Page 60 of Stick With Me
By the time we arrive at the bar—a new spot closer to where King lives—it’s almost eleven. The place is more packed than I expected for a Monday night. Unlike Sully’s, this place feels more like a nightclub than a neighborhood bar.
Hannah, in a jersey and jeans, stands out among all the women in short dresses and heels. Yet, she’s still the sexiest sight in the room.
“King is five minutes out. He said to grab a table,” Fox shouts over the deep bass of the music.
With my hand on the small of her back, I guide Hannah to a table away from the commotion at the bar and pull out a stool for her. Volk and Fox take the two seats across from her, and I steal one from a nearby table, pulling it up to her side. Leaning down, I speak into Hannah’s ear over the music reverberating through the space. “I’ll be right back. I have to take a leak.”
She laughs. “You’ve really got a way with words, Ryan Logan.”Yeah, okay, definitely not the sexiest thing to whisper in a woman’s ear.
My boyfriend game could use some work.
I kiss the top of her head, because I can’t help myself, and head toward the bathroom.
When I return to our table, I spot King, and immediately, I’m not happy to see him.
He’s crowding Hannah’s chair, standing so close their thighs touch. He blankets her body with his own as he leans down to whisper something that makes her laugh.
Fox and Volk are sitting back, watching the whole thing unfold and giggling like schoolgirls. Of course, they didn’t clue King in, clearly amused by watching him unknowingly hit on my girl. And I’m one hundred percent sure that’s what he’s doing. I’ve seen him pick up enough women to recognize the signs a mile away.
A sick feeling seizes my stomach at the thought of them together.
I’ve never wanted to knock out one of my closest friends, but there’s a first time for everything, right?
I try to think logically. He hasn’t been around to know who she is to me. He’s not Knolls, though they share the same blond hair and blue eyes. The small similarities to her ex drag me back to six years ago, when Knolls was the one charming Hannah—the girl I was already half in love with. My steps falter, the memory freezing me in place, just like it did back then.
King reaches up as if to caress her face, and a sharp pang shoots through my chest at the sight.Hannah isn’tmine, I tell myself. But both my heart and my head continue to riot.
My feet unglue, and I move through the crowd at a clipped pace. The music is too loud to hear my footsteps, but if they could be heard, I’m certain most would describe them as stomping.
They’re so engrossed in their conversation, neither of them notices my approach.
As soon as I’m within arm’s reach, I grab Hannah’s chair with one hand and wrap my arm around her waist with the other, making sure I don’t startle her right off the seat. In one swift move, I yank the stool, pulling both her and the chair a good foot away from King’s orbit.
“Mine.”Shit, did I say that out loud?The word slips out without my permission, and I hope like hell no one heard it because they’d never let me live it down.
King’s eyes widen, and he raises his hands in a placating gesture of innocence.
Then my body begins to shake, or rather Hannah’s does… in a fit of laughter? I lean in further to confirm, and sure enough, she’s full-on belly laughing. The sound vibrates through my chest, where her back is flush against me. She folds over my arm, still wrapped around her waist, trying to control her laughter. She takes a couple of calming breaths but loses it again.
“Oh God, did you really just stomp over here and claim me like a caveman?” She wipes at her eyes. The rest of the group has now joined in, all taking turns making fun of me.Can you really blame them?
“Um, yeah, sorry about that… I didn’t mean to say that… at least not out loud… with an audience.” My voice softens as I speak, the last three words so quiet that only Hannah can hear them.
“Okay, I’ve clearly missed something here,” King says in confusion. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, no worries.” I reluctantly release Hannah and stand, pulling him in for a quick side hug. “Good to see you, man. I wish our reunion went a bit differently, but still, it’s good to have you back.” I turn toward Hannah, her laughter gone but replaced with an amused smile. “This is Hannah. She just moved back to Chicago and is living with me.”
“And she’s yours? Yeah, got it,” he says with a chuckle. He runs a hand through his shoulder-length messy hair and offers his other to Hannah. “Miles King. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I, um, apologize if I did.”
I grab the empty stool and slide it closer, bracketing her between my spread legs. We’ve definitely caught the attention of my friends—three sets of eyes watching our every move.
Hannah returns a friendly smile. “No worries, all good.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see money being exchanged. Volk places a couple of bills in Fox’s open palm with a huff of annoyance.
“You lost me one hundred, you idiot,” Volk says.
“Do I even want to know what the bet was?”
