Shay Warner ran away from her adopted family as soon as she found out what they truly were: criminals. They lied, they killed, they betrayed her in a way that scarred her forever. It isn't until the police catch up to her that she's forced to go bac...
After handing it over to him, the man grunted, "What'll it be?"
"Shot of tequila please. And a rum and coke."
If she was going to get through this, she needed help.
As soon as the alcohol was in front of her, she took the shot without bothering with salt or lime. Though she wasn't a heavy drinker, she could still hold her liquor. Then she sipped on her well drink, thankful that the bartender was such a heavy pourer.
Soon, she started to feel her cheeks getting warm as the tension in her shoulders dissipated. She took in her surroundings, looking at all of the middle aged men scattered around the pub while a few families sat at booths eating dinner. It was only four o'clock, too early for her to eat, but the food on the menu did look good. To go along with the Irish theme, she saw many people eating bacon and cabbage or a generous serving of shepherd's pie.
Shay had just ordered a second rum and coke when she saw a dark figure walk into the bar. Her eyes latched onto him immediately, scanning all of his features while realizing there was no backing out now. Before she forgot, she reached into her pocket to make the call.
He looked exactly as she remembered. The image of his face had been burned into her memory since she left, with so much strength and clarity that it would sometimes appear out of nowhere. He had the same dark, messy hair that sometimes hung in front of his eyes, which were green and full of buried but intense emotion. His cheeks and strong jaw were covered in a thick layer of stubble, and his broad shoulders were as tense as they always seemed to be. He had tattoos now, the black ink drawn into images on his right arm that she couldn't make out from so far away.
As soon as those familiar eyes spotted her, she noticed his jaw clench but other than that, he didn't react. He kept on walking, and rather than sitting down close to the door like he usually did, he sat directly next to her.
Shay took a swig of her drink as soon as he joined her, too tense to look him in the eye. She instead focused on the door after realizing that she was way more intimidated by this man than she ever thought possible.
"Hey, kid."
Her heart jumped to her throat when she heard his voice again. Deeper but familiar, calling her the same thing he always did.
"Hi, Noah."
"Where the hell have you been?" He demanded, not wasting any more time with pleasantries.
Shay was all too aware of the proximity of his knee to hers. Not to mention how his elbow had brushed against her when he sat down, and again when he grabbed his drink from the bartender. A rum and coke, just like her.
"I want to come back." She whispered.
"It's a little late for that, dontcha think?" Noah spat.
"I know it's been a while but I-
"I thought you were dead, Shay. Dead. Do you have any idea how much that fucking sucked?" She braved a look at him and instantly regretted it. His eyes were glaring at her with a mixture of hurt and anger, a combination so powerful that she felt it in her core.
"I'm sorry, Noah, I can't even imagine how that felt." She breathed. The guilt that had been following her around like a pebble tied to her ankle felt more like a boulder now, the weight of it not letting her move.
"Why the hell did you leave?"
She sighed reluctantly. "I can't tell you."
"Of course you can't." Noah let out a short disbelieving laugh as he started to stand up. "Fuck this."
She grabbed his arm to stop him. "Please. I need to see Val."
"She probably doesn't want to see you."
"Just one conversation, that's all I need." She pleaded. "Then I'll leave you all alone again if that's what you want."
Noah glared down at her with so much power that she felt his gaze penetrate her irises and travel down to her heart and soul. If anyone could read her, if anyone knew exactly who she was, it was Noah. She'd never been able to hide anything from him, not when they were kids and apparently not now either. That fact, along with the sensation of her hand still wrapped halfway around his bicep made her pulse quicken.
She couldn't let him see through her this time. Too much depended on it.
"I can ask but I doubt she'll agree to it." Noah offered, his lips still in a tight line as he tried not to let any emotion show through his always cold exterior.
"It's worth a shot. Thank you."
"Whatever."
With that, Noah yanked his arm out of her grip and started to walk away. When he was halfway to the door, Shay's mouth opened up once more before she could stop herself.
"Noah?" She called, a desperation in her voice that was foreign to her.
His back tensed but he didn't turn to face her. He stood motionless in the middle of the bar, waiting for her to continue.
"It was good to see you again." She tried.
Then he walked out of the bar, leaving Shay to wonder if she'd ever see him again.
Йой! Нажаль, це зображення не відповідає нашим правилам. Щоб продовжити публікацію, будь ласка, видаліть його або завантажте інше.
How do you guys feel about that meeting with Noah? It was one of the first scenes I wrote for this story, even before part 1.
