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Chapter Sixteen

LAIKEN

A growl leaves my throat as I press my body against Lie’s back over the bar, scanning the dickwad’s bracelet for his drink.

I slide his drink toward him and take the napkin that he wrote his room number on for Lie, holding it up and looking this man dead in his eyes.

“No.” I crumple the napkin and toss it into the trash.

The man looks between us and turns away, drink in hand. I look at Lie. He’s fighting a grin as he innocently wipes the bar down.

I feel like a goddamn animal. I want to wear this man like a skin. No, actually, I want to be on him like a skin. Keeping everyone else away from him. Making sure he feels me everywhere at all times.

Making sure everyone knows that this obsession has moved into dangerous territory. I’m really fucking close to feeling all kinds of things neither of us can afford to feel. We’ve crossed like eighty lines. There are so few left at this point.

“Are you trying to make me lose my mind?” I growl into Lie’s ear.

He slides down the bar out of my hold and looks at me with a smug twinkle in his eyes. “I’m trying to make you bend me over the bar,” he murmurs.

Little fucker winks at me and slides down to a woman, giving her a big smile. “What can I get for you, darlin’?” he asks her.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve been to a bar filled with straight people, and I find it incredibly refreshing that his words, which might have come across as flirty somewhere else, only make the woman relax.

The people who come to Kala, especially for the first time, are looking for one thing above all else. Kindness. They’re looking for a place where that’s the only expectation. No one looks at you with disgust or has a nasty comment when they see you holding hands or kissing someone.

Everyone is kind. Everyone is loving. And this is all normal .

“Why are you always here?”

Okay, there are always exceptions to the rule. I shift my attention to look at Benson standing over his brother. Cash is sitting right where he almost always is when he’s at the Hinky Dinky Bar: in the corner as far from the band, though with as direct a sightline as he can get.

I missed the cue that Whiskey Horizons was taking a break.

“Unfortunately for you, you’re not the king of the bar,” Cash says, rolling his eyes.

“There are dozens of bars. Go somewhere else.”

“Or you could go somewhere else. You’re shit. You bring the band down.”

I smirk at Cash’s comment. There was a time not long ago when Cash wouldn’t talk back. He would just roll his eyes and ignore Ben as his brother tried to bully him into going away.

Those days are long gone. I’ve never seen Cash seek his brother out in the same way Ben does Cash. Ever. All I’ve ever witnessed is Cash sitting quietly in this corner, either with Lie or here for Lie. But now, when Benson decides to give his brother a hard time, Cash bites back.

Benson takes several steps toward Cash, who doesn’t so much as avert his eyes. Before I can intervene, Onyx is there, yanking Ben backwards. Ben jerks his arm from Onyx’s hold, turning back for Cash, but Onyx shoves him away.

“Back off, Ben.”

“Why are you always?—”

“Because you’re not only in public acting like a fucking piece of trash, but you’re also representing the band right now,” Onyx snaps. “Grow the fuck up already. He’s literally doing nothing at all but sitting here. That’s it. He hasn’t even looked at you. Leave him alone already.”

Ben is so fucking angry he’s turning purple.

Lie has abandoned the customers at the bar to stand across from Cash, glaring at Ben in solidarity with his best friend. He has the hose to the water in his hand. I really hope he sprays Ben. Cool the hothead down.

“This is bullshit,” Ben says. He turns on his heel and literally stomps off.

“I don’t know why you stay in the band with him,” Cash mutters, turning his back on Onyx. “You realize he’s a reflection on you, right?”

Onyx sighs. He takes a few steps closer. “I’m sorry.”

Cash rolls his eyes, waving Onyx off without looking at him. “Whatever. Just think about what everyone says about you while you constantly run interference.”

“I’m trying to?—”

Cash spins on his stool. “You can’t change him, Onyx.

He’s going to be an unprovoked asshole no matter what you say.

What you really need to take into consideration is the fact that your concern for him is far greater than his concern for how his behavior makes you look.

This is a one-way friendship. How does that make you feel? ”

“ONYX!” Benson yells from the other side of the bar.

“You better go,” Cash says, once more turning from Onyx. “You left your leash too long.”

“That’s not fair.” Onyx frowns. He stares at Cash for a minute before sighing and heading for Ben.

I raise a brow as Lie puts the water back.

“Not going well, huh?” Lie asks.

Cash sighs. “It’s… fine.”

I grip Lie’s shoulder, making sure he knows he can stay with Cash for a few minutes, and I return to work. I keep an eye on Ben as I move back to the customers waiting for drinks. He’s still lingering around the bar, maybe waiting to be served.

Sam looks at me, and I give him a subtle shake of the head. This man doesn’t get a drink. He’s volatile without alcohol. I’m definitely not condoning alcohol right now. Something that’s probably going to set Ben off further.

Lie stays close to Cash, and I keep Ben in my peripheral vision until he gets back on stage. Only then does Lie allow himself to attend to patrons farther from his best friend.

After a while, Lie slides up beside me as he pours a beer from the tap to my left.

“Are they like that at home?” I ask.

He sighs. “Yeah. I’m afraid for Cash. I keep thinking that if he continues to push Ben, it’s going to escalate into a physical confrontation. It never has before, but… I swear, Ben is unraveling.”

“I’m glad Cash sticks up for himself. What about their parents?”

Lie shakes his head. “I don’t know. They definitely don’t condone Ben’s behavior and put a stop to it, but they work a lot . They’re not home as often as they were when Cash and Ben were younger, believing them to be adults and able to function as such.” He gives me a dubious smile.

Our conversation pauses as he taps someone out and hands over their drink. He takes the next order and moves beside me again to mix it up. I’m enjoying watching him. He’s come into his own. I know by the mixture of ingredients—that he doesn’t have to look up—that he’s making a Cosmo.

“You’re doing really well, Lie,” I tell him.

His dark eyes meet mine with a soft smile. “Yeah?”

“Very.”

He sighs. For just a second, everything around us falls away, and it’s only the two of us. Warmth surrounds us. My heart beats in my ears. My hand raises to touch him.

“There are my two favorite guys.”

Nason’s voice snaps me out of the moment, and I catch my breath for another reason entirely. Fuck. Did he just see the way I was looking at Lie? This time, the pulse in my ears is loud because I’m waiting for Nason to lose his shit.

But he’s staring at me with a smile, his eyes moving between me and Lie. Lie’s naturally darker complexion is flushed. I can see the tint of pink on his cheeks. Is he feeling the same dread that I am?

“Hey,” I say, wiping the counter in front of where they take a seat. “What brings you in?”

“Wanted to see my son in action,” Nason says, winking in Lie’s direction.

Lie huffs. “It’s mixing drinks, Dad. I’m not performing heart surgery.”

“You’ve been here for two months. I think that’s worth celebrating. You don’t hate this job.”

Lie’s eyes flicker to mine, and I see him flush again. Those were words that he said to me practically verbatim the other night when he knocked on my door late.

“Lie, serve your parents,” I say, moving by him toward Cash. I’m careful not to touch him this time.

I keep them in the corner of my eye, waiting for some indication that they saw how Lie and I were looking at each other. I’m sure everyone saw it. I can’t help but wonder… if they saw it, does that mean they aren’t upset with the idea?

“They didn’t notice,” Cash says, and I raise my eyes to his. He’s giving me an amused but sympathetic smile.

“Notice what?”

He rolls his eyes and leans across the counter. “Are you going to pretend that Lie doesn’t tell me everything? I can keep up that facade if you like.”

I laugh under my breath. “They didn’t notice? How can they not?” I murmur.

“Some people see what they want to see, and they’re not expecting to see something between the two of you. So they didn’t see it.”

Fuck. I didn’t realize a well of hope had begun forming in my chest at the thought that maybe they’d seen and… approved? That’s unrealistic.

“I’m weirdly disappointed,” I admit.

Cash smiles. “I’ve spent a lot of time over at Lie’s house, as you know, and I think you’re being a little na?ve to think that they’re going to be okay with it.”

“Are you discouraging Lie from…”

“No,” he says, huffing and throwing a couple peanuts at me. I chuckle. “We support each other in everything, including bad decisions.”

“This is a bad decision, is it?”

He holds my stare, waiting for me to admit to myself that it absolutely is a bad decision. I sigh. “What do you suggest?”

Cash shakes his head, glancing around the bar. “We’re in the middle of making bad decisions together,” he says, shrugging. “That’s part of growing, right? We have to make mistakes.”

I flinch at the world. “Mistakes,” I murmur.

“Sometimes mistakes and bad decisions grow to something more,” Cash says.

“I just think that whatever happens—in your situation and mine—the consequences are going to be big and we all need to be prepared for that.” He leans forward again, and I look into his light eyes.

“I don’t regret my mistake. I’d do it all over again, every single time.

Lie feels the same way about his decisions. ”

“You need anything else?” I ask, looking at his mostly untouched drink.

“Yes. I’d like a crème br?lée with passionfruit glaze and a truffle on the side that melts on my tongue.”

“A brownie it is. Be right back.”

I pass Lie and his parents. Lie is mixing a drink, laughing with his father. Miranda is watching with a smile, looking between Lie and Nason. I’ve seen that look many, many times. She loves to watch her husband and son. I think she loves the relationship they share.

I don’t say anything to Lie as I pass behind him, but tell Sam that I’m heading to the kitchen for a second. We have your average bar foods, and crème br?lée isn’t one. Not at this kind of bar, anyway.

I stick a brownie in the oven to heat through for forty-five seconds while I scoop a heap of vanilla bean ice cream into a bowl.

The brownie goes on top, a heaping pile of whipped cream, drizzle with chocolate sauce and top it with a cherry.

I don’t stop at one cherry though. I circle the perimeter with cherries too.

“Need a sugary pick me up?” the chef Ernie asks.

“Yes, but I won’t find it in a brownie sundae.”

He chuckles as I return to the bar. The spot where Nason, Miranda, and Lie were when I left two minutes ago is empty. A quick scan and I locate them closer to Cash.

But so is Benson. Nason is on his feet as Benson yells at Cash.

I set the brownie down and hop the bar, pulling Benson away from Cash. Ben’s furious eyes meet mine. “This is your one and only warning, Benson. I’m finished with your bullshit. If you bother any of my customers again—on any fucking day in the future—you will not play on Kala again. Am I clear?”

“You can’t?—”

“I can and I will. Grow up. You’re not a twelve-year-old anymore. Your fits are completely out of line. It’s time to act like a fucking adult or you can leave and not come back. Am I clear?”

It’s rare that the bar gets quiet. There’s a crowd around us, including Ben’s bandmates. Lie is standing on the other side of the bar with Sam at his side. I feel Nason at my back, ready to help me if need be.

Just like old times.

Other patrons are there. Watching. Waiting.

Ben pulls himself away and gives Cash another disgusted glare. Cash looks small in the corner as he watches. I’ll give it to him. He doesn’t look afraid at all. There’s no fear of his brother.

I’m not sure if that’s smart. I think if Ben’s pushed too far, he will resort to physical violence. Especially since he’s not getting the reaction from Cash that he wants to. Especially because Cash is pushing back, no longer willing to be verbally abused and pushed around by his brother.

Benson turns and heads to the stage. The crowd splits for him. If Whiskey Horizons had any fans here today, they just lost some.

I look at Onyx. He’s looking at Cash. Cash is looking at Lie. Lie is scowling after Ben.

“That was exciting,” someone murmurs.

Cash snorts, though he doesn’t look at anyone except Lie. Miranda gets closer to Cash and wraps an arm around his shoulders, giving him a motherly hug. I smile and head for the bar gate as she asks him, “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Nason follows me. “Have you spoken to their parents?”

I huff. “They’re adults, Nason. What do you think their parents are going to do? Ground them?”

Nason doesn’t answer for a second. When I’m on the other side of the bar, I meet his eyes. “It’s easy to say what I would do if I had two children and one was always down the other’s throat. I guess I don’t know what I’d do. I just feel like I’d do something. ”

I’m reminded of the stories Lie told us when he came home from the shitty situation at college. When he got the ‘ adults ’ involved, things didn’t get better. They escalated. Became more threatening. They got to the point where Lie no longer felt safe enough to stay.

Sometimes, getting involved is the wrong answer. But what is the right answer?