Chapter Fifteen #2
“Zack Hodge? No way,” Wild says, referring to another guy who graduated with them.
“Yeah, you’ll never believe who he married…
” He hesitates before answering, “Madison Jenner.” Irritation instantly spikes in my veins even though he just said she was married, but all I can think of are the rumors that were going around that she and Wild were hooking up.
“Didn’t you guys have a thing?” Noah chuckles, and I take a long sip of my drink, not wanting to show the anger brewing over that comment.
“No.” Wild chuckles, trying to appear nonchalant when I know he’s ready to drop to his knees to convince me that it’s not true. “That was just a rumor. We never hooked up.”
“Really? Oh shit, well anyway”—he shrugs—“what’s new with you? Neither of you guys is married, right?”
“Nope,” I tell him, crossing one leg over the other and revealing my leg through the slit in my dress. I notice Wild’s eyes flit to the movement before he looks away.
“Seeing anyone?” Noah nudges my elbow. “Or is Wild still scaring off anyone who breathes in your direction?”
“I’m seeing someone, yes. He’s a little on my nerves right now, though.” I laugh before shooting a sideways glance at Wild.
“And how do you feel about that?” Noah points at Wild.
“He’s a decent guy. He’s pretty down bad, so… I like that for her.” He nods, and I roll my eyes, though I feel my prior aggravation over the Madison comments melting away.
Only you, baby. I can practically hear him telling me. Just a rumor. You know that.
“You know I have to tell y’all, and this may be prompted by all the beers I’ve had today, but I always thought you two had something going on.
” He puts his hands up as if he’s already defensive.
“I know it’s weird, but it was just a feeling.
You guys were just always attached at the hip.
Where one went, the other followed, and I know, I know you two were close after what you went through as kids, but it was just something I thought.
Actually, a few of us… if I’m being honest,” he rambles.
“Really?” I raise an eyebrow at him before turning to Wild as if to say do you want to do the honors?
“Well…” Wild downs the rest of his scotch. He waves to the bartender and points at his glass, indicating that he’d like another one. “Please, thanks,” he mouths before turning back to Noah. “If you must know, something was going on.”
Noah’s eyes widen before he slams his hand down on the bar.
“Shut the fuck up, I knew it. God, it all makes so much sense now. All those times you two would show up late or sneak off somewhere during a party. I knew you had to be going somewhere to fuck. It was just so obvious, but also not obvious because you were stepsiblings…” He darts his eyes back and forth between us a few times. “Are you… still…?”
Wild and I exchange a look, confirming that we’re agreeing to be honest, before I nod slowly. “Do you think we’re sick?” I ask him.
“What? No, why would I? It’s your life, and you’re not actual siblings. If I grew up having a hot stepsister, I’d probably be obsessed with her too. Do you know how many guys were jealous of you for getting to live with Halle?” Noah laughs.
“Alright enough, I don’t need to hear about how you guys were all thirsting after my girl,” Wild snaps before his hand finds mine and threads our fingers.
He drags my hand to his lips and kisses my fingers, and I realize that this is the first time we’ve engaged in any public display of affection around someone we know.
“No, but really, why would I care that you guys are together?”
“Some people aren’t exactly taking it well.”
“Oh. Well, fuck ’em. You’re not hurting anyone.” Noah shrugs before pulling out his phone. “Oh, there’s this fucker.” He holds the phone to his ear. “You’re never going to guess who I ran into,” he answers before he gets off the barstool and walks away from us to take the call.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that.”
“I think he’s hammered.” Wild chuckles. “But your friend Dex took it the same way. Everyone is going to take it differently. Eventually, everyone will know, and then we can put an end to guessing how people will respond. We’ll know who wants to be in our lives and who doesn’t.”
We’ve been at the bar for about an hour, and I’m starting to feel my drinks after I ordered a second martini and took a lemon drop shot with Wild and Noah.
I think something must have happened with Zack, and he got delayed or isn’t coming, but he hasn’t shown up yet, leaving just the three of us to reminisce about high school.
I’m still seated between them at the bar, so I’m surprised when someone brushes against me, then a hand grips my shoulder.
“If I knew you guys were continuing the party, I would have joined you.” I hear in my ear, and when I turn to face him, Dylan is somewhat between Wild and me.
My heart starts racing, thinking this is not going to end well, and also because I want to know how he knew where we were.
Could it really be that much of a coincidence?
Or did he follow us? We aren’t that far from the venue, and this is the main bar area, but there are at least ten other options he could have stopped in on this block.
“What—what are you doing here?” I turn my body so his hand falls from my shoulder, and I know Wild can hear the panic in my voice, which contributes to the absolute fury written all over his face.
“And what did I fucking say?” Wild grabs Dylan by his shoulder and pulls him back hard and out of my space.
“I said to stay the fuck away from her. Which part aren’t you getting?
I didn’t want to cause a scene at our parents' party like you fucking did, but we can absolutely step outside if you’re having trouble understanding what the fuck I said about Halle. ”
What did he say? What did I miss?
My brain is a little hazy from the drinks, but I try to make a mental note to ask Wild about that.
“Seb, you good?” I hear from next to me, and I turn to see Noah looking at him with a look of concern.
“Yeah, he’s fine,” I tell him, putting a hand on his shoulder because it looked like he wanted to stand. Noah looks at me before surveying the scene behind me.
“Yeah, we’re all family now,” Dylan responds, gesturing toward Wild and me. “My dad is marrying his mom.”
“Oh,” Noah says before narrowing his eyes. “Seems like there’s already some family drama going on,” he jokes, I think as an attempt to defuse the tension.
“Nope, just wanting to get to know my new sister a bit better, and her bodyguard here has a problem with it,” Dylan answers.
“Oh, yeah. Not happening.” Noah laughs. “He’s been that way since we were younger. Better to just not waste your time.”
“Not to mention, I said I had a boyfriend, and I’m not interested. What are you not getting?”
“You don’t have a boyfriend. You have an inappropriate childhood relationship you didn’t grow out of.”
My jaw drops, and I freeze, stunned by his words. I hear a sharp intake of breath from the other side of me, followed by Noah grunting out, “Shit.”
“Out-fucking-side,” Wild says through gritted teeth. “I’d lay you out here, but I’d rather not get kicked out of the bar.”
“Wild…”
“Halle, stay inside. Noah, stay with her.” He points at Noah, and he must be furious if he’s telling another man to stay with me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Dylan says before waving over the bartender. “I’m having a drink.” He walks past Wild, banging his shoulder hard into his while he passes. “Feel free to join me.” He turns to wink at me before he walks toward the other end of the bar.
Wild got into a handful of fights when he was a teenager.
Still, it was never anything very serious and nothing past the age of probably fifteen, so I’m shocked when he grabs Dylan by the shoulder to turn him around, allowing his fist to connect with Dylan’s jaw and causing him to drop to the floor hard.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT. OUT, BOTH OF YA,” the bartender bellows from behind the bar, and I wince, knowing that was going to happen.
“It wasn’t his fault!” I say, trying to assuage the situation. “This guy is an asshole! He started it!” I point at Dylan, who’s slowly getting up.
“I was very fucking clear,” Wild snarls at him. “Now do you get me?” His voice is even and menacingly low and cool, as if he didn’t just put his entire weight behind a punch to someone’s face.
Dylan slowly stands, rubbing his bottom lip where the skin is cut and bleeding. His face is red and angry, and I think he’s about to swing back when the bartender speaks up again.
“I SAID OUT!!” the bartender yells, pointing at the door and waving over the security standing there.
Fuuuuck.
“That can’t be Sebastian Wilder causing trouble out there?” I hear someone say, and then a guy in a black button-down, blazer, and black jeans is moving toward us. I recognize him as another guy I went to high school with.
People really didn’t leave this town.
If I remember correctly, he was two years older than me, so a year older than Wild, and was also on the football team. I want to say his name is Peter or Parker or… Paul? Something with a P?
“Boss, he decked this other guy. I said they both had to get out,” the bartender explains while the security guard, a bald and very large man, has made his way between Wild and Dylan to prevent anything from escalating further.
“And Halle St. John?” the guy says before draping his arm around my shoulder. “You want to tell me why you guys are causing trouble in my bar?”
“Porter Jenkins?” Wild narrows his eyes at the guy. “You own this bar?”
“Well, technically, my dad does, but I’m here thirteen hours a day. Now what is going on?”
“This asshole was fucking with Halle,” Wild says through clenched teeth, keeping his gaze fixed on Dylan.
“And we all know that’s a crime.” Porter turns to me. “He hurt you?”
“Well… no, not exactly. He was being creepy and not taking no for an answer.”
“Alright, well, lucky for you,” he says, looking at Wild, “what I say goes.” He turns to look at Dylan. “Unlucky for you, you should probably go if you’re going to be causing trouble here.”
Dylan glares at all of us before smoothing his hair back and adjusting his man bun. “What the fuck? This asshole assaults me, and I have to go?”
Porter doesn’t say anything. He just shrugs like he isn’t fazed that a customer isn’t happy. “Any drinks you’ve had are on the house? The best I can do.”
He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Fine, whatever,” he mutters before letting the security escort him to the door.
Sebastian’s hands are on my face instantly, and then his lips graze mine lightly before pressing his forehead to mine. “You okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, fine. He didn’t do anything to me. But why was he so pressed and… aggressive?”
“Might have just been all a game to him. Hell, maybe Mike put him up to it because he wasn’t sure if we were together. I don’t give a fuck. I never want him around you again.”
“Does this mean I get out of going to Sara’s wedding?” I ask with a little—okay, a lot—of hope in my voice. I was happy for her and wished her the best, but after tonight, I had no interest in being around any of those people ever again, let alone in two months.
“It’s up to you at this point. I’m not going to ask you to put yourself back in that situation.” He shakes his hand a little bit, and only then do I realize that bruises are starting to form on his knuckles.
“Shit, let’s get some ice on that,” Porter says, waving toward the bartender. “Now, what the hell are you guys doing in town?”
“My mom’s engagement party,” Wild says as he holds a bag of ice to the skin.
“Okay, and second question”—he points back and forth between the two of us—“are you guys…?”
“Since high school, evidently!” Noah interjects.
“Damn, Kyle owes me fifty bucks,” Porter says.
“You bet that we were together?” Geez, were we that obvious?
“It was just a theory, and no one ever caught you, so eventually, it fizzled out, but I feel very validated right now.” Porter raps his knuckles on the bar and points at me.
“There was this football game, I remember.” He scratches his jaw.
“It was homecoming my senior year, so it would have been Sebastian’s junior year.
And we were playing badly. I mean, like shit.
” He points at Wild. “You especially were playing like shit. And at halftime, Coach just laid into us. I mean, really let us have it, and I remember Sebastian got a text or something, and his face just lit the fuck up.” He turns his attention to me.
“I guess you hadn’t been there. I don’t know why, but you had just shown up at halftime, and his performance fucking turned around.
He caught two fucking touchdown passes, and we ended up winning that game.
Now it all makes sense. He was playing like his girl was in the stands, and he wanted to make her proud. ”