her body and every curve is pronounced like a neon sign. At the moment, she’s bare footed and there is something about that that is making all of my possessive instincts flare.
She scrunches her perfect little button nose a t me, looking down at her body. “It’s just a dress, Pax. I wear them all the time.” Her eyes run over my naked torso and I can feel it, like her hands are all over me. “Are you getting dressed or are there specific rules in this town that only apply to you: no shirt, no shoes, no service… unless you are Paxton Alvarado, king of Chicago.”
“ Just waiting ‘til the room was free, kid,” I tell her, standing up, no longer giving a shit if word of my presence in this state makes its way back to Rachel. I walk to Jessa, staring at her eyes for a few intense seconds, and then I walk away from her.
I throw on a t-shirt and a ho odie and try to talk some sense into myself. I should not be doing this. I should not be putting my dad’s lifeline at risk just because Jessa is too damn gorgeous for any man in his right mind to resist. But my internal thoughts, rational as they are, are bad at fucking persuasion.
#
I pull my hood over my head and grab onto Jessa’s waist as we follow Violet into the bar. I keep my head ducked but I’m a foot through the door when I hear people shouting my name. Jessa hesitates and I have to push her to get her to the back corner where I know my past is waiting. But it’s where I have to go in order to get those assholes to shut the hell up and stop shouting my name.
Billy, Louis and Jimmy are all out of the booth and waiting for me by the time we reach them.
“Holy shit, y ou’re back,” Billy says, extending his hand which I slap before he pulls me into a one armed hug. Louis and Jimmy are quick to follow and by the time the reacquainting is done, Jessa is out of my arm and seated in the booth next to Violet. I slide in beside her before Billy can.
“What’ve you been up to , man? When I heard you were in Cali I figured I’d never see you again,” Billy says from the other side of the booth.
I’m not gonna answer that question. “It’s good to see you guy s,” I tell him. “But man, being back here… shit - it’s tense. I didn’t really miss it.” And that’s the truth. Especially here in this bar. I feel tense and uncomfortable. My hands are wringing each other and my leg is bouncing off the floor and I can’t stop it.
“Things ain’t the same since you’ve been gone. That’s for damn sure. I missed all the drama,” he tells me .
I narrow my eyes at him and flare my nostrils. I can’t help it. I don’t want to talk about any of that shit. “Don’t even start,” I tell him. “I shouldn’t even be here. At this bar.”
“Your mom still trying to keep you away?” Louis asks. I know they are just concerned but I don’t want to talk about this shit.
“I gotta assume so.”
“All I know is I’m glad to be relieved of my duties,” Billy says, glancing at Jessa who is talking with Violet and Jimmy, hopefully not listening to this shit.
I nod my head at him, telling him I appreciate it.
“Hell, I don’t even know what to say to you, man,” Billy says, shaking his head. “You ever think about picking up your phone and checking in with me?”
When Rachel sent me away it was sans phone. I picked a ne w one up on the way out of town but I didn’t bother to touch base with anyone here. I really wanted all of this shit to just disappear. I cannot believe I’m here. “I’m sorry about that, man. I was being dodgy. It was wrong.”
“ Yeah, well I figured when this one sauntered into town,” his eyes turn to Jessa again, “your sorry ass would show up eventually.”
“I guess you know me better than I know myself,” I tell him. “Coming back here was never part of the plan. Fuck, I really shouldn’t be here , man.” I shake my head and turn my eyes from Billy. It’s hitting me- being in this booth where I’ve
She scrunches her perfect little button nose a t me, looking down at her body. “It’s just a dress, Pax. I wear them all the time.” Her eyes run over my naked torso and I can feel it, like her hands are all over me. “Are you getting dressed or are there specific rules in this town that only apply to you: no shirt, no shoes, no service… unless you are Paxton Alvarado, king of Chicago.”
“ Just waiting ‘til the room was free, kid,” I tell her, standing up, no longer giving a shit if word of my presence in this state makes its way back to Rachel. I walk to Jessa, staring at her eyes for a few intense seconds, and then I walk away from her.
I throw on a t-shirt and a ho odie and try to talk some sense into myself. I should not be doing this. I should not be putting my dad’s lifeline at risk just because Jessa is too damn gorgeous for any man in his right mind to resist. But my internal thoughts, rational as they are, are bad at fucking persuasion.
#
I pull my hood over my head and grab onto Jessa’s waist as we follow Violet into the bar. I keep my head ducked but I’m a foot through the door when I hear people shouting my name. Jessa hesitates and I have to push her to get her to the back corner where I know my past is waiting. But it’s where I have to go in order to get those assholes to shut the hell up and stop shouting my name.
Billy, Louis and Jimmy are all out of the booth and waiting for me by the time we reach them.
“Holy shit, y ou’re back,” Billy says, extending his hand which I slap before he pulls me into a one armed hug. Louis and Jimmy are quick to follow and by the time the reacquainting is done, Jessa is out of my arm and seated in the booth next to Violet. I slide in beside her before Billy can.
“What’ve you been up to , man? When I heard you were in Cali I figured I’d never see you again,” Billy says from the other side of the booth.
I’m not gonna answer that question. “It’s good to see you guy s,” I tell him. “But man, being back here… shit - it’s tense. I didn’t really miss it.” And that’s the truth. Especially here in this bar. I feel tense and uncomfortable. My hands are wringing each other and my leg is bouncing off the floor and I can’t stop it.
“Things ain’t the same since you’ve been gone. That’s for damn sure. I missed all the drama,” he tells me .
I narrow my eyes at him and flare my nostrils. I can’t help it. I don’t want to talk about any of that shit. “Don’t even start,” I tell him. “I shouldn’t even be here. At this bar.”
“Your mom still trying to keep you away?” Louis asks. I know they are just concerned but I don’t want to talk about this shit.
“I gotta assume so.”
“All I know is I’m glad to be relieved of my duties,” Billy says, glancing at Jessa who is talking with Violet and Jimmy, hopefully not listening to this shit.
I nod my head at him, telling him I appreciate it.
“Hell, I don’t even know what to say to you, man,” Billy says, shaking his head. “You ever think about picking up your phone and checking in with me?”
When Rachel sent me away it was sans phone. I picked a ne w one up on the way out of town but I didn’t bother to touch base with anyone here. I really wanted all of this shit to just disappear. I cannot believe I’m here. “I’m sorry about that, man. I was being dodgy. It was wrong.”
“ Yeah, well I figured when this one sauntered into town,” his eyes turn to Jessa again, “your sorry ass would show up eventually.”
“I guess you know me better than I know myself,” I tell him. “Coming back here was never part of the plan. Fuck, I really shouldn’t be here , man.” I shake my head and turn my eyes from Billy. It’s hitting me- being in this booth where I’ve
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