Page 5 of Accidentally Falling
“Yeah.” As much as I want to tell him I won’t end up like our father, I can’t make that promise. His heart broke when we lost Mom, and the only way he dealt with it was spending most of his waking moments at the bar.
Deacon and I grew up there, and Dad died not long after I was discharged from the military.
If nothing else, my brother has lost enough, so if this is what he needs to breathe a little easier, so be it.
3
ARDEN
Why did it have to be this place?
The words are on repeat in my brain as I pull open the door to Boots on Bar and Grill. The dimly lit space feels like coming home, and normally, that would make my heart all warm and fuzzy in my chest.
But not today.
No, today, I can’t seem to shake the way my stomach has been unsettled since I woke up. It’s probably because I’ve been avoiding Jude since I spilled my life story all over the bar top beforecomingall over it.
Memories.
I’d ended up getting a head cold, one that took longer to kick than I expected and then I was on an all-out scramble to make my deadlines.The Blackstone Gazettemay be a local paper, but it brings joy to so many and I love being a part of that.
The only silver lining is that I happened to have Jude’s story for the bar all ready to print before my sister announced she was having a baby a couple of weeks ago. Having the story ready gave me a little breathing room, which was good because on top of being sick, I’d been a little manic over my parents dating.
And Jude.
And getting to be an aunt to my half sister’s baby.
Andlife.
Stepping inside, I scan the room, my stomach rolling at the smell of burgers and fried food as I make a beeline toward the table in the back where Cal, Bea, and Lana are all waiting.
Sometimes I can’t believe that I stumbled into my little group of friends or that they’d been so accepting of me. They’d been Ellison’s friends first, but she never made me feel like I didn’t belong and neither did they.
“You look like hell,” Cal says, looking up from his menu as I slide into the spot next to Bea. His dark hair is swept off his forehead and while the words are honest, his gaze is sympathetic.
“Thanks. Where’s everyone else?” I ask, ignoring him and noting that Ella, Nessa, and Ellison aren’t here.
“Your sister is puking today, Nessa had to take Remi to the doctor, and Ella is working a double at the Poppy Seed,” he says while scanning the menu.
“Are you all right?” Bea asks, my normally bubbly friend touching my hand with concern. The woman is always smiling, her usually infectious good mood doing nothing to counteract the feeling of uneasiness flowing through me.
Seriously, what did I eat yesterday?
“I have no idea. I’ve just been feeling off since last night,” I tell them, as I try to take a steadying breath.
“Are you pregnant?” Lana asks, her dark hair pulled up into a bun at the top of her head. She’s the only one at the table with kids, and while I appreciate her trying to lighten the mood, I’m definitely not pregnant.
“No.” I laugh and shake my head.
“You have to have sex to get pregnant,” Cal supplies helpfully and Lana rolls her eyes.
“Obviously,” she retorts. “Arden, have you been having sex?”
“No, I havenotbeen having sex,” I hiss, my face heating as Jude chooses thatexactmoment to come and take our drink order. Without looking up from my menu I ask for a water, my eyes blurring the words as I try desperately not to look at him.
There’s no way he didn’t hear me, and I just made my unintentional radio silence that much more awkward. And I don’t want to talk to Jude right now about what happened.
Because that night was amazing and we should definitely talk.
