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Steven studied Lauren, jaw ticking, and for a second, she thought he might refuse. But instead he grinned and turned to the other man, the carefree mask he wore so well slipping right back into place. “Sure, man. I figured it was only a matter of time till you were back in my arms again.”
Holt snorted. “I think I’ll take Lauren, if you don’t mind.”
“You’re stuck with me, brother,” Lydia said, twisting her lips. “Holt’s mine now.”
He let go of Lauren, squeezing her hand one last time. “I think that’s a deal I can gladly accept. Holt sweats too much anyway. Come here.”
Laughing, Lydia went into his arms. “He doesn’t sweat.”
Lauren watched them, smiling.
That was something she had never had. A family. A brother that loved her. Her own father had run away when she was a baby, and her mother hadn’t had time for her as she grew up, since she’d been busy working three jobs to pay the bills. And then, when she was seventeen and a fresh graduate out of high school, her mother had committed suicide. Everyone who was supposed to love her had run away.
It was one of the reasons she didn’t let people in.
Steven gave her one last, long, scorching glance. “We’ll finish our conversation later.”
She swallowed and watched him go, heart racing and palms sweating. What was up with him tonight? She glanced at Holt. He watched her skeptically. She shook her head. “Don’t ask.”
“I have a feeling it’s none of my business, so I won’t,” he said, his voice soft. “He’s different around you, though. Like a completely different guy.”
She turned to him. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve known him a long time. A lot longer than I have.”
“Yeah…” She moved into his arms and smiled up at him. He was attractive, in that hot, nerdy way. She had a feeling Lydia hadn’t stood a chance when they’d met. There was something about Holt that was irresistibly charming, and he had a way of making you like him with nothing more than a smile. “But he fought with you overseas. In some ways, you know him better than I ever will.”
“We only crossed paths once or twice. Different branches.” He shrugged. “But it was enough to learn what kind of man he is. I only really see him relax around you. When he was dancing with you just now, and laughing, it was like looking at a completely different guy. It’s weird.”
She sought out Steven. He chatted with Lydia, laughing, but Holt was right. He wasn’t relaxed. He was tense. Alert. Aware. He kept glancing around the room, his gaze falling on Lauren every so often, as if making sure she was still there.
Holt cleared his throat. “He needs you. You make him happy.”
“He has me,” she said quickly, focusing on Holt again. He watched her seriously, as if he thought she might not mean it. “Always has.”
Across the room, Steven laughed and kissed the top of Lydia’s head, then walked toward the bar. Getting yet another drink. It’s all he did lately. Maybe she should try and come up with a way to help him. To get him to see why he wasn’t really making it better.
Why he needed to focus on the good things in his life…
And stop drowning himself in the bad.
Chapter Three
Three hours later, Steven walked down Main Street alone, passing the laundromat with a shiver, and cursed the cold Maine night air. Even in summer, once the sun went down, the cold took over and chased away all signs of warmth and brightness. Why he hadn’t moved to a tropical paradise by now, he had no fucking clue. But he remembered the three reasons he stayed in this godforsaken place.
Lydia. Holt. And Lauren.
Damn. He still couldn’t get Lauren out of his head. Had to be the booze.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out. He stumbled a bit, the drink he’d pounded
back before leaving hitting him. After that last one, he almost brought a brunette that slightly reminded him of Lauren home with him. Almost tried to pretend she was Lauren, so he could bang her out of his system, so to speak.
But that inner voice hadn’t been quieted by booze yet, and he left before he uttered the words that would have him hating himself come morning.
Catching himself before he hit the sidewalk, he squinted down at his phone. Recognizing the name immediately, he swiped his finger across the screen. A taxi had dropped Lauren off at her place an hour ago, before he’d had it leave him at another bar. What did she need, this late?
“Long time, no see.”