38. Chapter Thirty-Eight #2
As soon as we get to Afterhours, the three of us can’t get out of the ute fast enough.
Spilling out, I suck in a deep breath of fresh air and grin.
Holden nudges me towards the door. I catch Laynie and Sadie walking together further down the footpath.
My heart flips as soon as she sees me, her smile growing.
I love seeing that reaction whenever she meets my gaze.
Denim overalls, light blue jumper and braided hair, she approaches with flushed skin. Lifting onto her toes, she leaves a soft kiss on my cheek before giggling. “I could get used to greeting you like this.”
I grin. “Or you could kiss me properly.”
Her fingers pinch my side, gaining a chuckle from me. Hands reaching around her neck, I lean down and draw her lips to mine, tasting her strawberry lip balm. Holden and Sadie move inside to join the others as I soak up this moment with Laynie.
Dropping back down to her feet, she smiles, all glowy and youthful before taking my hand in hers. “Come on, before they start making up stuff about us.”
I sniff a laugh. “I’ll grab us something to drink.”
Leading her through the doorway and over to our usual booth, I sit Laynie down beside Sadie.
Grabbing my wallet, I ask for everyone’s orders before heading over to the bar and repeating it to Paisley.
She tells me it’ll be a few minutes, and I return to my seat.
Laynie’s fingers tangle in my instantly, cheeks pinkening.
I will never get over seeing her like this.
“So how’s the dance school, Sadie?” Macie asks from the other side of the table.
Sadie just nods, chewing on her lip. “It’s good, but there’s one girl, Allison, who I think wants me gone.”
Laynie frowns. “What do you mean?”
Her cousin sighs, everyone listening to her.
“She’s in charge of the timetable, and she gave me an older copy, so I was late to two of my classes.
Then things started disappearing from the room whenever I was teaching after her.
The speaker. Warm up items. The bar weights.
” Her head shakes. “I don’t really know why. I haven’t done anything.”
I frown.
“Have you spoken to the owner about her?” Reid asks.
Sadie shakes her head. “No, but I might have to. It’s getting ridiculous.”
Paisley interrupts, carrying a tray of drinks. “All right. Drinks are ready. Food is still on the way.”
I take my beer and Laynie’s lemonade.
Cole smirks. “Hey, Sutton. Guess who I played with this afternoon.”
Glancing his way, Paisley snips out, “Yourself? Because I don’t see anyone vying for your attention.”
“Your brother. He’s not half bad.”
She stiffens. “Knox could wipe the floor with you.”
“Is that why I beat your all time best score on Speed Demon?”
“You only beat me because you had Knox to help you.”
Cole shakes his head, smiling coyly. “If anything I gave him much needed tips.” He pauses, sipping on his beer. “The same tips I gave you when you first started.”
Paisley’s eyes roll. “Here’s a tip for you, go to the hairdresser next time instead of butchering your own hair.”
Macie snickers.
“Aww, it’s sweet that you are so concerned about my looks,” Cole teases.
I shake my head as Reid snorts a laugh.
Paisley walks away with the tray. Cole smiles before wincing as Macie hits his shoulder.
“You’re a moron,” Holden grumbles.
“Am not,” Cole retorts.
Reid chuckles. “You’re the epitome of a moron. In the dictionary, your name is the explanation of the word.”
Cole glares at our brother. “You nerd.”
“He’s a hot nerd,” Macie adds, grinning.
Reid kisses her hair. Cole pretends to gag.
Holden reaches around the back of the booth, clipping Cole’s head.
Paisley returns with plates of food. Wedges for Macie. Garlic bites for Laynie. Chicken wings and chips for the rest of us.
Taking some chips, I push the rest in front of Sadie, knowing that she doesn’t eat meat.
Sadie reaches for sauce when she knocks her drink over.
It spills across the table, landing on Holden’s lap.
Grunting, he tries standing, but it’s awkward in the booth.
Sadie claps a hand over her mouth. Macie throws napkins their way as Holden glares down at her.
“I am so sorry,” she lets out, grabbing some napkins and dabbing them on his jeans.
Holden’s jaw ticks. “These are my favourites.”
Sadie swallows, hands stilling on his pants. He takes the napkins from her before wiping down the seat.
“I can clean them for you. Or I can pay for you to buy some new ones,” Sadie insists, her tone wobbly as she reaches for her bag and tosses a fifty on the table.
Holden stares at it for a beat before glaring at her. “These are Wranglers. You think fifty will cover it?”
Sadie’s gaze travels to Laynie beside me, screaming for help.
“It was an accident,” Reid cuts in.
I slide out of the booth, followed by Laynie and Sadie, who is still apologising to Holden. He just listens, not saying anything as Macie wipes down the table.
“Holden, she didn’t mean it,” Laynie says, lifting a hand to rest on his shoulder. Holden shrugs it off, stalking over towards the bathroom.
I follow after him, reaching him before he disappears inside, clamping a hand down on his shoulder. “She didn’t mean it, man. What is going on? You’re not normally this grumpy.”
My brother stares at me before rubbing his eyes.
Swallowing, he pulls his wallet out of his pocket, and I can see the slight dampness coating it.
Opening it, Holden stills at the photo of Ryder and Wynona, the edges frayed and wet as he pulls it out, wiping it on his shirt.
“I didn’t want this to be ruined,” he admits, tone low.
I bite down on my lip, the memories of Holden crying in the hospital flooding my mind as he stares down at the photo of his friends. “It wasn’t ruined, though,” I say, trying to sound optimistic.
“Yeah,” he grumbles, placing it back in its spot before looking at me with glassy eyes. “Thank God for that. I need to dry my pants.”
I return to the booth to everyone concerned faces. I hold up my hands. “He’ll be fine. Just let him be for a minute.”
Sadie sinks back in her seat, stirring the straw in her replacement drink. I slide in beside Laynie. Her hand rests on my thigh, and I look at her. “Is he okay?”
My chin dips. “He will be. Think he was just shocked,” I say, leaving out the part about the photo. That’s Holden’s story to tell, not mine.
“All right.”
My chest aches a little. I feel for my little brother who is battling his emotions in the bathroom.
He’s built so many walls around himself, it’s hard to break through them without a battering ram.
He’s protecting himself. I can see that, because nobody should have to go through what he did. The trauma. The dependency. The loss.
Fingers dig into my skin, gaining my attention again. Laynie’s blue eyes find mine, and I lean over, kissing her cheek that blooms with colour. “I’m lucky to have you, Biscuit.”
She lets out a small breath, grinning calmly. “I’m lucky to have you too, Blondie.”