13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Ryan
W alking into the bar for our nightly meet up, I didn’t feel great about my interaction with Emily earlier in the day. She wasn’t nearly as talkative as she normally was, and she almost looked like a deer caught in headlights when she saw me in her apartment building. I hoped maybe she’d show up at the bar tonight, and I could figure out why she was suddenly acting weird. Maybe she wasn’t as interested in me as I thought she was.
Either way, I called my sister as soon as I left and informed her to purchase some headphones because every neighbor in her building could probably hear the music she was blaring. She agreed, and I hoped I could make at least one thing easier in Emily’s life - even if she was back to her standoffish self. What could have possibly pushed her back when we were starting to become friends?
“I really don’t like that you went all the way to Fairwood. Why couldn’t you two have come here?” Trey spoke into his phone.
I gave Levi and Preston questioning looks but they both shrugged and shook their heads.
“Fine, don’t drink too much, text me when you’re leaving.” Trey hung up the phone and ran his hand through his hair.
“What was that about?” Levi asked.
“Meghan and Emily are going out to Fairwood to go to a place called Shotz,” Trey explained in a huff.
“Why would they go to Fairwood to drink when they could drink here and be close to home?” Preston asked.
“I don’t know,” Trey shrugged.
He was protective over his sister after an incident in her teenage years. Like me, he sometimes struggled with his baby sister being all grown up and making decisions - especially ones like going to a bar an hour away in a town where recent druggings had been reported. When gossip around here slowed down, we often ended up discussing problems in the neighboring and more populated towns.
“They probably want to pick up some guys,” Levi shrugged and snapped all of our attention to him. His eyes widened and he said, “What? It’s the same old crowd here every single night. I mean Shotz isn’t really a great place for that, but they’ll be fine. Do you think Meghan wants to flirt with someone when her brother is sitting in the corner booth glaring at every single guy she talks to?”
“Emily isn’t interested in flirting, right?” I asked.
“Fairwood had reports of recent druggings,” Preston pointed out.
“What if someone drugs their drinks?” Trey asked, sitting up.
“Guys! Let them have a girls night. They’re both smart women. I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Levi stated.
“Meghan shares her location with you right? We could go and keep an eye on them,” Preston suggested, and I narrowed my eyes on him, but he continued, “Plus Ryan’s making progress with Emily. What if some asshole swoops in and derails everything for him?”
“I don’t know. If they want to have a girls night, I don’t want to interrupt them,” I interjected.
“No no, that’s what happens. You’ll be put in the friendzone,” Trey agreed with Preston.
“There is no such thing as the friendzone. You know this, right? We are either friends and that’s it, or we are more. You aren’t friends with a girl only so you can hope to be more. That’s gross.”
“What he said,” Levi agreed with me.
“But you want to be more, right?” Preston stated.
“I do, but it’s not a condition of friendship. If that’s all she wants to offer, I’m okay with it.”
The table went silent for a minute before Trey turned to me, “Right now, there could be some guy rubbing up against her on a dancefloor. His intentions are not to treat her well. No, he’s going to drag her along in a relationship and use her and treat her like garbage. Then he’ll dump her and she’ll swear off all men, including you.”
I stared down at my hands, trying not to let what Trey was saying get to me. He was only using my interest in Emily so he could spy on his sister and keep her safe.
“Imagine it. The guy’s hands are on her hips. He’s speaking sweet nothings into her ear. She’s giggling with him instead of with you,” Preston stated, and I fisted my hands.
I briefly questioned why Preston was joining in the “torture Ryan” game Levi and Trey started the first time I ever mentioned I had a thing for Emily, but the vision of Emily flirting with some guy pushed the question from my brain.
“He’ll take her back to his place, give her a beer instead of a glass of water like any well respected gentleman would do. He’ll brush her hair away from her neck and put his lying lips there,” Levi joined in.
“Fine!” I yelled a little louder than I meant to, and every head in the bar turned toward us.
“Let’s go,” Trey stated, and we all began to move from the table.
“I’ll drive,” Preston stated, pulling his keys from his pocket.
“I cannot believe I let you all manipulate me,” I grumbled as we strolled through the glass door and out into the night.
“It was kinda fun. Plus, a change of scenery might be nice.” Levi shrugged as we walked toward Preston’s Jeep.
An hour later the four of us were walking into Shotz. The place didn’t seem seedy but it was definitely bigger than our little dive bar back home.
However, Shotz wasn’t some high class joint either. There was a dance floor, a long bar down one side, the DJ played music but TV’s were placed all around and showed Chicago’s hockey game. Black bar tables surrounded the dance floor and bar while lights flashed with the beat of the music over them.
The rest of the bar was dimly lit but all four of us scanned it in search of Emily and Meghan. The dance floor was filled with bodies, but I didn’t see Emily there. The tables were surrounded by people as well. Finally I spotted her sitting next to some asshole at the end of the bar, laughing. Her hand landed on his arm, and he was grinning at her in a way that made me seethe. Fuck, I was jealous.
I had no claim over Emily despite my intense attraction to her, but I wanted her to be with me, laughing with me, touching my arm. I wanted her eyes glittering with joy from the jokes I told her. That guy wouldn’t likely understand she didn’t often go out and she preferred to spend her nights at home. That she preferred the quiet of the library over the loud noises of the bar. That she had a thing for decor, enjoyed plants, and liked sci-fi shows. He would drain her mentally like a leech, sucking all of her energy away.
There were two things I could do. I could keep an eye on her like a stalker, or, go over there and surprise her. I could be bold and confident and approach them, right? I wanted her to be mine, and he was going to try to take her away from me. No. I would …
“Come on. That son of a bitch definitely doesn’t deserve her,” Levi interrupted my momentary mental pep talk as he strolled past me.
I followed Levi as we wove through the people and tables. My eyes stayed glued to Emily as we walked, and a growl rose up in my throat when the man ran the back of his fingers down her arm. I swallowed the growl down - determined not to scare Emily by becoming too possessive.
“Mitch, buddy!” Levi shouted as soon as we got close, the man sat back and squinted his eyes at us before they widened as Levi continued his greeting, “How’s the wife and kids, man?”
Every inch of my body demanded I punch the guy for having the audacity to hit on Emily while being fucking married. I glanced at Emily, who gave Mitch a shocked look.
“You’re married?” She shrieked.
“Oops.” But Levi didn’t look like he was all that upset about spilling the beans. Instead, he gave Mitch a disappointed look.
Mitch glanced between Levi and Emily, before saying, “I’m planning on leaving her. It’s just complicated right now.”
“Complicated? No, what’s complicating things is instead of, I don’t know … working on your marriage, you’re in a bar hitting on someone else.” Emily scoffed and gave him a disgusted look.
Mitch’s shoulders dropped as he stood from his chair and rolled his eyes. His stance took on more of a threatening vibe, and I stepped closer to Emily as my fists clenched.
“Whatever. You’d only be good for a quickie in the bathroom anyway, bitch,” Mitch sneered at Emily.
Much to my own surprise, Mitch collapsed to the floor after my fist connected with his cheek. I stood there for a second glaring at the cheating asshole before the pain from the punch I’d thrown finally registered in my brain.
“Ow!” I yelled, taking a step back and shaking out my hand.
My eyes went to Emily, who stared at me in shock, and … was that a little bit of admiration too? Shit. I wasn’t a violent person, and I sure as hell didn’t want Emily thinking I was. All I could think about was how nasty the man was to her, and I couldn’t fathom anyone being cruel toward her.
I wanted to say something to that effect, but my mouth and brain weren’t connecting. Instead my mouth opened and closed like a fish in front of her until I looked down to inspect my hand. It didn’t look bad, but it would likely be sore the next day.
“That’s why we don’t punch people!” Emily shouted, gesturing for my hand.
I lifted my hand to her and she looked at it, before asking, “Are you ok?”
She took my hand as she slipped from the stool. When the warmth of her palm met mine, electricity zapped through me. My adrenaline was running high but her touch had a calming effect on me. I never wanted to let go.
“I haven’t thrown a punch since I was sixteen, I forgot how much it can hurt,” I muttered.
Glancing at Levi, who was laughing loudly, I sighed before scowling at him. Mitch must have come alone, because thankfully, no one had stepped toward us to defend him. The last thing I wanted was to be involved in a bar brawl.
“Why did you punch him?” Emily asked, her eyes looking up at me in confusion.
“He was being an asshole … to you.”
“Mitch is an asshole,” The bartender said. “Still, I can’t have fights in the bar. You need to leave.”
Nodding to him, I couldn’t fault him for his request for us to leave. I was only grateful I wouldn’t be escorted out by a bouncer.
“Come on,” Emily said, putting cash on the bar for her drink.
Turning, I spotted Preston dancing with Meghan on the floor and gestured toward them to Emily. She nodded, slipping her hand from mine as she moved in front of me, and I followed behind her. I missed the softness of her skin already. Glancing at Levi following behind us, he had a shit-eating grin on his face.
“We need to leave,” Emily stated as we approached.
“Take my car, I’ve probably had too much to drink anyway. I’ll grab Trey and we’ll all leave with Preston.” Meghan stated, widening her eyes at Levi behind us.
Preston nodded to me he’d make sure everyone else would get home. Emily and I walked side by side out of the bar and over to Meghan’s car.
“Have you been drinking?” Emily asked.
“Not a drop.” I unlocked the tiny car and winced at the idea of fitting my six-three stature in it.
After a bit of a struggle, I managed to get into the car and get the seat adjusted, and we both clicked our seat belts. I glanced at Emily for a second before starting the car and driving us home. The majority of the trip was silent, but as we reached the outskirts of Maple Creek, she finally spoke.