Page 136 of Hopeless
Seven thirty. He’s usually drunk by now.
My eyes scan the room, noting the smiles people toss me as my gaze slips past. I don’t smile back. I went from relaxed to high alert, and when I hit the back corner, I know why.
Bailey’s shitty fucking brothers and her shitty fucking dad are here. I thought he was in prison somewhere, but what do I know? Truth be told, we don’t talk much about her family. I can tell she doesn’t like it. I can tell it makes her feel dirty and I never want to make her uncomfortable.
They’re happily tossing back beers, laughing, playing pool—like they belong here. Fury races through me.
Have I not kicked them off my property already?
I take a few steps their way, ready for confrontation, when I turn and give Bailey a quick glance. I must have felt her eyes on me because we make a connection instantly.
She shakes her head no.
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard it bleeds, then tip my head harshly toward the door before turning and storming out. Hoping she’ll follow. Needing to talk to her.
I march back out into the parking lot, freshly paved, so the place isn’t so fucking dusty all the time.
“Beau!” she calls as she clears the door.
“Over here.” I wave her back with me, going around the building to the little sheltered shed at the back where we keep the empty kegs. Pickups happen on Mondays, so there’s nothing in here right now, and I yank the door open, ushering her in. She scoots past me and I slam it shut behind us.
Light seeps in from between the boards, casting a faint glow.
Bailey’s eyes are wide with unease, and she opens with, “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
I cut her off by pressing one finger to her lips. “Are you okay?”
She nods but blinks rapidly. Fuck, my girl is tough. She’s saying she’s okay, but she’s not.
“Bailey,” I sigh her name and take my hand back, scrubbing it over my mouth. All the tension in my body pulses to the surface, writhing beneath my skin.
“Beau, please. Just don’t make a scene. They’re never as bad when my dad is around. I don’t want there to be a scene. I want them to finish their shit and get out and to just be the bigger person.”
“I’m fucking sick of you having to be the bigger person, Bailey. They know what they’re doing. I told them to get off my property and stay away from you. And yet, here they are, shoving their defiance in my face. You deserve so much better than this.”
She rubs at her temples, peering down at her feet. And I wish I could make this all so much easier for her. But I don’t know how.
She needs to get out of this town, and soon.
We both know it. We just don’t talk about it.
I don’t pretend to know how much money she needs to save up to pull the pin, but I suspect there’s a level of nerves that accompany her plan. Wanting to leave, but also afraid of starting fresh.
I worry I’m holding her back.
She turns tearful eyes up at me. “I’m so tired, Beau. So fucking tired.”
The air in my lungs empties in a heavy whoosh as my chest caves in at her admission.
I don’t know what to say to make it better, so I kiss her instead. It starts with a little whimper into my mouth, but then her hands are on the back of my neck. Her nails are in my hair. She’s gripping me to her like she might breathe me in and sustain herself on my kiss alone.
My hands start on her hips, but the minute they start to roam, the energy in the shed changes.
Our patience frays.
I want her with a violence I’ve never experienced, with a ferocity that shocks me.
I shove her against the wall, pressing my leg between hers. My thigh grinds against the apex of hers while I take her mouth and rip at the button of her tight jeans.
