Why did you bring her here?
“I don’t know about that?” Rachel says.
“Marissa, this is Rachel. She’s my…”
Marissa has one curious eye on me, and the other on Rachel as she gives her a hug.
“I’m his next door neighbor,” Rachel pipes in. “And I help out with Cassie.”
“Cassie is such a doll, isn’t she?” Marissa says
“She totally is. She’s so funny, too. You should have heard her telling me about the way her dad ruins all her ponytails.”
I stand back, dumbfounded at the fast bond between the two women. Then again, none of this should surprise me. Rachel is easy to like and Marissa loves everyone.
She didn’t love Sarah.
“Get your fucking ass over here, so I can beat it.”
Rachel turns at the sound of someone yelling to me from across the room. I laugh and rolls my eyes. “That’s Sam. Don’t mind him. He’s still hurting from the time I handed him his ass on the end of a pool stick.” I glance at Marissa, about to order some food and drinks, but she puts her hand up to stop me.
“A party platter, and two drinks coming up. A beer for you, Jaxon. What can I get for you, Rachel? How about a glass of white wine?”
“Actually, I think I’ll have a beer, too.”
“Now that’s my kind of girl,” Marissa says.
“Come and meet Sam,” I say to her, and glance around looking for Jericho. “Hey Marissa, where’s your husband?”
She gestures with her head to the back room. “Restocking. He’ll be out in a second and I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you both.” She gives me a little eyebrow wave like she knows something I don’t.
I lead Rachel across the room. “What’s up, Sam?” I ask, and we lean in for a hug.
“Well, hey there,” Sam says, and steps around me to see Rachel. “Are you lost?” I shake my head at his antics. He’s a good guy, but a big fucking player.
He takes Rachel’s hand in his, and she casts a hesitant glance my way. I recognize the look. It was the same one she gave me the day I helped her with her car. I smile at her to let her know Sam is one of the good guys, and she has nothing to fear from him. But as I watch her, my protective instincts kick in and once again, I fight the urge to hunt down the bastard that hurt her.
“I’m not lost? I’m here with—”
Sam jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “This guy?” He puts his hand over his heart, like he’s wounded. “Tell me it isn’t so. This guy is nothing but trouble.”
“Maybe I like trouble,” she says, relaxing into a playful conversation with my buddy.
“Oh, well then,” he says, changing tactic, as he pours on the charm. “I’m way more trouble than he is.”
She laughs. “I think you’re way more everything than he is,” she jabs back, not falling for his charm like nearly every other woman who’s ever entered the place.
You tell him, Rach.
I smile at my girl, and her quick wit. She comes across as quiet and keeps her head down but she can be feisty when she wants to be—a girl who fights for what she believes in.
Does she believe in me? Would Cassie and I be enough to keep her around?
It’s just an affair, dude?
The song playing in the background changes, and he take’s Rachel’s hand and spins her. “I’m a way better dancer, that’s for sure.”
Sam is kidding, I get that, but seeing his hands on Rachel sets me into motion. I remove Sam’s hand from hers, and pull her close to me
“All right, that’s enough. She came with me and she’s leaving with me.”
The door opens and in walks a couple of my old buddies, Jaret and Beck. They’re razzing each other about something as they come my way, but their laughter fades when they see me standing beside Rachel, with possession written all over me, no doubt.
“Jaxon, what the fuck?” Jaret asks, as he fist pumps me.
“Hey Jaret,” I say, then fist pump Beck, whose gaze keeps bobbing between Rachel and me. And why wouldn’t he be looking at us like that? I’ve not been with anyone since Sarah. Not anyone I was serious about, anyway.
Oh, fuck me.
“You want to put your eyes back in your head or would you prefer me to do it for you,” I say to Beck, and give him a playful punch to the shoulder. Beck shakes his head at me, and I continue with, “Now say hello to Rachel, so we can get to the game of pool I promised her.”
Rachel stares at my friends like she doesn’t know what to make of them. They all exchange pleasantries, and Marissa comes by with our food and drinks. She sets them on the table, and then whacks Sam’s hand when he reaches for a mozzarella stick.
“Hey,” she says. “Keep your hands to yourself, these are for my new friend.” She smiles at Rachel and saunters away.
Rachel laughs when Sam gives her a wounded look. “You can have my mozzarella stick,” she says, plucking one from the tray and handing it over.
“I like her, Jaxon,” Sam says as he bites into the snack.
Me, too.
“Even if she does have bad taste in guys.”
I laugh.
“You like any girl who gives you food.” I nudge Rachel. “Come on, let’s play.”
She takes a sip of her beer, and grabs an onion ring as I rack the balls. Beside us, Sam and Beck start a game as Jaret goes and gets the drinks.
“I like your friends,” she says to me.
“Yeah?” I was hoping she would. “They like you too.” I was hoping for that too.
“Do you all go way back?”
“As far as I can remember.”
A melancholy look crosses her face. “That’s so nice.”
I grab two pool cues and hand one to her. “Do you still have childhood friends?”
Her expression changes, becomes almost stricken. “No, I didn’t really…” she glances at
