?”
“It’s my party trick.” At their confused look, I chuckled. “I’ve been a bartender most of my adult life and I have a boyfriend who lo ves to cook. I have a lot of ingredients around here that most people wouldn’t.”
They gave the glass a suspicious sniff. “You didn’t dilute this one, did you?”
“Ah, busted.”
“Don’t baby me.” Shiloh took a sip, and if their satisfied hum was anything to go by, I did it right. “That’s the last thing I need right now.”
“Noted.”