The North Star | COMPLETED ✔️

Chapter 31 ~ Distance

Enjoy!

Chapter 31

Boe pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and headed back towards the front door.

Bard immediately went to follow, and Zeke rumbled a laugh as the door fell shut behind him.

I busied myself with cleaning my station. I didn't give a shit about whatever was being said. I didn't care one bit about Bard or whatever his damn angle was. He'd just have to get over it. We drank together. That was all it was. Two broken people at a bar that happened upon each other outside of it. He wasn't a fork in the road; he was just an intercepting path, and I didn't have time to go traveling in any new directions.

"Hello..."

I turned.

Amber had her hands clasped in front of her, a shy expression on her face. "We weren't properly introduced earlier. I'm Amber." She held out her hand.

Every part in my being longed to ignore her, but that was too much like jealousy. There was no reason for me to dislike her. She hadn't done anything to me. But I didn't want to talk to her.

Regardless of whether or not she'd done anything, hormone driven inner Jessie just wouldn't see it that way. She was pissed, literally screaming from deep down inside my chest. She'd been deprived for far too long, and Bard had been her golden ticket to remedy that.

But that couldn't happen, especially not now.

"Jessie." There. Good enough. I turned back away.

She shuffled her feet. "So... Bard's teaching you how to fight?"

I met her gaze. Fuck. This is what I was talking about. The drama. I didn't need this shit. "I didn't know he had a girl. You'll get no trouble from me. I'm going to ask Zeke to show me from now on."

She heaved a sigh, and her hands relaxed back at her sides. "I'm sorry. I just, I'm going through a rough time right now, and I..." her voice broke again, "I really don't need any more heartache."

My gut twisted, and I nodded. "I'm sorry about your dad."

She averted her gaze, shoulders stiff, then ran a hand along her face before she looked back at me. She looked ready to break down, but there was a strength in her eyes. She was a tough one. I'd give her that.

It made it so much worse.

I wanted to punch Bard in his face.

The door chimed, and the devil himself stormed through it, hands tightly fisted at his sides, shoulders and back stiff.

I snorted. Guess I was right in my assumption. Wonder what that conversation was like? If only I could have been there.

Amber took a step away from me, but the way she did it was odd. As if she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I need to talk to you," Bard directed at me, completely ignoring the girl to my left.

Amber's gaze dropped to the floor.