It had been a week since I'd stormed out of the pizza shop. Lucas hasn't spoken to me since that night, not that I could blame him. I was lucky that Gigi didn't pressure me into explaining why I'd left so upset because it was getting harder to hide my growing frustration with life back home. But today was a fresh start, and with an income, at least now I could worry a little less and refocus my attention on school.
I showed up to the bar before seven, my fingers shaking. As soon as I walked through the door, my eyes cut to Lucas who was sitting in a booth with Noah as they picked at a plate full of mozzarella sticks and sipped at bottles of beer.
Lucas nodded in my direction, and I smiled nervously as Noah glanced at me over his shoulder, shaking his head before taking a sip of his drink. I had no idea why that guy didn't like me, but it was beginning to get under my skin.
Swallowing back my jitters, I made a beeline for their table. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Came to wish you luck on your first day," Lucas replied, but his eyes were still on his bottle. "I'll be on my best behavior," he promised, finally glancing up at me with red-rimmed eyes that made the blue pop even more than usual. He'd clearly been over served and the night was just beginning.
"Thanks. I should get back there, so Milo doesn't think I'm late." I hurried toward the bar, hesitating before I stepped behind the wooden top into the forbidden area that patrons were not allowed to go.
Milo came out through a swinging door and smiled broadly when he noticed me, but his face quickly became unreadable.
"I didn't think you were going to show," he quipped as he grabbed a small black apron and tossed it to me. I quickly looped the strings around my waist, tying it off in the front with a bow.
"I told you I needed this job," I added before pushing a few flyaway hairs from my face. "I forgot to ask what to wear." I looked down at my basic white t-shirt and dark wash jeans.
"You look fine," he replied with a clipped tone, his southern drawl even more prominent. Great, he's mad at me too.
"So what do you need me to do?" I asked as I looked out over the small crowd in the bar. It wasn't as packed as Filly's, but there were more locals mixed in with the students.
"Tonight will probably be slow since it's a Thursday. So we are going to restock the fridges from the walk-in cooler and try to wipe down anything that looks sticky. Sound good?" His eyebrow rose as he rubbed his palm against the stubble of his jaw.
"I can do that. Just point me in the right direction."
Three hours into my shift, Payton and her merry band of bitches walked into the bar. It sounded like the beginning of a bad joke, but the only thing being laughed at was me. I ignored their snickers and ignorant jabs, but I was beginning to lose my cool. The fact that Lucas was here, refusing to leave, made it all that much worse. On top of it all, Milo was giving me the cold shoulder. I couldn't wait to get back to my room and cry into my pillow, but something told me getting away from this mess would be anything but easy.
"You ready?" Lucas asked as I took off my black apron and placed it on the bar before stretching my neck from side to side. I was exhausted, and it would be nearly impossible for me to make it to my morning class, but I needed to try to make this work.
"You're not going to stay and hang out with your friends?" I asked, glancing around him to the group of girls he'd been talking to all evening, still huddled around the pool table. I rolled my eyes, wishing they all would have gone to a different bar to socialize. Lucas included.
Lucas had looked over his shoulder before his gaze settled back on me. "You're my friend, remember? And I want to make sure you get home safely."
Payton's eyes were narrowed, and her smirk had flattened out into a scowl. As much as I wanted to slap Lucas across the face and tell him to fuck off, walking out the door with him in front of her would feel even better.
"Fine," I agreed. "Let me say goodbye to Milo."
"Why?"
"He's my boss, Lucas. I kind of have to clock out."
Lucas clenched his jaw, the muscles under his taunt skin jumping below the surface as he nodded once. "I'll be by the door."
I hurried back behind the bar and into the small stock room where Milo was sorting through cases of beer and checking the inventory.
"It's after midnight," I called out before he spun around, rubbing his palm against his left eye.
"What did you think?"
I shrugged but quickly plastered a smile on my face. "I had fun."
Milo had rolled his eyes before his grin widened. "It's work. It's not supposed to be fun, but it'll get easier. You're welcome to come back tomorrow night. Same hours."
"Okay. Yeah. Thanks. I'll see you then."
I turned to leave when he called after me. "Henley, that friend of yours isn't going to keep coming by every night is he?"
I sighed, turning back to him with the most convincing smile I could manage. "I sure hope not."
Milo smiled and nodded his head once before he turned back to continue working. I made my way back out the bar. I scanned the crowd for Lucas who was leaning against the side of a booth with his cell against his ear as he spoke, drumming his fingers on the vinyl. When his eyes met mine, he smiled and ended the call, but I could tell he was exhausted. I hurried across the floor to him, anxious to get outside into the cooler night air.
"Trying to get ahold of Beef?" I asked, assuming he was trying to get a ride back to his apartment so he wouldn't need to walk.
"My sister Amelia. It's five in the morning back in London, and she is up for work."
"Oh," I replied. It was sweet that he looked after his family, even from this side of the world. It made me think of my father and how his calls have been coming less frequently.
Lucas pushed open the door and waited for me to walk through before following behind me. "You know if you need some extra cash I could help you," he said as we began to make our way across the lot in the direction of campus. "You don't have to work these kinds of hours. It's inhumane," he said through a yawn.
"I prefer to earn honest money the old fashion way, and I don't want to have to owe anyone," I replied shaking my head, my nerves still raw from our argument last week.
"The old fashion way? What does that mean? You don't think I work hard for what I have?"
I looked up at him as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "If you're dealing drugs or something, I don't want to know about it."
"You think I'm a drug dealer?" he laughed, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.
"It's none of my business," I replied, shaking my head before pulling the hair tie from my hair and running my fingers through the strands.
"Henley," he grabbed my arm, stopping me and I turned to face him. "I know what I look like. I know I don't exactly scream good guy, but I'm not a criminal, okay? Just because I don't own a bar or have a stupid beard, doesn't mean you can't trust me."
"What does that mean?" I asked, pulling my arm from his grip and taking a step back. "What do you have against Milo, anyway? He's nice, and he gave me a job. Give him a chance."
"He just seems dodgy to me. He is trying to get in your trousers, and he's way too old for you."
"Oh, that's funny," I said with a laugh. "The guy who screws everything that walks on campus wants to tell me I have bad judgment?"
"You lost the plot. I don't screw everyone on campus."
"Yeah, right. I'm sure Payton would disagree." I rolled me eyes as I folded my arms across my chest, not even certain as to why I was so mad.
He leaned in closer, towering over me close enough that I could smell the lingering scent of the beer he'd been guzzling for hours. "I didn't screw you," he slurred, anger flashing in his eyes.
"I wouldn't let you," I scoffed.
"You're mad! I didn't even try."
His words stung, and I turned to begin walking briskly in the general direction of my dorm. I could hear his heavy footsteps following close behind me.
"Go away before you say something you regret, Lucas. You're drunk."
"I want to make sure you make it home without someone bothering you."
"You're bothering me."
I could hear him groan, and I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me.
"Why not just try for a job playing the violin at Swank? You could do something you love and not have to worry about some asshole groping you when he's had too much to drink?"
"I can't," I called back, exasperated.
"I know someone who works there. I can get you an interview. I know if you got that tattoo you must be good at it. Just give me a few days."
"I don't want your help, Lucas."
"You're too good to take help from me, but you'll take it from Milo?" he asked, offended.
I spun around, tears threatening to spill over as all of my frustration came to a head. "Because I pawned my stupid violin so I could afford to stay here, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? Feel better now?" I swiped at a wayward tear that had fallen over the apple of my cheek, but I was more angry and exhausted than I was sad. I'd come to terms with what I'd have to do. It was part of being an adult, but I didn't want to share it with the world and Lucas had a way of getting secrets out of me I didn't even tell my best friend.
"Why would that make me feel better?" His voice was low and calm, and it only made me angrier because all of the stress I'd been under felt like it was drowning me. Everything I pretended to be, everything I accused Lucas of being, it was the complete opposite.
"Please," I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath as I tried to calm myself. "Just leave me alone." I began walking toward the dorm again with Lucas close behind.
"I'm not nearly as bad as you make me out to be."
"Fine." I stopped turning to face him. "You're a decent guy. You win. I shouldn't have judged you when we met. You've been nothing but nice even when I made it impossible for you to like me. But we come from two different worlds. People like us aren't supposed to be friends. Will you leave me alone now?" I asked, yelling louder than I intended but I was growing increasingly frustrated.
"You don't want me to leave you alone," he replied, shaking his head as he took a step closer to me but all I could picture was all of those girls that I couldn't hold a candle to surrounding him as if he was their God. I saw the way they sneered whenever he was talking to me. I missed the days no one noticed I was alive, and I didn't even know Lucas existed.
"Now you're going to tell me what I want?" I laughed humorlessly. "I can't wait to hear this. Go ahead. What is it you think I want?" My eyes narrowed as I put my hands on my hips, refusing to be intimidated by his much larger frame. He took a step closer, diminishing the gap between us.
"Me." There was no anger left in his tone and the stark honesty of his response caught me off guard in contrast to his usual cocky demeanor.
"You?"
"Yeah. But you're too afraid people are going to judge you."
"Are you sure you it isn't the other way around? Are you sure it isn't –"
Before I could accuse him of wanting me or that people would judge him, he leaned down, cupping my cheeks in his palms and pressing his mouth against mine. My eyes fell closed, and my knees threatened to buckle as he held me there and time seemed to have stopped altogether. After a moment, he pulled back fractionally before kissing me again. It wasn't obscene but sweet and gentle as if he was afraid I was going to crack and crumble in his hands. My own lips betrayed me and moved with his before I put my palms against his chest, feeling the hammering thud of his heartbeat beneath my fingertips, as I pushed him backward.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my breathing ragged and my heart racing.
"Are you still going to stand there and pretend you don't want me too?" He asked, his eyebrow raised in challenge.
I wanted to smack him across his smug face, not for forcing me to see I'd misjudged him, but for making me see who I really was. And for making me feel things for him, I knew he didn't want to reciprocate. This wasn't the guy who had committed relationships. This was a guy who would pack up and leave everything behind to cross the Earth and soon he would be making that journey back home.
This guy was no different than Rhys. I shook the painful memory of my past from my thoughts.
"Don't flatter yourself," I snapped before turning away from him and walking as fast as I could across the lot to the dorm. Lucas didn't follow me this time, but when I got inside, I chanced a glance over my shoulder and could see him watching to make sure I'd gotten inside safely.
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