Chapter 58 Chapter 58
“Savannah, did y’all even invite your cousin, bless her heart?” Harper yelled over the thumping bass of whatever club-country remix Brooks had finally won the battle to play.
Savannah shrugged, reapplying lip gloss. “Sent her a text, but she’s probably got her nose in a book. Besides, she isn't nearly fun enough for a night out down here, sweetie.”
I gripped the steering wheel, laughing, and made a hard right onto Front Street. Georgetown was small, but on Friday nights everyone piles into the same few spots. We were heading to The Jetty, the only place that actually had a decent dance floor and served drinks strong enough to forget we had jobs on Monday.
The place was a huge wooden structure built right over the Winyah Bay, with an enormous deck where people usually went to smoke and watch the boats. Inside, it was loud, dark, and sticky, smelling like cheap beer and desperation, the perfect Southern club. I found a parking spot that was technically illegal but close enough, and the moment I killed the engine, everyone was tumbling out like a clown car act.
“Well, lookie here! Freedom!” Gage yelled, stretching his arms toward the sticky neon lights. Which made us laugh.
We linked arms and got in line, which was already stretching around the corner. The bouncer, a huge guy with a neck thicker than my thigh, gave my ID a quick glance, and then we were inside. The volume hit us like a physical wave. The music was some kind of mashup, half trap beat, half Zac Brown Band. Perfect.
The first mission was essential: The Bar. We fought our way through the crowd, my friends shouting directions at each other.
“Tess, I need a vodka cran! And make it heavy, now!” Colt demanded, elbowing a guy politely.
“Colt, you know you aren't driving, so let's make it a double!” Brooks shouted back, already waving a twenty-dollar bill over the heads of two girls.
We eventually managed to corner a bartender, and I ordered a round of whatever the strongest mixer was, something fruity and probably neon green. The moment those plastic cups hit our hands, the whole mood shifted from anticipation to pure chaos.
“Bless our hearts and our livers! To the mistakes, we aren't going to apologize for!” Paige hollered, clinking her cup against mine.
“Shoot, yeah, that’s right!” Savannah agreed, finishing half her drink in one go.
The dance floor was a mass of bodies, and the beat was impossible to resist. Harper grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the center. We shed the sticky heat almost immediately, jumping and singing off-key as a new country rock banger dropped. Gage and Brooks were doing some ridiculous line-dancing parody in the corner, and even the usually reserved Colt was grinning like a fool, spinning Savannah around in a wide arc.
I closed my eyes for a second, letting the music vibrate through my chest. This was it, the messy, beautiful, loud release of a week’s worth of work. Everything was perfect, the world just a blur of neon and sweat and good friends. I laughed, throwing my head back, and spun in place, ready to forget everything.
Paige and I were busy dancing when a girl next to me pushed me. Savannah tried to walk up to her, but I just pulled her and shook my head no. The same girl pushed a guy, guessing it was her boyfriend, and he slammed into another guy, which led to most of us getting knocked off balance. I almost fell over, but someone steadied me.
“Thank you, Brooks,” I said, turning around, and the smile died on my lips, my heart did a weird flip, and my breath cut short. “Kai,” the name came out in a whisper. I backed away slowly.
There he was. In the flesh. The noise, the music, and the crowd all went silent, like someone had flipped a switch. I took a slow step back, his eyes on mine.
“Honey, it’s getting too crowded in here; we ought to skedaddle,” Harper yelled, squinting through the throng.
“Colt’s got a spot lined up for us,” Savannah said, grabbing my hand. “Less sweat, more shine, right?”
We gathered the rest of the crew, navigating the mass of people like a small school of fish, and made a beeline for the exit, leaving the thumping bass behind for the promise of something a little more private.
Once outside, I was shaking. No, did he follow me? Did he break his promise? I needed to know. I handed the keys to Brooks.
“Hold this, I need to do something,” I said, running back towards the jetty. I skidded to a halt. He was already outside. I stood looking at him. My mouth opened, but he beat me to it.
“I’m here for work; I didn’t follow you. The clients brought me here,” he said, his voice low, but I heard the tone. I could see the way his eyes were assessing.
“Tess, darlin’, oh… I’m heading on out to the rig with the others. Don’t you worry none; you take your sweet time.” I heard Harper say.
"Just a minute," I said, not looking away from him.
“I…” I started saying but didn’t know if I should or could.
“I’ll be leaving tomorrow. Can we talk before I leave?” he asked.
“I’ll call you later; I’m heading out with my friends. Give me your phone.”
He didn't hesitate; he pushed his hands into his pocket and gave me his phone. I dialed my number, and my phone rang once. I handed his phone back to him and walked away.
I went back to the jeep, and we left. The others didn't ask. “He’s a friend from the past,” I said, and that was enough for them. The place Colt found was even better. We danced and drank until one—well, until Harper and Paige got drunk enough to start a fight. That's when we called it a night. Colt was the only one sober enough to drive, so he dropped us all home.
I was the last one; I told him to take the Jeep home, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow. After he watched to see that I made it through the door, he left. I was drunk; I drank way more than I should have. I headed to the bathroom and took a shower; that was when I remembered him. I headed back to the living room, I checked the last call, I saved it, and I texted him.
KAI: 458 Mesquite Bend Rd, Whisper Creek. I’m waiting.
I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a drink of water; just as I turned off the kitchen lights, I heard a knock at the front door. I made my way over and opened it; he was standing there. In a black T-shirt and black jeans, the tattoos crawling up his exposed arms and neck. He actually knocked. I pulled aside, and he walked in, and when he did, I smelled the alcohol on him; he had been drinking. I locked the door and looked at him.