Second Chance Summer (Chance Series, #1) (23 page)

“You didn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“You wouldn’t have agreed to come out.”

I sigh. “I didn’t agree to go out. I agreed to spend the night with you, Reese. Not go out to God knows where.”

“Rock’s,” he replies.

“Why are we going to Rock’s? It’s a Tuesday night.”

“Bonfire.” He grins over at me. “Which means…”

“You get to burn marshmallows again?”

“Only if I can smear them over you.”

I blush at the memory from last summer. “No. That was one of those random moments that wouldn’t be half as good if we tried it again.”

He stops at the lights and turns to me, raking his eyes across my eyes. I squirm a little in my seat.

“You’re right. It wouldn’t be as good. It’d be
so
much better.”

I swat his leg. “Is that all you think about?”

“Maybe. Sometimes. When you wear shorts like that. Yes.”

I laugh as he turns off onto the road to Rock’s. I said I’d agreed to spend the evening with him, but since Luce called me earlier – no mention of pills, periods, or babies – I knew what was happening tonight and had arranged to meet her anyway. Reese is just saving my gas… but I’m not telling him that.

He opens the door for me after parking up and holds out his hand. I roll my eyes, but honestly, I love that he does this every time. It’s such a simple gesture, so casual, yet it makes me feel so loved and wanted. I guess the smallest things really are the best in life.

He nudges the door closed, locks it, and slings his arm across my shoulders. “Luce is here, right?”

I nod. “Is Adam?”

“Yeah…”

I can’t miss the wary note in his voice. “What?”

“Nothin’.”

“Reese.”

“He’s with Stacy.”

My step falters. “With Stacy?”

“Yeah. Like, with,
with
her.”

“As in a relationship with her?”

Reese sighs. “Yes.”

My face snaps toward his, and I stop in my tracks. “What the fuck?”

He shrugs. “I dunno. We’re not like you and Luce – we don’t dissect every single little detail of every conversation.” Do we do that?
Really
? Huh. I guess so… “We just tell it how it is, so when he told me he was with Stacy, all I said was, “Okay, dude.””

I stare at him, my eyes hard.

“What? It’s not like anything happened with him and Luce, right? They’re still stuck in their fucked up non-relationship state.”

My hard stare turns to one of complete and utter shock. I know this because I almost scream out with that shock, so there’s no way it can’t be showing on my face. “You what?”

“Nothing happened with them, right?” He blinks. “Right?”

I hold up my hand for a second. “Shit, you really don’t talk, do you?” We both shake our heads, his in answer, mine in disbelief. “Nothing happened? Is that what he told you?”

“He didn’t tell me anything did, and ignored me when I said it joking around, so I assumed nothing happened.”

I half-cough, half-snort. “Reese. Your best friend fucked my best friend on Saturday night.”

So. That came out sharper than I intended. And blunter. Oops.

“You what?”

I cover my mouth with my hand and bite back a giggle at the widening of his eyes. “Mhmm. And now he’s with Stacy.”

“And Luce is gonna be here.” He smirks wryly. “This could be awkward.”

I look in the direction of the bonfire even though I can’t see anyone yet. “This will be awkward,” I correct him. “We all know how subtle Luce is.”

Reese’s arm wraps itself around my shoulders again and pushes me toward the field. “Then we need to be there before all hell breaks loose. What time is Luce gonna be here?”

“In about ten minutes.”

“Shit.”

“Yup.”

We walk a little faster toward the field, pushing our way through overhanging branches and trees. The first thing I see when we get there is Stacy draped over Adam making it clear their relationship is official. And exclusive. Very exclusive.

“Wait.” I stop Reese. “I thought he finished everything with her?”

“He did. Like I said, Kia, we don’t talk about everything like that. I dunno what happened.”

Ugh. Not helpful.

I suck my bottom lip into my mouth as we approach them, my eyes scanning the people around us for Luce. The best friend part of me wants to text her and warn her, but the girl part of me says not to and to let her come here and kick Adam’s ass the way he deserves it to be kicked. Because she will – if anyone in this town has a pair of balls as big as their brain, its Lucia Hampton, and all bets are off when she starts.

That, and anyone knows if they mess with her, they’ll have all three brothers on their backs… Which means Adam’s actions make no sense to me.

Stacy smiles at me. “Kia. It’s been a while. And I see you two finally got it together.” Her eyes flit between us.

“Yep.” I force a smile. “I would have dropped by before,” not, “but you know how it is. I’ve been really busy.”

Of course you know. The whole town knows my damn business.

“Yeah, I heard about your dad. You poor thing.”

There it is.

“Thanks, but it’s all sorted now.” I force another smile and turn my attention to Adam.

He looks at me for a few beats, and I find myself searching for the guy I’ve known since kindergarten. I find myself searching for the nice guy I know, opposed to the complete and utter jackass he is today.

“What’s up?” he asks, shifting away from Stacy.

I look at his pants and back at his eyes. “I should ask you the same question.”

Stacy looks between us. “What-”

“Kia,” Adam starts.

I shake my head. “Don’t. Don’t, Adam. You don’t need me to tell you, surely?”

“I…” He stops. “No.”

“I’d wish you good luck, ‘cause you’re gonna need it, but you deserve every piece of shit you’re gonna get for this.”

“What are you talkin’ about?” Stacy asks. “Reese?”

“Don’t look at me,” he mutters, sliding his arm to my waist and pulling me into him. “Nothin’ to do with me.”

Adam drops his head back, before realization sets in. “Here?”

“Of course.” I smile wryly. “You know it, Adam. You have to know it would have been here. She’s gonna turn up, see you, and you’ll be lucky if you leave here tonight with your balls still attached instead of on the end of a skewer and being roasted on the fire.”

He winces, and Stacy opens her mouth again. I spin, making Reese let go of me, and walk over to the old barrels we use as seats. He follows after me.

“That was harsh.”

I sit down and glare up at him. “And what he’s done isn’t?”

“They had one night, Kia. It was just sex for them. He never promised her roses.”

“You don’t talk like we do. You don’t know anything about what may or may not have happened.”

He sighs, perching behind me on the barrel and wrapping his arms around my waist. I automatically lean back into him, melting into his touch.

“You win,” he gives in. “But it was still harsh.”

“Maybe a little. But if Adam has any brains, he’ll explain to his
girlfriend
what he was doing on Saturday night before Luce tells her.”

“Tells her what?”

Oh, shit.

Luce appears next to me and looks down at me. “Who’s tellin’ who what?”

Reese points in Adam’s direction before I can say anything. I watch as Luce’s eyes squint, widen, then narrow.

“I thought-”

“Apparently not,” I say softly.

She gasps, her hand flying to her mouth and her eyes focusing on us. “Were they… Saturday?”

I never thought of that.

“Reese?” I prompt. “Were they?”

“No. Yesterday,” he reassures us. “He was single then.”

Luce sighs and drops onto the barrel next to us. “I almost wish it wasn’t true. I almost wish he wasn’t single. Does that make me a bitch?”

“Depends why you wish that.” I shrug.

She smirks, glancing at me. “If he wasn’t single, I’d be totally justified in going over there and kicking his ass the fuck to Canada and back.”

Reese buries his face in my back and shakes with silent laughter.

“I’d still do it,” I tell her.

“Why?” she asks. “We had one night. Sex. Neither of us promised anything to the other. I owe him nothing. He owes me nothing.”

But, as our eyes meet in the darkness, we both know that final statement might not be entirely true.

~

My fingers strum the strings of the guitar, not following any particular song. I’m playing in the most relaxing way. I’m playing the kind of music that comes straight from the heart. It’s the kind that drags up every feeling and thought and pours them out, the strings sending vibrations through the air. Each note resonates through me, wrapping me in comfort and maybe even touching my soul deep down inside of me.

This kind of music is the best, because it’s free. Effortless. Thoughtless. It’s the epitome of the word truth. And it’s all I have to express, because sometimes words just don’t feelings justice.

Sometimes when you feel enough things, strong enough for long enough, words become inadequate. They become meaningless in your life because the way you feel becomes more than the way you speak. When you’re too scared to speak, you scream. When you’re too sad, you cry, and when you’re too confused, you simply say nothing at all.

And the gentle, familiar notes winding into a beautiful, honest melody is my way of saying everything while saying nothing at all.

Until my phone buzzes loudly on the side, breaking through my peace. I set my guitar aside with a heavy sigh, grabbing the cell from the side. Denny’s Bar is the number on screen – a number I have saved for emergencies only – and I instantly freeze up.

“Hello?”

“Kia? That you, girl?” Denny’s rough voice growls down the phone.

“Who else is it gonna be?” I snap back. We don’t exactly have a love-love relationship.

“You need to pick your momma up. She passed out here last night, and she needs to sleep her liquor off before she gets her ass into work at six tonight.”

“And she can’t sleep there?”

“I’m a bar, not a fuckin’ hotel.”

“She’s been there all damn night, Denny. Why you just callin’ me now?”

“I thought she might have woken her ass up by now. I got a delivery comin’ in now, so get down here and pick her up.” He hangs up, and I throw my phone on the phone, crying out in frustration.

I snatch my car keys from the bed beside me and storm downstairs. I haven’t seen her for I don’t even know how long, yet I’m still expected to be the parent. I’ve had no answers to my questions, no explanations from her… Nothing since the day she handed me the divorce papers and expected me to deliver them to Daddy.

So why am I doing this? I have no idea – but I do know it’s gonna be the last time.

Driving through town is simple as always, and it feels like no time has passed when I park outside Denny’s. The bar looks like it should be in a Western movie, not outside a small, barely-heard-of town. It’s total cowboy, and honestly, I’m not surprised Jay refers to all Southerners as cowboys.

Denny’s place doesn’t exactly give off any other impression. And neither does the man, I remember, as I push open the door and step into the stale-smelling bar. He’s standing at the end of the bar, his long, dirty blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, wearing a checkered shirt and jeans tucked into cowboy boots.

Yeah. The guy should be on a goddamn ranch, not behind a small country bar. Preferably in another state.

“Kia,” he drawls, leering at me. “You look more like your momma every time I see you.”

“Thank God I don’t act more and more like her,” I retort. “Where is she?”

“She’s out back, feelin’ sorry for herself no doubt.” He cocks his thumb over his shoulder, and I pass him, breathing through my mouth.

Momma’s sitting on an old ratty sofa, a glass of water – I think – resting on her knee, and her hand over her eyes. She’s wearing last night’s clothes and make-up, and I click my tongue.

“We’re goin’,” I say shortly, staring at her.

She drops her hand. “We are, are we?”

“I’ve just driven here at the order of your boss to get you home, so you bet we are. If you could see yourself, you’d know you need to get home and have a damn good shower.” I put my hand on the door handle and glance back at her. “Well?”

“I’m comin’.”

I leave without checking she’s following, and almost walk straight into Denny.

“Excuse me,” I say through my teeth. He steps to the side, allowing me to pass. “Thank you. Oh, and, Denny? Don’t call me expectin’ me to do this again. You want her to go home, then you put her in a cab and send her back. I’m not her keeper or your skivvy. If she’s in your bar, it’s your job to watch what she’s drinkin’, and it sure as hell ain’t my job to clean up the mess.”

“You’re her daughter, Kia.”

“Exactly. I’m her
daughter.
” I yank open the bar door, taking a deep breath of fresh air. God. I really do hate this place.

I get into the car and wait for her to come teetering out, but she doesn’t. Her heels swing from her fingers as she walks barefoot across the parking lot and slides into the passenger side. She barely closes the door before I tear away from the bar.

Momma curses under her breath before looking at me and saying, “Jesus, Kia. Slow the hell down.”

I ignore her, changing gear a bit too vigorously.

“I get it. You’re pissed ‘cause you had to come get me.”

“Damn right I am!”

“I told him to just let me sleep it off there, and then I’d be fine for work tonight.”

“And how many times have you done that this week, huh? I haven’t seen you, so I don’t even wanna know. But yeah, Mom. I’m damn pissed right now. I’m not a freakin’ cab service.”

“I know,” she replies in a smaller voice. A hint of weakness leaks through, and I realize this is the first time I’ve seen her sober in ages. This is the first time I’ve seen her drink anything other than vodka, or rum, or gin, or beer for ages.

Tense silence stretches between us as I drive the rest of the way home without responding to her. I have nothing to say to her right now – her knowing what she’s doing isn’t gonna make it magically go away. Knowing that she has to change and actually changing it is the only thing that will make it all go away.