27. Storm
Auden is finally laughing again. It took her a while to laugh after what I admitted to her. I told Auden my truth. And even though I had that picture of Leah in my room—which I tossed out as soon as I went downstairs—I don’t think I love her anymore. I don’t think I ever loved her. She’s not Auden.
What Auden and I have is eternal. We both admitted to it, but yet neither of us can admit, come Friday, we’re parting and that is that. I don’t want to involve her in my messy life more than she already is. She deserves stability, happiness. Not worry and uneasiness. I’ll better myself and then come find her.
We’re kissing, rolling all over the bed when my foot kicks the alarm clock. “Shit,” I say, reaching over to grab it only to notice it’s 3:29 PM. “I gotta get to work.”
“No,” she whines, pushing me onto the bed and climbing on top of me.
“I have to go, baby. But I promise I’ll come right back when I finish,” I say, but she shuts me up by kissing me. She’s a really good kisser.
“Let me come with you. I’ll help out if you need me,” she says, biting her bottom lip. The way her hands are pressed onto my chest is making her cleavage irresistible.
“I can’t make that decision, it ain’t my bar.”
“What am I supposed to do, then?” She pouts. “I can’t be left alone without the thought of you touching me, and touching myself isn’t fun without you watching.”
I groan, sighing as I squeeze my eyes shut. “Why are you doing this?”
“Let me come tonight, please,” she begs, jumping on my lap and making it very hard not to bend her over my knee and slap her ass silly. “I don’t like the thought of you working for your ex all night.”
I appreciate her honesty. But Leah means nothing to me.
I arch an eyebrow and her cheeks turn red; I don’t think she meant to say that out loud. Quickly, she jumps off me and goes into the washroom, closing the door behind her. Fuck, I don’t have time for this. As much as I don’t want to go tonight, I can’t let Ross down. This day has already been shitty; I just need Auden to know that Leah means nothing, but I do have to work. I need as much money as I can to help her pay for her place in New York. And when I’m better, it’ll be our place.
I push open the washroom door as I jump into my jeans and smile. “I’ll see you later, okay?” I leave her with the quickest kiss. She doesn’t kiss back. I can tell she is bothered by me being with Leah all night without her around. But I don’t know how to make my angel happy right now. I can’t leave Ross hanging. I can’t—she closes the door again, making me sigh in frustration.
She’s not my girlfriend so I don’t have to fix whatever I just fucked up again. But she’s my angel. I can’t let my angel be mad at me. But then again, we agreed in the shower that we were nothing but fuck buddies until Friday. I’m so confused my head is spinning.
If I leave now, I can make it to work with time to spare so I can change, if I go see her I’ll definitely be late and Ross will eat my head for dinner.
I open the washroom door and she’s twisting her hair into a bun, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
“You should go or you’ll be late.”
“I know,” I say, but watch her anyway.
She turns to me with her hands on her hips. “What’re you still standing there for, then?”
“I wanted a goodbye kiss,” I say, but I just really don’t want to go to work tonight.
“You already got one.”
“I want a better one.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’ll get a better one later.”
“I want a better one now.”
“No.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Yes.”
“Nope.”
“Yes,” I growl, groping her as she walks by. A giggle leaves her and I kiss her like it’s the first time; hard, deep, passionate. Like the goddamn sky is falling. She moans against my lips and sighs. “Now I can go to work.”
I feel like our disagreements are short-lived because we want to live in the moment. We want to kiss and screw and laugh for the days we have together. The days are coming to an end. I hate that they’re coming to an end.
If I get this job, they will not come to an end. I wonder if she’ll let this continue if I show her the stability she craves.
“I want to spend my time with you,” she says, looking vulnerable. “Is it okay that I come with you tonight?” She frowns, shaking her head and covering her face. I can’t help but scan that perfect slim body of hers, deliciously standing there as she spews her vulnerable side to me. “Um, no. Never mind. I’ll just stay here and wait for you,” she says, scratching her arm. She’s nibbling her bottom lip, looking uncomfortable and anxious as she does. “It’s your ex’s party. I shouldn’t be—”
“Come.” I chuckle, taking her nervousness away by running my knuckles down her cheek. “I need you there.” She smiles, kissing me softly, and goes to her bags to get dressed.
Giving myself whiplash over here, but I can use her tonight as my crutch. I haven’t seen Leah in almost four years. And the last thing I said to her was I wish you were dead. Not my finest moment.
“Is this okay?” Auden asks two minutes later. She’s in a slinky black dress, her hair is down in waves with parts pinned behind her head. Stunning. Absolutely fucking stunning.
“Wow,” I say, stepping closer to her. “I’m going to be really late for work.”
“Nope, let’s go.” She taps my chest. She looks over her shoulder before walking out the door. An angel in all her glory, staring at me with a smile on her face.
God, I like this woman.
I follow her out of the BnB to my car. She stops and starts back up the stairs when I take her hand. “Forget something?”
She smooths out her dress and nods. “A change of clothes for tomorrow.”
“You don’t need any with what I’m gonna do to you tonight.” I wink and pull her to the car. “You’re gonna make me late.”
“Well, so-rry,” she says, laughing and weaving our fingers together. I like holding hands with her.
It’s a dangerous thing, her and I. But worth every minute of my time.
***
“I know. I know,” I say, barging in through the front door of Creed’s. “Sorry, I’m late.”
Auden and I are holding hands and it seems to take people aback. Ross, Annie, and the crew are staring at her and our hands like they’ve never seen two people holding hands before.
“Auden, right?” Ross asks. She nods, leaving him with a shy grin.
“She’s gonna help tonight,” I start, pulling her to the bar with me. “Since we’re short-staffed.”
“Nuh-uh,” Annie scoffs. “She’s so much prettier than me. I won’t make any tips.”
I stick my tongue out and grab Auden’s ass, making her tap my arm to stop. I don’t care. I want people to know she’s mine.
“You can have whatever I make,” she tells Annie.
Annie fixes her apron around her waist. “Well, thanks. We might get along if you’re not just Storm’s flavor of the week.”
I roll my eyes and feel Auden’s hands clench. Is she mad because she doesn’t want people to look at her like she’s being used, or is she mad because she knows my truth and hates how people talk about me?
“All right, Auden, take an apron. You and Annie are working the floor. Storm, you and I are behind the bar. The rest, float around and help out where needed. The buffet is off-limits to us until the end of the night, we also don’t serve people food. That’s what those white-aproned people are for.” He points at a few servers setting up the buffet. “Keep it smooth and let’s hope we don’t get any bar fights tonight,” Ross says and claps, we scatter getting to our positions.
I help Auden into an apron and kiss her gently, making her bite her lip as Annie pulls her away. “What do I do?” Auden widens her eyes at me.
“You’ll be fine, baby. Just come to me with your orders,” I call out, winking.
She opens her mouth to speak, but Annie shoves a tray at her chest and starts teaching her the ways of Creed’s. It might not be the brightest idea to have my sober girl work the bar tonight, but seeing her willing to do this for me, makes my heart beat that much faster.
Tonight is going to be a good night.