Chapter 26 Presley
Chapter Twenty-Six
PRESLEY
Hendrix
Are you guys avoiding me?
Myles
What? No.
Merc
Of course not.
Cash
Yes.
Myles
Cash, wtf.
Cash
He asked.
Me
Just ignore him, Hen. We are not avoiding you.
We are one hundred percent avoiding him.
And it’s all my fault.
Out of my four siblings, Hendrix is the last to know about Hollis.
Manic at Midnight recently got back from tour, and since then, I’ve been dodging his calls and texts.
Hen and Zara even showed up at the bar the other night, and I begged Lamar to lie and say I had the night off. Meanwhile, Hollis and I hid in the stockroom while Hendrix and Zara enjoyed drinks, and I tried not to think about all the wicked things I could be doing in there with my husband.
Bright side? I got over my trust issues with the stockroom. With Hollis, at least.
It’s not that I don’t want to see Hendrix. I do. I really do. I’ve missed that big, dumb idiot.
But I’m scared.
Of all my siblings, Hendrix was the closest to Hollis.
I mean, they were best friends.
What if he feels betrayed somehow? Or mad because Hollis didn’t tell him first? It shouldn’t matter what he thinks. This marriage isn’t even real, and Hollis will be going back to Tennessee next month anyway.
But lately, this thing between us feels a lot less fake, and a whole lot like something…more.
So yeah, I want my brother’s approval.
Hendrix
Are you sure? You guys don’t resent me cause I’m super famous now?
Myles
Oh, fuck right off.
Merc
You’re just a bass player. You’re not that cool.
Cash
You are all idiots. I’m leaving.
Me
…And yet you’re still here.
Myles
That’s cause Grinchy Cash loves us.
Hendrix
Omg, you really are the Grinch!
Merc
He reminds me more of that grumpy guy from Ted Lasso.
Me
The hot, grumpy soccer player? No way. Do not compare our brother to that man. You’ll ruin the entire show. Forever.
Myles
He does kind of look like him, now that you mention it…
Me
Stop this right now.
Cash
I am still here…
Me
Yes, and?
Hendrix
Hey, I thought of a new name for the group chat while I was gone.
Myles
Does it suck?
Me
It’s gonna suck.
Cash
Veto.
Hendrix
You haven’t even heard it yet! You can’t veto!
Cash
I’m just saving us a little time.
Myles
And suffering.
A giggle escapes my lips as I set my phone down on my desk. I’m supposed to be working, but those four are really distracting.
I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed my siblings over the last few weeks. Months?
With Hendrix traveling all over the globe with the band and Myles trying to get his acting career going, it’s getting harder and harder to find time to see all of them.
I shouldn’t have avoided telling them the truth about Hollis.
They deserve a chance to reconnect with him. He deserves that too—a family. And even if he doesn’t stay, they can still keep in touch.
Even if I don’t.
Because I fear that may be a real possibility if I take this leap. If I give in to these feelings.
So do I fight my attraction to him to preserve our friendship?
Or do I take that leap and hope that love is the ultimate reward?
Everything is nearly ready for the Halloween party.
As I originally planned, it will be bigger and better than last year, but thankfully, it won’t also blow the budget.
Hollis and I have been working on it for weeks, and together, we’ve come up with ways to cut costs while still bringing the wow factor that will attract customers.
I honestly don’t know what I would have done without him. He’s patient and attentive. He supports my ideas and vision for the future. And for the first time in a while, I think the bar might actually make it through the long haul.
Perhaps we could too.
It’s late, and we’re the last two left in the bar. We’ve closed out the register, and Hollis is putting up the chairs so he can sweep the floor. In a few minutes, we’ll be done and heading home.
I don’t think I want to sleep alone tonight.
I think I’m ready to step off that ledge. To take that leap. To make this marriage…real.
Every day we’re together, we grow closer. Our bond strengthens. Our friendship deepens. And this yearning I have for my husband never wavers.
If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
I don’t want to live my life with regret.
Before he sees me standing there, watching him, I turn and head to the back, eager to finish up now that my mind is made up. I grab the trash and push the door open, not bothering to look as I prepare to chuck the bag into the dumpster.
That turns out to be a dire mistake.
Someone pushes me, and the door slams shut behind me, locking me out instantly. A sudden wave of dread washes over me as I turn to see Jace looming over me with malice in his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, and at the same time, he knocks the bag out of my hand. Trash goes everywhere.
He doesn’t even flinch and instead reaches up to brush a stray hair from my face. “Paying my girl a visit, of course.”
I bat his hand away. “I am not your girl, Jace. We broke up months ago.”
“Yeah, but we had such a good thing going.”
I try to step back, but the corner of the dumpster digs into my hip, pinning me in place. Jace uses this to his advantage, getting into my personal space. He smells like pot and cheap cologne.
I can’t remember a single reason why I liked this man.
He looks the same as when I last saw him, but there’s a desperation in his expression that scares me. I once wouldn’t have thought him capable of violence, but that was before he broke in and emptied my stockroom.
“You mean, good for you? Tell me, when exactly did you decide to start stealing from me? Was it before or after I gave you the job? Just trying to decide how calculating you are.”
“Can’t blame a guy for taking advantage of an opportunity.” He shrugs.
“I trusted you,” I seethe.
He ignores me as a cold smile appears on his face.
“When I met you at that concert, I thought you were a little shy. Kind of boring. But then I looked you up and realized who your family was, and I thought I’d go for it.
Plus, you were hot, so it wasn’t like it was a hardship, you know?
” He winks, and my stomach turns. I try to sidestep, but he blocks me.
“With your family’s connections, I thought I’d have no trouble getting into the hottest clubs and exclusive parties.
But then I actually met your family. And you know what, Pres? They’re just as boring as you.”
“They’re not boring,” I argue. “They’re just normal.”
He laughs. “I got news for you. Normal people don’t grow up where you did, princess.”
“So are you mad at us for having money, or not having enough to benefit you?” Shut up, Pres. Stop antagonizing him.
“I’m mad because, thanks to you, I’m in serious debt. And you’re gonna get me out of it.”
I blanch. “What do you mean?”
“I needed that cash to pay someone off,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Who?” I press.
“It doesn’t matter!” he explodes, his face just inches from mine. I try to figure out how I used to look at this man with love and affection.
But then I realize…
It was never love.
It was barely affection.
If anything, it was a need to feel wanted, which he fulfilled—all while he drained me dry. “It’s none of your business,” he spits. “But you’re going to help me. It’s the least you can do.”
“The least I can do?” I scoff. “I would have thought all the liquor you stole from me would have been more than enough. I mean, it was enough to nearly destroy me, so…”
He shifts his eyes slightly, and I already have my answer.
I shake my head in disbelief. “You spent it, didn’t you?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you, Pres.”
“You stole my fucking money, Jace!”
“It’s not like you don’t have more. I know you like to pretend to be a regular girl with your beat-up Jeep and hand-me-down couch, but it’s all an act. You’re a Creed. I know you have money.”
God, he really didn’t know my family at all.
“Look, I don’t know what you got yourself into, Jace, and honestly, I don’t really care. It’s not my problem. But I’m not letting you have another free pass in my stockroom. I should have called the police the first time.”
I should have changed the fucking security code the second I fired his ass.
He grins. “But you didn’t. ’Cause you’re afraid of disappointing Mommy and Daddy, aren’t you?”
“Fuck you, Jace.”
His hand grips my waist, and when I try to push it away, he only tightens his hold.
“Since you brought it up, I do have something I wanted to show you. Just a little something I’ve kept to remind myself of our happier days.
” He pulls out his phone with his other hand.
“I’ll text you a copy, but remember, I have the original. ”
He taps a few buttons on his phone and then turns the screen toward me.
It’s hard to see at first because of the camera angle and dim lighting, but I’d recognize those pleated velvet curtains and four-poster bed anywhere.
It’s my bedroom.
And in the center of my bed, there’s a perfect shot of me, straddling Jace as his hands grip my waist just like he is now.
I feel physically ill.
“Turn it off,” I beg, pushing the phone away.
“What? No. It’s just getting to the good part, babe. I really do miss those sounds you make.”
I push him. Hard. “I said, turn it off!”
The bar door bursts open just as Jace stumbles backward. The phone clatters to the ground, face up. Tears stream down my cheeks as Hollis steps out, his eyes darting between me, Jace, and the phone.
“Who the fuck are you?” Jace demands.
“I’m her husband. Who the hell are you?” Hollis growls, though I’m sure he already has a pretty good idea. He steps up beside me and gently places a hand on mine. I lean into it, needing the connection. Needing him.
“Husband? And here I thought you were boring.” He smirks just as a moan echoes from his phone and pierces the silence. My whole body tenses. Jace chuckles. “Well, not that boring.”
Hollis lunges, but I grab his arm, and he instantly stills. “Don’t, Hollis. He’s not worth it.”
Jace’s cold smile turns deadly. “Hollis? This is Hollis? The guy you said was just a friend? Wow, you rich bitches really all are the same, aren’t you?”
I physically have to hold Hollis back as Jace continues to talk.
Jace just shakes his head, a mixture of amusement and pure rage in his expression.
“Since I’m a nice guy, consider the two days I’m giving you to pay up a wedding gift.
But if you go to the cops, Pres, this video will go straight to the press.
I doubt your brother’s band will appreciate another scandal. ”
Zander joined the band a couple of years ago after their former lead guitarist (and childhood best friend) got a minor pregnant and tried to cover it up. Hendrix once told me that Asher felt responsible for not noticing Mitch’s erratic behavior. The band has never been the same.
I’m not sure they can survive another scandal.
I’m not sure I can either.
Still clinging to Hollis, I watch as Jace slowly reaches down, picks up his phone, and then walks away. When he’s finally out of sight, Hollis turns to me, and I take one step and crumble into his arms.