Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
Blakely
I couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. Yet the moment my boots hit the paved parking lot, I wanted to jump back in.
I’d known from the moment Devon suggested I go with him that it was a bad idea. But I hadn’t questioned it. Somehow, I knew exactly where we were going. It was also Friday night, and although so much had changed, Murphy’s was a constant.
Shelly was an evil genius. She’d skillfully set it all up. But I wasn’t upset. At least not yet. Depending on how the rest of the night went and how everyone else reacted to me, I would decide if Shelly was no longer to be trusted.
The bar looked the same yet completely different. They’d obviously upgraded the place and given it a much-needed facelift. The paved parking lot was new, and the exterior was refinished. The sign on the street and the one on the face of the building were also recent additions.
Staring at the building, emotion stirred in my chest. I didn’t hear Devon approach until he was standing right next to me. And I wasn’t sure if he meant to do it, but the back of his hand brushed against mine. When he didn’t immediately jerk it away, I figured it was either intentional or, at the very least, not as big a deal to him as it was to me. Because suddenly I felt like I was very aware of where his skin had touched mine.
“You shouldn’t be nervous,” he said quietly. They were the first words he’d spoken since we’d left the house. Silent car rides weren’t always preferable, but that was something else that hadn’t changed—the easy silence between the two of us. I didn’t feel a need to say anything.
“Telling me I shouldn’t be nervous is like telling a dog not to bark when they hear a loud sound or a cat not to clean its own ass.”
Devon let out a surprised laugh, and I chanced a look up at him. A small, understated smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. My heart leaped at the sight.
For Devon, that was the equivalent of a toothy, uncontrollable grin. The one that made your cheeks hurt and your lips tingle. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by his usual stoic expression.
My stomach dropped with his smile. “Should we…?” I asked, trying to get it over with.
He inclined his head toward the door, and I took one step, then another. Before I knew it, I was leading the way across the parking lot. Devon was ever present behind me, keeping up with my long, sure strides. That was until I found myself in front of the door, and my legs no longer worked.
Just reach out and grab the door handle , I said to myself. But nothing happened. I could hear the thrum of music behind the door, and I imagined the throng of people crowded around the bar and on the dance floor.
That image made me anxious, although crowds weren’t usually an issue. It was my lack of confidence and control of my surroundings that occasionally inspired flashbacks. But I pushed the thoughts of the crowd aside and funneled all my energy into my hands and willed them to open the damn door.
Nothing happened. Until Devon appeared in front of me and grasped the doorknob. His large hand dwarfed it, and he turned it with ease and like I hadn’t been standing there for several seconds struggling with the same task.
He stepped back with the door, and my nerves were momentarily forgotten when I peered around the updated interior. In awe, I stepped inside and looked around, unable to decide where to look first.
The original floors had been stained a darker brown, nearly black, and refinished. The walls were a deep green and covered in gold-framed vintage photos, memorabilia, and signs. The dart boards were still in the back right corner, and there were high-top tables along the perimeter. There wasn’t a dedicated dance floor, but to the right of the circular bar was still the place where everyone congregated. Bodies pressed together as the low rock beat vibrated through the speakers.
Glancing to the left, the circular bar that sat in the middle of the room was gorgeous. Bottles sat on glass shelves affixed against a mirrored wall that wrapped around the center. The bar itself was dark wood and was surrounded by green leather barstools with gold hardware.
Farther to the left, there was a second room with pool tables and another smaller, yet still beautiful bar.
That was where I spotted them.
Devon stepped up beside me. “Looks a little different now,” he said in a voice that could barely be heard above the music.
“It does. It really…does.” It did look different, but it also had the same classic Murphy’s Law feel. The nostalgia of the place was like a warm hug.
Devon gave me another few seconds to take it all in before he pointed toward the pool tables. “We’re over there.”
My heart rate kicked up, but I followed Devon. He easily created a path between people, and I took advantage of the walkway.
“Of all the people to be so damn late, I wasn’t expecting it to be you,” Josh joked. He was the closest to us, seated on a stool at one of the high-top tables. He patted Devon’s arm with an easy smile.
“Yeah, well, it’s been an interesting night already,” Devon said as he stepped aside, revealing me. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole. I knew he despised these types of interactions and probably would have wanted to be anywhere but there.
Just like I had when I showed up at Amanda’s house, I waved and said, “Hi,” because what the hell else was I supposed to do? My heart was pounding so hard that I felt lightheaded.
I glanced around at them, shock and confusion gracing all their lovely faces.
No one said anything for so long I worried if I didn’t leave, they would all be stuck in those positions. I gripped the base of my neck, right where my shoulder blades met, and massaged some of the tension away.
That was when, of all people, James stepped forward. “I…umm…didn’t get to introduce you last time,” he said, holding hands with the beautiful redhead and walking to me. “Blakely, this is the love of my life, Ivy.”
She rolled her eyes at James, but offered me her hand, which I happily shook. She had freckles along the bridge of her nose, on her cheeks, and over her forehead. Her green eyes were striking yet kind, and it took me a second, but finally, I realized where I’d heard that name before.
“Oh!” I exclaimed excitedly, taking her hand in both of mine. “You’re his Ivy. Like the Ivy from high school.”
Like a string snapping, the tension in the room broke. Everyone laughed, and the sound surprised me so much I had to look around and make sure I wasn’t just hearing things.
Ivy glanced back at James with a tender smile, then looked back at me. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m that Ivy. His Ivy.”
“Do you want something to drink?” Josh asked, stepping forward and motioning to his empty beer glass.
“Oh, sure, thanks,” I said. “Just a soda would be great. ”
“I’ve been making Hazel mocktails for the past couple months. Do you want to try one of those?”
“It’s actually pretty good,” Hazel added from her seat at another high-top table. I hadn’t seen her around the men standing between us, but I peered around James to see her shy yet sweet smile. I appreciated her input and the gesture more than she’d ever known. The small comment went a long way toward calming my nerves. It would have been just as easy to ignore me.
“Sure,” I said. “That sounds good.”
Josh walked past me, and Devon joined him. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him to stay, but Amanda took his place next to me. She had a pool cue in each hand and a smile a mile wide on her face.
“You think we can still beat the guys at pool?” she asked, and I easily returned her smile.
“No doubt,” I said. She handed me one of the cues, and it was oddly reminiscent of the last time we’d played together. She’d offered me the pool cue, and we’d beaten the crap out of Reed and Luke.
Amanda spun and retrieved another cue from the rack. She shoved it into Reed’s chest. He spluttered and stumbled back, almost spilling his beer. He juggled both his beer and the cue for several seconds before he straightened.
“A little warning next time, babe,” he said. He set his beer on the table where Hazel and Ivy were sitting and tapped Amanda’s ass with the end of the cue. He kissed her forehead and found another pool cue that he offered to Luke.
Standing behind Hazel, Luke braced his hands on the back of her stool. He glanced at the cue, looked back up at Reed, and then quickly shot his gaze at me. Reed pushed it closer, but Luke didn’t reach out to take it.
“It’s just a game, Luke,” Reed said, but Luke didn’t move. He was staring at the pool cue like it represented much more than just agreeing to a game. Like if he took it, he agreed to forgive me for everything and let go of any lingering anger. But I didn’t expect that.
It didn’t signify anything more than that. And I was about to speak up when Hazel locked eyes with her husband and tilted her head toward Reed. A silent conversation passed between them, and we all waited. It felt like an eternity had passed, but Luke’s hand struck out and wrapped around the wooden cue.
The gesture didn’t mean anything more than that he’d agreed to play, but there was still a twinge of relief and a little hope.
The guys racked the balls, and I dropped my purse on a barstool. Amanda handed me the chalk, and I gladly accepted it. I prepped my cue and set the chalk on the edge of the table, but I caught Amanda staring at me.
“Sorry,” she muttered when I looked over. “I…uhh—I still can’t believe you’re real. That you’re really here.”
I chuckled. “I understand. It’s still bizarre that I’m here.”
“We’re all glad to have you back,” she said, and it was hard to miss how genuine her words were. “Some of us might take a little more time than others to come around, but I know we all want you here, B. We’ve all been hoping for this for a really long time.”
Emotion clogged my throat, and the sting of unshed tears burned behind my eyes.
“I—” I cleared my throat and tried again. “I?—”
Amanda touched my arm, and I peered up at her from where my eyes had fallen to the floor.
“Just give them a little time. A little patience, and before you know it, it’ll be like no time has passed at all.”
The next thing I knew, Amanda dropped her pool cue and threw her arms around my neck. She had to reach, and it was awkward at first. My initial reaction when someone unexpectedly touched me was to tense and pull away. Sometimes when it happened, my skin felt like it wasn’t sitting correctly in my body, and I wanted to peel it off.
It was even worse if someone surprised me from behind. But it was Amanda, not some random person, and once my body caught up with my head, I hugged her back. I stooped a little so she didn’t have to reach so high, and as I calmed down, it was actually great.
I didn’t realize she was crying until I heard her sniffle. My heart broke a little at the sound, and I hugged her tighter.
“I missed you, B,” Amanda said into my hair. “I missed my friend.”