Page 34 of Half Baked

But it is.

Except… I amnothis territory. Far from it, in fact. The realization of what’s happening hits me like a lightning bolt, and I ricochet from his arms as if he’s the source of the shock.

“What do you think you are doing?” I hiss. I can’t decide if I’m more upset with him, or myself. Because what wasIjust doing, curling into his embrace like that?

I don’t wait for his answer, and I don’t wait for the bartender to return. I push past him and head for the back doors leading to the beer garden. The fresh air washes over my flushed cheeks and I duck around the corner to collect myself.

“Poppy, stop.” Hayden catches up in an instant, stepping into the shadows with me.

“You didn’t need to do that,” I say when he leans against the wall beside me.

He throws his head back and stares up into the starry sky. With a sigh, he replies, “Most people would just say thank you.”

“You’re off the clock, Baywatch. I don’t need to be rescued.” I fold my arms across my chest and look away, feeling his gaze hot on my skin. He doesn’t answer for a moment, simply watching me.

“Fine,” he sighs again. “Do you want the truth? Maybe I hated seeing someone else touch you like that.”

He doesn’t wait for a response, instead he pushes off the wall and steps back inside. Which is for the best, because I have no response. He’s stunned me into silence. Short circuited my brain. All I can think about, on a loop, is the way he emphasizedsomeone else.

Did he mean someone other than him?

“Hey, there you are! Are you okay?” Stevie asks, stepping into the night.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just needed some air.”

“It’s a beautiful night,” she breathes, taking Hayden’s spot on the wall beside me.

We watch the stars in silence, and it’s the reprieve I needed. There’s something about taking space alongside the people that make you feel safe. It can be more powerful than having the moment alone.

“Don’t worry, I’m the only one who saw,” Stevie whispers after a while.

“Saw what?”

“You and Hayden at the bar, and then him chasing you out here.”

“Oh, that.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No. Not tonight anyway. But I don’t know how to act when we go back to the table and see him. And Ihatethat he has me questioning myself.”

Stevie nods and takes my hand. “You act however you damn well please. You’re Poppy fucking Wheeler.”

A scratchy laugh escapes me. “Well, when you put it like that.”

“Do you want to just leave?”

“No.” I shake my head. “No, I don’t want to run away from our night.”

Arm in arm, we head back into the brewery to be met by Ivy and Wren just steps from the door. “The guys left, want to go grab ice cream and hit the beach?”

“I really do, yes.” I grin at them, my shoulders relaxing at the reprieve.

Wren spins her finger in the air, motioning for us to turn around. “Then let’s get out of here.”

“Wait, I left before getting our drinks. And what about the tab?” I look over my shoulder at the bar as they start to push me outside.

“That pitcher won’t go to waste, someone will grab it. And Hayden picked up the tab,” Ivy replies. “He said to tell you congratulations on the first episode.”

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