Prove Me Right (3 page)

I don’t want to let her go, but I can’t just lie here. We’re sleeping in the empty apartment above the pub so we could be with each other until the moment I leave, but it feels like something is crawling under my skin and tightening around my throat. I need to move; I’ve gotta get some fucking air.

As quietly as I can, I untangle our limbs and slip on a pair of shorts, a tee, and shoes. I grab my hat off the kitchen table and write a note in case she wakes up, then lock her door and head down the stairs and out into the alley.

The chilly air electrifies my nerves and I shiver. It’s almost three am, so it’s pretty much desolate right now. I shove my hands in my pocket and pace a little bit, but soon find myself walking further down the dark, damp alleyway.

All I want to do is wake up and have this all be over. The band will have gone away for a year, have fun playing music, but we’re done and ready to be back home. I had reservations about leaving, but as the time nears, I’m downright petrified. Part of it is the fear of the unknown, but it’s mostly her. And I’m trying really damn hard not to appear too much of a pussy to her.

The soles of my shoes vibrate against my sockless feet with each step and I come to an abrupt halt when I round the corner and see a familiar figure.

“Dad?”

He turns his head and the woman huddled into his side squeals and runs away. When he begins to walk this way, he stumbles into the wall but rights himself. “Hey, Liam. Whatcha doin’ over here? Ain’t no place for my boy.”

“I needed air.” And a distraction, which it seems like I got it. “Who was that?”

“Her? She’s nobody. Just a broad who … Let’s just say we exchange what the other needs.” He actually looks away and appears nervous, unsure. That look quickly changes when he pulls a joint out of his pocket and lights it. “You leave soon, right?”

“Yeah.” I step back and try to get out of the line of smoke.

“Then why aren’t you with that girl of yours?”

This man is not father material. He’s a lowlife druggie who should probably be in jail. But he’s my dad, and something about him always made it easy to open up to him. It might be because he doesn’t usually remember our talks. Who knows?

I sigh and squat against the wall and sink down until my butt hits the concrete. “’Cause I couldn’t think. Everything in my mind is a fucking mess. I mean, why the hell do I feel guilty for leaving her? She’s fine with it. I want this. I want to go with the guys and play music.”

“Can she come with you?”

“No, she doesn’t want to. She wants to get the whole college thing over so she can start taking over the pub from her parents. Besides, where the hell would she sleep? We have a conversion van with a damn trailer.”

“Hmm.” He sits next to me and nods, ashes falling with the movement.

“I’m just so fucking stressed.”

His hand disappears in his pocket and he pulls out a baggie filled with pills. He digs around and offers them to me.

“Nah, I’m good.” The last thing I need is to become like him.

“It’s nothing bad. Just a little something to help with the nerves. It’ll help take the edge off.” He pushes them toward me. “You don’t have to take ‘em, but if it gets too bad, know they’re here for ya.”

I reluctantly accept them and drop them into my pocket.

“Well, good luck, son. Be sure to visit.”

We both stand and I put my hands in my pockets, fingering the tablets. “Take care, Pops.”

He nods and we turn our backs to walk back where we came from. I went a little further than I had realized, so by the time I get back, the sun is just starting to creep up. Once I let myself in, I quietly shut the door and kick off my shoes.

“Feel better?”

Meara’s angry voice makes me jump, and I take a step toward the kitchen where she’s sitting at the table, spinning my note.

“Sorry. I just needed-”

“A minute? Yeah. I got it, Lee. I had no problem reading your note. Where’d you go?”

“Just a walk.”

“Hmm. Alone at four in the morning.”

The thing about Meara, she has a temper. She does not take shit from anybody, least of all me. Her bubbly personality can change to spitting fire in a matter of seconds, and you do not want to be on the receiving end of it.

“I’m sorry, Meara. This is harder for me than I thought.”

She huffs out some air and crosses her arms. “Right. Like I don’t know that. Do you think for a second maybe if you fucking talked to me then maybe you’d feel better? That maybe I’m feeling the exact same way and it would be great if we could talk to each other about it? God forbid, though, you tell me how you really feel.”

“I did tell you last weekend. And you can always talk to me about it.”

“Yet, you can’t do the same to me?”

“What do you want me to say?” I run my fingers through my hair and lean against the wall. “I don’t want to leave you, you know that. But I want to do this with the guys. I just feel guilty.”

“About what?”

“Leaving you.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m not co-dependent.”

I chuckle and she walks over and grabs my hands. “I love you, Lee. I’ve loved every second we’ve had together and I cherish every memory I have, but this is something you need to do. I’m gonna miss you, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back.”

My arms wrap around her and squeeze her tight. “God, I love you.” Just when I begin to doubt everything, she puts me back into place. She helps me realize things will be okay. She’s my fucking rock; with her, everything is always okay.

“Now, since we’re both up and don’t have that much time until I leave, how about we take a shower together and then I’ll make you breakfast?”

“Sounds good to me,” she mumbles against my chest.

I slap her ass and she punches me in my ribs then runs down the hall. As I watch her disappear around the corner, I rock back on my heels and realize how lucky I am to have her. I’d be a fool to fuck this up. So I vow to myself, at this moment, to do everything I can to get back to her so she can have the kind of life she always dreamed of in her treehouse.

Meara

“Are you crying? You big baby!” Jamie, Liam’s brother, taunts as he hugs me.

We’re all gathered around their van to say good-bye. Lee and I spent the rest of the morning melded together and now his family, my family, and the other band members’ families are either laughing or crying.

“I’m not crying. Shut up.” I pinch his arm, and he jumps back.

“Damn, woman.”

“Don’t piss me off right now, Jamie. I’ll beat your ass.” I raise my hands and egg him on, waving my fingers at him. “Say I’m crying again. Do it.”

He laughs and shakes his head, then puts his arms out. I squint at him before dropping my hands and hugging him. “I’m gonna miss you. Keep him in line for me, okay?”

“Lee, Meara said I’m in charge so you have to listen to me! Ow!”

He rubs his side from where I punched him. “You’re such an ass.”

“You still love me.”

“I know.”

“Love you too, kid.”

I step back and he pinches my cheek, but I swat his hand away.

“God, get out of here already, you annoying jerk.”

“Want me to kick his ass for you?” Liam comes up next to me and wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him.

“I already did.”

Jamie laughs and I stick my tongue out at him. He responds by flipping me off, then blowing me a kiss. I grab it out of the air and stick my hip to the side so he can see me smack it on my ass. He rolls his eyes and steps into the van while Liam pulls me away from the large group of people and toward my backyard. Since we live next door to each other and his drums were in his garage, everyone met here to load.

“You guys fight like kids.”

“You guys? You mean him, right? Not me. I’m mature and sophisticated.” I primp my hair and flick my wrist.

“Yes. I meant Jamie. Jamie’s immature. Not you.”

We’re both still laughing when he backs me against my tree and puts his forearms on either side of my head. “I love you and I’ll miss you so fucking much, Meara. I don’t want to say anything else right now. I just want you to know how much I love you.”

“You don’t have to say anything else.”

He points to a heart with our initials inside of it that he carved a long time ago. I smile at the gesture, no matter how cliché. “If there’s ever any doubt, any wonder, any question at all, just remember right now. This,”—he nods at the tree—“where we have so many memories, where we made plans for our future. Just … don’t ever forget.”

“I won’t.” I press up on my tiptoes to kiss him. A tear rolls out of my eye, and I pull back to wipe it away and laugh a little. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m being such a baby. It’s not like I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again or anything.”

“You’re not being a baby.”

“Yes, I am.” I laugh through the tears.

A loud whistle interrupts us, and he curses under his breath. “That’s my cue.”

I swallow and take a deep breath in through my nose, then bury my face in his chest. His arms cradle me as he gently rocks us back and forth. Amidst all the chaos and sadness and fears right now, he still makes me feel safe like this. This is what I’ll miss the most, being held, being loved in a way that melts my heart.

It’s kind of hard sometimes being the outgoing one, having to joke all the time and make people laugh. And the fact that I’m a bit of a tomboy doesn’t help either; people just treat me differently. Not bad, but less like a woman and more like one of the guys, which is fine, I guess. But not Liam; he acts like I’m a real-life princess and makes me feel like a beautiful woman.

He lifts my head up with his fingers beneath my chin. “See you soon, okay? Not good-bye.”

“Okay.”

Chapter 3

Seven years later.

Meara

“HEY, BITCH!” I HIT
Charlotte with a rag as she steps behind the bar.

“Hello there, cousin of mine. You do realize you may have to start addressing me properly, right? Caroline’s almost two. She’s going to understand everything that comes out of your mouth, and if she walks around calling everyone a bitch, I will hurt you.” She has a smile in her voice, and it makes me laugh.

“She’s not here, though. It’s only us adults.” I just counted the drawer, so I grab a pump of hand sanitizer and lean against the bar. “So that means I can swear all I want.”

“You shouldn’t swear,” the other bartender, Nik, says from behind me.

I turn around, and he squirts me in the face with the water hose. “Asshole!” I wipe some of the wetness off with my hands and rip the towel off the hook to dry them. “What the fuck, Nik?”

He shrugs and continues to rinse the glasses with a grin on his face.

“It’s just a word. Why are you so touchy?”

“Ignore him,” Char says wiping the counter. “I love you just the way you are. Piercings, tattoos, and potty mouth included—just not around my daughter.”

“Potty mouth. You really are a mom.”

She sticks her tongue out at me. “Shut up.”

The three of us continue to set up while music from the system pumps quietly through the bar. My parents still own Kelly’s Pub, but soon it’ll be mine, and right now I devote pretty much my every waking moment here. It’s always been somewhat unwritten that they would pass it down to me since I’m the only one interested in it. I’ve always felt right here for some reason.

My older brothers, Declan and Pierce, are both busy with their own careers. The pub was never really for them, but it’s still a family business, so they help whenever they can. My parents have really cut back the amount of work they’ve been doing lately in order to travel. There’s a misconception that when you work in a bar, you only work at night, but that is so far from the truth. There are hours upon hours of paperwork as well. So, aside from tending bar, I also take care of the inventory, bills, and payroll.

While Nik and Char finish getting the bar ready, I walk around and flip on all the neon beer signs. I strum my fingers across the sturdy wood and metal furniture, handmade by my dad and uncle. High top tables surround the Irish pub, and dartboards, a couple of pool tables, and old school arcade games fill the second floor.

It’s a nice June day out, and here, in Southeastern Wisconsin, we know to take advantage of the warmer temperatures. So I prop the front door open and laugh when Nik hisses as the sun shines on him.

“Are you melting or something?” I ask, walking to the other side of the bar to turn the rest of the signs on.

He dramatically clutches his throat and falls to the ground. Char steps over him to put the lemon and lime slices away.

“You guys are cold. Ignoring a man when he’s down. I see how it is.” Nik grunts and pulls himself up then crosses his arms across his huge chest. “See if I help you next time you need it.”

He looks good right now; biceps rippling in his tight black t-shirt, a scowl on his sharp-angled face, and his black hair slicked back, accentuating the deep brown of his eyes. I’ve never once looked at him as attractive
like that,
though. I can see how other women could go for the whole muscle look, but I prefer my men tall and tatted. Which reminds me how much I miss Liam… my sexy man. Hazel eyes and covered in tattoos. His hair is darker at the roots and fades to a lighter brown on top, something that looks like what women pay for, but he’s just naturally gorgeous.

I glance at the picture I have next to the register of us when we were kids, riding a swing like spiders together, laughing without a care in the world. A sentimental tug on my heart gives me a slightly refreshing sliver of happiness. I have many of these moments; I look at pictures of us and remember what it used to be like and how much fun we used to have… I can’t wait to get back to that.

Customers start to come in, and before I know it, the place is packed. Being swamped is not only good for business, but it also keeps my mind busy. I have to stay busy. I need it right now; I’ve needed it for years. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen Liam, and as much as I want to, I refuse to be a baby about our relationship.

One of the hottest men on the planet, a fucking rockstar, and the kindest, gentlest man I know is mine. So I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like—big deal.