“I’m just restless. Did you get invited to this thing Hailey’s trying to do for Bailey?” Changing the subject, I jutted my chin at the contents of my truck, and Cole nodded as he hoisted himself up into the bed. “She just called me.”
“Yeah, she called me this morning. I know you’ve got your reasons to be wary about Bailey, so I’m not gonna tell you to suck it up or anything, but I also think it’s okay not to be an asshole to her.” My cheek twisted in agitation at Cole’s smooth words, and I carried my armful around my truck to kick open the shed door. The place was a mess. Hailey wanted to transform this shed into a hangout, but she couldn’t do any of the work, so she convinced everyone at the damn club to pitch in. Add in the fact Spyder was a paranoid bastard, and we were shit outta luck with no contractors helping us with this shit. Setting my bricks on the floor in the corner, I knelt down to pull a switchblade from my pocket. “What’re you doing?”
“It’s a ketamine brick. My uncle wouldn’t dick us around, but I like to check anyway.” Grumbling more to myself than Cole, I glanced over my shoulder briefly before slicing open the packet. A thick, pasty, white substance seeped out of the slit, and I dragged my finger through to examine the gum.
“Isn’t it supposed to be a powder?” I grunted lowly in acknowledgment before wiping my hand on my jeans, and Cole rocked back on his heels to whistle low. I could practically smell the questions backing up between his ears, making his head three times too big, and I rolled my eyes.
“What, Cole?” Pushing past him through the empty shed, I ignored Cole’s curious eyes following me. We were going to put in electricity, a lined basement for storage, some sofas, but right now, the ‘clubhouse’ was just four walls held together with some posts and screws. Fuck, we barely had insulation up.
“I also got a call from my sister this morning.” I tensed as Cole’s dark tone rolled up my back, and I twisted as he rubbed his jaw and neck roughly. “Would you back me up?”
“You know I would. That’s a dumbass question. Why?” Cole’s expression wavered, and I gestured for him to follow me out of the shed. He scratched his scalp and sniffled behind me, but when he spoke up, his voice was clear.
“I’m not sure yet, but I have a bad feeling. I’ve never questioned you, Bruiser. You’re my best friend, and even if you don’t like it, you show up, like with Bailey. So, I just wanted to be clear. If I need you, you’ll show up, right?” Turning to catch Cole’s eye, my own strained under the intensity that glared back at me, threatening to burn my retinas. I wordlessly held out my hand, and the muscles in Cole’s neck twitched before he reached for it. His palm was cold and clammy as we shook hands, and I nodded firmly.
“I will, Cole.”
Chapter Eight
Nicole
Biting back a groan as I locked my phone and slid it into my apron, I closed my eyes briefly and took a huge, cold breath. My sister had been blowing up my phone for days. Ever since I ran away from her wedding, through the first week of her honeymoon, she’d called and texted me for hours. Not constantly, though, which is good . . . I think. I mean, who the hell knew if it was a good thing or not. I knew she must’ve been worried, but damn, it was her honeymoon. Plus, she knew me well enough to know the only thing I needed was some space.
I just hope I didn’t ruin Jackie’s trip to Europe with my bad decisions. I leaned over to peek around the corner before shaking my head. My heart thundered against my ribs, the mortification still fresh and hot between my lungs. Rubbing my face with both my hands, I walked over to the sink to wash my hands quickly and glance at the clock above. I’m glad Tom’s not the one blowing up my phone.
Everything balanced out, though, Tom posted a scathing rant on my social media about my being a two-timing, gold digging piece of crap, and I blocked him everywhere. Even on my professional profiles, which he thankfully didn’t know my handles for. Reaching into my pocket, I fingered the diamond ring he’d proposed to me with and frowned. I should’ve been happy to finally get this ring, to have the heirloom my grandmother left for me when she died five years ago, but the sickening feeling that constantly settled in my stomach made holding onto it unbearable. My damp fingers trembled slightly, and I clutched the thing in my fist tightly as anger simmered in my blood. I didn’t even know why I still carried this thing around. I could’ve given it back to my mom for safe keeping, considering my grandmother was relentless on the timing in my life where it would be mine. Hell, maybe I’d still held onto it as a reminder to never settle for anyone like him ever again. For fuck’s sake, he didn’t even have the decency to respect what I asked of him, to not propose to me. Still, I wondered how he even managed to get the ring in the first place. I bet he convinced my parents he wouldn’t propose to me at my sister’s wedding, and like the lovely people they’ve always been, they’d believed him.
“Nicole, can you take table thirty-two for me?” Whipping around, I nodded as I walked out of the small corner designated for breaks. Kayla smiled
