Page 11

Rio

“Have you ever been here before?” Zanders asks as we cross the street to the bar.

“Never even heard of it,” I tell him. “But I don’t really go out when we’re home anymore, so it’s not all that surprising, I guess.”

He pauses in front of the bar. “Are we getting old?”

“Yes, you are,” his wife chimes in.

Zanders wraps an arm over her shoulders, pulling her to kiss her temple. “Thanks for that, Stevie girl. How’s Tay?”

“Indy and Ryan are back home.” Stevie holds out her phone to show us the picture Indy texted of Taylor sleeping between her two cousins. “She was so excited to have a sleepover.”

“And I’m excited to have a parents’ night out, if you know what I mean.” Zee pumps his brows a couple of times before Stevie playfully smacks him in the stomach.

“Yes, we all know what you mean,” I deadpan. “It’s so fun being the only single one left.”

Zanders opens the door, letting Stevie in first, then me.

As soon as we’re inside, we don’t even attempt to continue the conversation because this downtown Chicago bar is packed and way too fucking loud. I’ve been in the league so long now that going out post-win has lost its appeal, but our rookie scored his first NHL goal tonight, so all the boys agreed to take him out to his bar of choosing to celebrate.

While Zee figures out where our team is, I check my phone again. It’s only about the tenth time I’ve looked to see if Hallie texted me back after my desperate attempt to get her attention right before my game started.

Me: Hey.

It’s still unanswered.

I don’t know what I was thinking, telling her she couldn’t join my friends at my game tonight. It was a dick move, but it was also one of those instinctual moments of trying to protect myself. She came to every game of mine until I left for college, and it caught me off guard to think of her coming to one of my pro games now.

Hallie is still new in town, and I know how much she values having and making friends and I’m over here stopping that from happening. I also know that she would love those girls.

And on top of all of that, I’m fairly certain she’s on a date tonight, and if I would’ve just shut my goddamn mouth, she could’ve been at my game instead.

A fucking date. Again.

What else would she be doing so late on a Friday night? And all week, I’ve caught her coming home after two in the morning. Is she seeing someone? Is it that same guy I saw her with at my game?

“Rio! Zee!” one of my teammates calls out, waving us over to join the rest of my team in the private corner of the bar.

With my text still unanswered, I slip my phone back into my pocket.

This side of the bar is a bit quieter but still packed because most of my teammates brought someone with them. I say hello to everyone before finding the last two empty chairs at the table. I offer one to Stevie, but she takes Zee’s lap, leaving the last seat for me.

“DeLuca.” One of my teammates, Thompson, pats me on the back as I sit. “The girl I’m seeing brought a friend for you. They’re in the bathroom, but they’ll be out soon.”

“Oh. That’s okay.” I quickly shake my head. “I’m not really trying to meet someone right now.”

Thompson throws his head back in laughter. “Rio, you’re always trying to meet someone.”

I look to Stevie and Zanders, and the panic must be obvious because Zee cuts in for me. “Thompson, he’s not into it tonight.”

“Well, he needs to be.” Thompson bends down to speak to me quietly. “I’m trying to... you know... finally close the deal. And her friend is always hanging around. I need you to do me a solid tonight and keep her occupied.”

“Yeah. Abso-fucking-lutely not.”

“Rio, c’mon.”

“He’s not interested,” Stevie adds defensively. “Leave him alone.”

“There they are!” Thompson says far too enthusiastically, throwing his arm over his girl’s shoulders when the two of them approach. “Kylie, this is my buddy I was telling you about. Rio, this is Kylie.”

“I already know who you are,” Kylie says. “I was hoping I would get to meet you.”

One of my teammates leaves his chair, so Thompson grabs it.

“And look!” he says, shoving it next to me. “There happens to be an empty seat for you.”

He’s pulling his date to the far end of the very loud, very rowdy table before Kylie has even sat down.

No, I’m not interested in her in that way, but she’s still a human being that just got pawned off by her so-called friend and I innately feel sorry for her.

“Uh...” I stumble. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Kylie’s attention bounces between me and Zanders as she sits down. “This is wild. I’m such a big fan of yours. Both of you.”

Great.

“Are you having a good time?”

“Well, it definitely just got better, but I could use a drink.”

“Yeah,” I exhale. “I could use one too.”

The rookie who scored his first goal tonight is making his rounds, already buzzing with alcohol when he throws an arm over Zee’s shoulders. “There’s my captain! What a goal, huh?”

“Yeah, Big Shot. Hell of a goal. How do we get drinks around here? Do we go up to the bar or do they come here?”

“Oh, they’ll come to the table.” He holds up his empty beer bottle. “I need another. And man.” He smacks Zee in the chest. “One of the bartenders here, she’s a smoke show. That’s why I come here all the time. I think tonight is the night I ask for her number. What do you think?”

Zee, Stevie, and I laugh at our too-excitable teammate. He reminds me of how I acted while I was trying to meet any and everyone in hopes of proving something to myself. Trying to prove that love did in fact still exist, even after Hallie and I broke up. Even after watching my parents’ divorce. I was convinced it was out there somewhere. I just had to find it.

“I say you go for it,” I chime in. “Use that first-goal confidence to your benefit.”

“Yeah.” He nods quickly, switching from having his arm slung around Zanders’ shoulders to mine. “Yeah, Rio, you’re right. Isn’t he so right?” He shifts his attention to Kylie. “You are so lucky, you know that? This guy, he’s the best!”

Our rookie squeezes into the space on the other side of her, sharing a seat with another of our teammates before stealing his beer.

Kylie leans into me.

Fuck it. I can’t do this tonight. I can’t even pretend to do this tonight. I just want to go home and see if Hallie might be home too.

I stand from my seat.

“You okay?” Stevie asks.

“I’m going to call it a night. See you both at family dinner on Sunday?”

“You’re leaving?” Kylie asks.

“I am. I...”

“He doesn’t feel well,” Zee adds for me.

I don’t love lying to the girl, but he’s not far off. I’ve been frustrated over Hallie ignoring my text all night, been sick thinking of her out with someone else. Been mad at myself for being so fucking rude about her going to my game with my friends.

“I hope you have a good night,” I say to finish.

Part of me wants to ask Zee to make sure she makes it home safely since her friend just bailed on her, but I also don’t want her to get the impression that I’m interested in more than that.

“Oh, the bartender is coming!” our rookie shouts before turning back to me and Zee. “Do you think I should shoot my shot now, or wait until the end of the night?”

I’m not staying to watch this possible train wreck go down. Instead, I grab my car keys from my pocket and take out my phone again, just to see if Hallie has responded yet.

Spoiler alert: she hasn’t.

“Oh, shit,” Zanders mutters under his breath from next to me.

“Does anyone need another?” a woman asks while I’m focused on my phone screen, but the voice is one I’d recognize anywhere.

When I shift my attention up, it locks on her, but she’s not looking at me. She’s busy taking my teammates’ orders on the other end of the table.

Hallie is standing there, a bright smile on her lips as she repeats orders back when they’re thrown in her direction, committing them to memory.

I fall back into my seat.

What the hell is she doing here?

Her short, wavy hair is half up in a cute, messy way. Her little button nose, and the freckles across it, scrunch up each time she smiles at one of my teammates. She’s wearing jeans that show off the curve of her hips, an apron tied around the small of her waist, and a simple black tee that may as well be painted on her body.

“I’ll take another, please!” Our rookie holds up an empty beer bottle to show her and that’s what finally brings her attention to our end of the table.

To me.

Then to the girl sitting at my side.

Then over to Zee and Stevie before her focus falls on me again and stays.

That smile has dropped into parted lips. Those shiny hazel eyes are now laced with panic.

Kylie decides that’s the moment she’s going to put her hand on my forearm. “Are you staying after all?” she asks.

Hell yes, I’m staying.

Hallie immediately looks away.

“It’s Hallie, right?” Zanders asks.

“Yes,” Hallie says to my friend. “Hey, Stevie. Good to see you again. What can I get you?”

“Hey!” Stevie smiles back at her. “I didn’t know you worked here.”

Stevie looks at me as if silently asking, did you know?

“Second job.” Hallie shifts on her feet, clearly uncomfortable. “So, what can I get for you?”

There’s a heavy pause as the awkwardness settles in. I sure as fuck don’t want Hallie waiting on me and I don’t think my friends do either.

“I’ll take a vodka cran,” Kylie says at my side, her entire body turned in my direction. But I’m not looking at her. I’m staring straight ahead at the girl next door and trying to figure out what the hell she’s doing here.

Hallie’s eyes bounce between me and the stranger I’m sitting next to, and because I can read her like a fucking book, I know she thinks we’re here together.

“You got it.” Hallie turns to Zanders and Stevie. “And for you two?”

“Um...” Zee hesitates, nodding in the direction of another bartender working behind the bar. “We’ll go up and grab a round ourselves. It’s busy. You’re busy, so don’t worry about it.”

“No need.” Hallie’s smile is forced now. “There’s an open tab for your party already. It’ll make it easier if you order through me.”

There’s a long pause because no one wants her waiting on us. She should be hanging out with us.

“I’ll take...” Stevie begins. “Something on draft. An IPA if you have one.”

“Same,” Zanders adds.

Kylie scoots in closer. “What are you going to get?”

Hallie finally looks in my direction and I watch her jaw tense as she waits for my order.

I shake my head. “Nothing for me, Hal.”

Hallie immediately turns back to the bar, quickly weaving through bodies and I lose her in the crowd before I can even register what just happened.

“You two seem to have some history,” Kylie observes.

“You could say that. Look, Kylie, you seem like a nice girl, but I’m not in the position to meet anyone right now. My head is somewhere else at the moment.”

With someone else at the moment.

A smile tilts on her lips. “Don’t worry about it, but you should probably go tell her we aren’t here together.”

“Did you know she worked here?” Zee asks.

“Not a fucking clue.”

I’m immediately out of my seat to follow Hallie, and at the same time, our rookie stands from his seat too.

For a moment, I want to ask him what the hell he’s thinking, trying to ask her out. Doesn’t he remember she was waiting outside our practice for me ? But then I recall that he was sick that day and has no idea that his favorite bartender and I have history.

“I’m going to do it!” His tipsy grin is way too big. “I’m going to go ask for her number.”

“Hey, Rook?”

He looks my way, so stupidly excited. “Yeah?”

“Sit the fuck down.”

“Yep.”

He does just that, and as I leave the table to go find Hallie, I hear Kylie turn and introduce herself to him.

There are so many people packed up against the bar, trying to order. There’s another woman working the well, and a guy taking orders from waiting patrons, while Hallie is busy getting our table’s drinks made.

I push my way past waiting customers to get as close to her as I can.

“Hey, watch it!” someone yells with a shove to my chest that does absolutely nothing to move me.

I simply lift a brow at his attempt.

“Holy hell. You’re Rio DeLuca. Man, I’m a huge fan. Didn’t mean to shove you.” He opens his arms, giving me a path to the bar. “Go for it. Or can I get you a drink? Let me get you a drink.”

“Not drinking tonight, but thanks.”

“Hey!” he yells at Hallie. “Hey, barkeep! I need to order.”

I step in front of him, blocking his view of her. “Do not fucking talk to her like that. Wait your turn. She’s busy.”

He holds his hands up. “I’m trying to get you a drink, man. Chill.”

Turning my back on him and collecting myself, I face Hallie and raise my voice over the rowdy bar. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” she asks while also pouring a beer on draft. “I’m working.”

“Why?”

“Because I work here.”

“You know what I’m asking.”

“Rio, leave me alone and let me do my job. I’ll be over in a minute with your friends’ drinks.”

“Do you need money or something?”

Shit. That came out wrong.

She pauses, turning off the tap to keep it from spilling over. “Fuck you.”

“If you need money, I can—”

“You can what? Give me some? Help me out? Jesus,” she laughs in disbelief. “We haven’t seen each other in six years, Rio. You think I’m going to just take your money? You have literally no idea what I’ve been through since we last saw each other.”

That gives me pause. She’s angry and she’s right. I have no idea what these last six years looked like for her. And I haven’t taken the time to ask.

“Tell me then.”

Her voice is sharp as she continues to pour drinks. “Go back to your table.”

“Is this where you’ve been every night this week? Is this why you’re getting home after two in the morning? You’re working days at the design firm and nights here. Why?”

“Oh my God, Rio. Because I’m broke! Is that what you need to hear? Have I embarrassed myself enough that you’ll leave me alone now?”

Shit.

“Hallie, nothing about that is embarrassing.”

She scoffs a disbelieving laugh. “Yeah, it’s not at all embarrassing to bartend for you and your teammates. Go back to your date.”

“I’m not—”

“Rio, go back to your table and I’ll be right over to serve you.”

She says it as if trying to point out the imbalance between us now. Initially, I didn’t see it, didn’t even think of it. I only ever felt hurt and anger over what she kept from me all those years ago. But for the first time since she’s come back into my life, from Hallie’s point of view, I can understand why she’d be angry with me .

I left and clearly, our lives took two very different paths when I promised her we’d always be on the same one.

“Is everything okay here?” Another bartender steps up, some blond muscular dude, sliding his hand around Hallie’s lower back and leaving it to rest there. “Do you need me to take care of this guy for you, Hal?”

All I see is red.

“What did you call her?”

“Rio, don’t.”

I keep my focus on him. “No. What the fuck did you call her?”

Hallie steps away and out of his touch, but the guy extends his arm, keeping his palm pressed to her lower back.

“Get your hands off her.”

He doesn’t listen to me. This time, he slides his hand over her hip, and I swear to God, if there wasn’t a bar top in my way and if I wouldn’t end up on the news for it, I’d punch him square in the face for thinking he could touch her like that.

“Do we have a problem here?” he continues. “Should I call the cops?”

“Oh, get so fucked right now.”

“You’re not calling the cops, Carson.” Hallie jerks out of his grasp. “You.” She focuses on me, her hazel eyes wide with anger as she points to the door. “Outside. Now.”

She says something to a different coworker, something about the drink orders she’s working on, before storming through the crowd and out the front door, expecting me to follow.

Which of course I do.

The chilly Chicago breeze hits me as soon as we’re outside. Hallie crosses her bare arms over her chest and, like instinct, I peel off my flannel and hold it out to her.

“I don’t want your shirt.”

“It’s freezing out. Take it or we’re going right back inside so I can punch Ken Doll straight in the face for calling you Hal.”

She rolls her eyes. “Why are all you men so goddamn dramatic?”

Taking my shirt, she slips her arms through it before cuffing the sleeves enough so that her hands peek through. “There. Happy?”

“What are you doing here?”

She exhales, collecting herself. “I can’t keep having this conversation. I’m working.”

“If you need—”

She holds out her hands to stop me. “I swear to God, if you say what I think you’re about to say, I’m leaving.”

“If you need help,” I repeat, “I can talk to Wren’s brother about your rent. He doesn’t even need the money. He would be happy for you to live there rent free.”

“God, you have no idea, Rio.”

“Of course I have no idea!” I hold my arms out wide. “Because you won’t tell me what’s going on!”

Her jaw hardens. “What’s going on is that we’re two completely different people now. I work five shifts a week here, after my full days at the design firm, because that’s what I have to do to make ends meet. I’m sleeping in someone else’s spare room, because that’s what I can manage, and I can barely afford to feed myself. Does that make you happy to hear?”

“Jesus. Of course not, Hal.”

“If I can get hired full-time at the design firm, then things will change, but for now, this is my reality and it’s very different from yours. I know that. Now you know that. And I swear to God, Rio, if you try to give me some kind of handout right now, I’m going to lose my shit. I’ve made it this far without your help, and I’ll be just fine going forward.”

Of course, she doesn’t tell me why things are as tight as they are financially, but I also know not to push it farther. She’s upset that I found out about her second job, and I think she’s also a bit embarrassed. But Hallie is a hard worker. She grinds when she needs to. She used to pick up babysitting hours and miss out on big social events when we were younger, simply because she wanted to save up so she could afford to put herself through design school.

So, her hustling isn’t what’s so confusing. It’s why she needs to hustle in the first place that I still can’t make out.

“Okay,” I say in defeat.

“Okay.”

“You didn’t text me back.”

“You didn’t give me anything to text back to. Hey?” she asks, mimicking my text. “You’re better than that, Rio.” Hallie nods towards the entrance of the door, the tension diffused. “I have to get back to work.”

She walks past me, but before she can get to the door, I reach across her body, grabbing the handle and keeping it closed. Keeping us alone outside.

She slowly lifts her gaze to look at me, our faces mere inches from one another.

“Don’t let him call you that,” I say quietly. “He doesn’t fucking know you.”

She lifts a brow. “And you think you still do?”

“Yeah, Hal. I still know you. And you still know me. Better than anyone.”

I watch her throat move through a swallow. “He’s never called me that before. I think he thought you were some random guy so he was pretending to mark his territory.”

“Yeah, well you’re not his, so tell him to keep his hands to himself too.”

Her eyes drop to my mouth. “I’m not yours either.”

We’ll see.

It’s the first thought that runs through my head, when I’m so used to that anger towards her being the inclination.

I wet my lips, leaning in awfully close. “You sure look good in my shirt for not being mine.”

“Get fucked, DeLuca.”

I smile as I open the door. “Would love to. You just let me know when and where, Hart.”

She enters the loud bar, throwing a middle finger over her shoulder for me to see.

But all it does is make my smile grow because Hallie can pretend to be unaffected by me, by us, by our history, but she’s still wearing my shirt when she gets back to work and looks damn good in it.

The last of my teammates left in rideshares by the time the bar closed. I hung out with them inside, drinking water and making sure there was a generous tip attached to our bill until we got kicked out.

I didn’t bother Hallie the rest of the night but I sure as fuck kept my eye on her.

And just as she always has been, she was personable and kind, even when people turned into drunken assholes. Behind the bar, she would listen intently when someone decided she was the one they wanted to spill every detail of their lives to. She was nonstop on her feet, pouring drinks, and cleaning up broken glass.

And that was after a whole day working at the design firm and my house.

Once we all got kicked out for closing time, I pulled my truck into the same lot, behind her car, and waited.

Ken Doll walks out with her, laughing at something she says, and as much as I hate that her smile isn’t directed at me, the guy is kind of massive and I don’t hate the idea of knowing he walks her out each night.

Surprisingly, the grin on her face doesn’t fade when she spots me getting out of my truck. Her expression doesn’t waver, as if she knew I’d be waiting for her after her shift.

But when he spots me, Ken takes off towards his car after giving Hallie a quick wave.

And she’s still wearing my shirt.

“I want to hate that guy,” I tell her, meeting her at her car, but keeping my eye on his retreating back. “Do you work with him every night?”

“Most nights. If I’m not working with him, I’m working with his boyfriend.”

That earns my attention and when I whip in her direction, she’s got this shit-eating grin on her face.

“You couldn’t have told me that earlier?”

“Must have slipped my mind.” She unlocks her car. Manually. With the actual key because that’s how old this thing is. “Your girlfriend left with your buddy. The young one who comes in here all the time.”

“Good for them. She’s not my girlfriend, but I did feel bad that her friend bailed on her.”

Her smile is soft, as if she already knew all that. “You didn’t need to wait for me. I’m exhausted. I’m heading home.”

“I wanted to make sure you got to your car safely.” I open her car door for her and wait until she gets behind the wheel. “See you at home.”

She playfully shakes her head. “See you at home.”

I close the door for her and get back into my truck, turning on the engine and waiting for her to start her car so I can follow her home.

I can tell she tries to start it because her taillights flash for a moment, but then they go dark again. Cracking my door open, I listen as she tries again, only for a whirring sound to come from the engine.

Her eyes find mine through her side mirror and I gesture for her to get in my truck.

It’s late, she’s tired, and we can deal with this tomorrow.

What I want to tell her is that she needs to get a different car. One that’s reliable and not leaking things all over the place, but tonight is not the night for that conversation. Not after she told me how much she’s struggling financially and definitely not after she got embarrassed when I found out she was going to be bartending for me and my friends.

Instead, I get out and open the passenger side door of my truck for her.

“Sorry.” It’s said sheepishly under her breath as she climbs in.

“Don’t be.”

“I’ll get it looked at tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

I close her in my truck before rounding the hood and getting in myself. I start the engine, cranking up the heat for her, before pulling out of the lot to drive back to our places.

We don’t speak. In fact, it’s almost uncomfortably silent for the first five minutes of the drive. Hallie is stiff in the seat beside me, sitting up straight with her hands tucked between her thighs as she watches the city go by out the window.

I don’t know what to say other than something stupid about how much I missed her, or how I might not be as mad as I thought I was, or how the bedroom she’s going to be designing, I had only ever pictured sharing it with her.

So, I make sure not to talk. Instead, I do the one thing that’s always acted as our communication.

I turn on some music.

Out of my periphery, I see Hallie glance in my direction with a little smile on her lips as the tune fills the cab. It’s only a minute before she’s more comfortable in the seat, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

Eventually, she rests her arm on the console between us and holy hell, the nostalgia from that image alone is strong, remembering the first time I had the courage to hold her hand while driving her home much in the way I am now.

We don’t talk for the entirety of the drive, but I note when her breathing turns slow and steady. The ride is lulling her to sleep, which isn’t surprising when I think about the hours she pulls on a daily basis. I think if I worked as hard as Hallie does, maybe even I’d be able to sleep.

When I take our exit, I change my mind and get right back on the expressway. God knows I’m not going to get any sleep tonight anyway, so she may as well.

I take note of the song that’s playing and keep on driving.