She flicked the cap off his head. He was cocky, but it was well-deserved.
“Hey!” He picked up the hat and adjusted it a little to the side.
Pride and love welled inside her chest. “That’s amazing. What about the scholarships?” Even if he didn’t get them, she’d work two full-time jobs if it meant her brother could get through medical school and achieve his dreams.
“Working on finalizing the submissions with the guidance counselor.”
She patted his arm, now bigger than hers. She studied her brother’s face. The dark purple bruise under his eye made her stomach dip. Concern furrowed her brow. If only he could survive just a few more months in high school, then his life could start as he pursued his own dreams.
Light black scruff shadowed his chin and cheeks in spots, while others were left bare. TJ was somewhere in the middle of the transition from a boy to a man. More gratitude welled inside her, warm and bright. She thanked the universe every day that they had survived.
“How about pizza for dinner? I’m too tired to cook,” she suggested.
“I’ll never complain about pizza. Pirate’s Pizzeria?” He pulled out his phone and punched the contact.
“Get two large and we’ll have leftovers.” She stood before heading towards the stairs. Worry cinched her chest. “Money is in my purse. Oh, I was gonna go out for a few hours tonight. Stay inside, okay? You can have someone over, but—”
“I know the rules.” He waved her off.
She didn’t have many, but staying inside from dusk till sunrise was one of them. She didn’t want to come home one day and see her brother on the news mistaken for a criminal. One visit from the police, however innocent it seemed, was more than enough.
“I was going to have Mark come over in a couple hours to study. When are you leaving?” TJ asked.
Belle smiled, grateful he had at least one friend in this small town. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked her messages.
Katy: Shipwreck at 8:30.
“At eight-fifteen. I’m gonna go shower and get ready. Let me know when the pizza is here.”
“Will do.”
“I love you.”
He rolled his eyes. “You too, sis.”
As corny as he might have thought her constant reminders were, she wanted him growing up knowing there was always one person in this world he could count on—her and her fierce love.
***
Belle checked her reflection in the car mirror as she applied a heavy layer of her favorite fire-engine red lip stain. Her curls were loose around her face, stopping just before her shoulders. She’d squeezed into a pair of white skinny jeans and picked a black off-the-shoulder top. It was nice to dress up in something besides scrubs for once.
Taking a deep breath, she got out of her car in the already full parking lot. Alternative music grew louder each time the front door to the club opened. The stars glittered above in the humid summer night. She walked towards the neon signs and stopped in front of the hulking man with scars on his face and tattoos peeking out from the collar of his shirt.
“ID, please,” he said, his deep voice gruff but kind.
She pulled it out of her pocket, and after a quick inspection, he handed it back to her and opened the door.
The place was like something out of a movie. Fish tanks were built into the wall with lights reflecting off the water, bathing the place in a warm blue glow. The timber bar was surrounded by a group of men laughing, most likely on the hunt for someone to keep their bed warm.
“Belle! Over here.” A shout from the side had her turning to find Katy surrounded by four other ladies she recognized from the few times she’d worked first shift.
As Belle approached the table, Katy patted the seat next to her. “You look hot, girl. Who knew that body was hiding under those scrubs?”
Belle’s cheeks grew warm. She shifted uncomfortably. “Right back at ya, girl. What are we drinking?”
“Shots!” a blond woman yelled loudly enough that Belle assumed she’d already had a few.
“Tina picked the last round. Tawny picked Fireball before that.” Katy motioned in a circle, naming the ladies. “Sue picked boring old beer.”
“Hey!” Sue whined.
“Now it’s Amy’s turn.”
“Okay, I’ll be back, bitches.” Amy stood, wobbling a bit. She grabbed the table to steady herself before walking to the bar.
Sue was sitting on the other side of Belle and turned abruptly. “I love your hair. I wish I could get mine to do something creative like that. Is this your real mane?” Sue reached out her hand and Belle’s shot out to stop her.
“Don’t. Touch. My. Hair . . . please,” Belle added with a forced smile.
“Oh, I—uh. I’m sorry. I was just curious,” Sue said, draining the few drops left in her empty glass.
Katy laughed. “What about you, Sue? Are those your real boobs?”
Sue looked down and then back up at Katy, her cheeks scarlet. “Of course they are.”
The other ladies laughed, breaking the tension.
Belle chuckled too. Maybe this was a good idea after all.
“Okay, I hope you all like whiskey,” Amy said, balancing the glasses on a tray. She handed out one to each woman.
“At this rate, I’m gonna be puking before the end of the night,” Tina complained.
“Too bad we can’t bring the banana bags home for personal use,” Katy joked.
“Don’t all look at once, but guess who I saw at the bar?” Amy squealed.
“Who?” Tawny yelled as every one of them turned their heads towards the last man Belle wanted to see.
Cerulean-blue eyes, alert and narrow, he scanned the room—a contrast to his jet-black hair that was slicked to the side. Dark stubble peppered across his strong jaw. The man was GQ model-worthy. He looked as if he should be on a billboard selling rare artisan whiskey rather than walking among mere mortals. The almost permanent smirk on his face told her he
