SWNOVELS Finding Hayes: Chapter 9
“You good, dude?” Romeo asked, as my gaze tracked Savannah out on the dance floor with the girls.
“Yeah. Of course.”
“So you came with Savvy tonight, huh?” King smirked.
River shot me a warning look. The fewer people that knew, the better. It wasn’t a full-on lie. I’d known her most of my life. Even though we hadn’t talked in years, it didn’t feel that way. It felt like I’d just seen her yesterday. We’d always had a connection. So whether she hated me or liked me, it didn’t really matter.
I knew this girl.
I knew her well.
I may not have understood her choices, but I knew who she was.
Good to her core.
Maybe she’d just outgrown me. I could understand that. She was always destined for big things. For more. I’d known it early on.
I wouldn’t fault her for that. My life was a shit show, and it was easy to get pulled down in all that drama back then.
“Yeah. We’ve been spending some time together, and I’m not going to lie—it’s nice.” That was true. I’d never lied to my boys, and I’d find a way to do this without lying now.
At least, I’d try.
River, Romeo, Nash, and King were family. They were more like brothers to me.
“She doesn’t seem to hate you, that’s for sure. She walked in here with you and looked like she was having a good time,” Nash said.
“And you did, too,” Kingston added, raising a brow as if he were testing me.
“Hey, our boy is happy. Let him be. He’d missed her, and we all knew that. They’ve got a history, and clearly, they’re picking up where they left off.” River took a pull from his beer. He was setting things up.
Always the lawyer.
The song stopped, and Ruby, Demi, Peyton, Saylor, Emerson, and Savannah came walking toward us with big smiles on their faces.
My gaze locked with Savannah’s, and she held it this time.
She’d had a few drinks, so maybe she was more relaxed.
Her guard was definitely down, and I didn’t mind it.
“Hey there, friends and fans.” Scotty’s voice pulled my attention to the stage. “We’re getting ready to take the stage, and I know a lot of you are here tonight to hear The Disasters perform, so I want to let you know that we plan to give the crowd what they want.” There were very few cheers and a few groans, and I glanced over at Savannah, giving her a knowing look.
She surprised me when she smiled so big it had my chest squeezing. How long had it been since she’d smiled at me like that?
Too long.
“Does anyone else think that naming your band The Disasters is sort of like setting yourself up for failure?” Romeo asked.
Everyone chuckled.
“Yeah, not the wisest choice,” Kingston said, his eyes on me as Savannah took the stool beside me.
Scotty was back at the mic because the dude couldn’t help himself. “All right, we’re going to kick this off with an oldie. This one is for the girl that got away. She knows who she is.”
His eyes were staring right at the woman beside me, and her shoulders tensed. “Dear God, what is he doing?” she whisper-hissed, leaning close so only I could hear.
I leaned down, my lips grazing her ear as the smell of vanilla and lavender flooded my senses. “I don’t know, but maybe it’s time we make sure he realizes you aren’t available. Well, that’s pending how you want to pull this off.”
Her eyes widened when she pulled back, and she gave me the slightest nod. She leaned against me, and I wrapped an arm around her on instinct.
It was so easy.
Far too easy.
I’d never been an affectionate guy. I believe that was Kate’s big complaint after I’d found her riding my coworker like she was a professional jockey.
She’d blamed me.
“You’re cold, Hayes. You have zero emotion. You give me nothing.”
It was easy to believe because I was closed off. I wasn’t looking to let anyone in more than necessary, and I’d always been that way.
With the exception of Savannah Abbott. She was the one person I’d always let in.
I was surprised how easy it was to fall back into that comfort, especially after the way she’d left. Maybe I was just playing along, doing my part to make it believable.
Hell, I didn’t know.
My thumb ran up and down her arm over her sweater, and I kissed her cheek, lingering there a little longer than necessary.
I noted everyone at the table watching us, but I forced my attention back to the dickhead on stage singing about how his woman left him, and he wanted her back.
Irritation seeped in because I’d never liked the dude.
He’d been possessive of her back in high school. He’d tried like hell to come between our friendship, and it had pissed me the fuck off.
Clearly, that hadn’t changed.
He finished his song and had the audacity to walk toward our table. My hand moved to Savannah’s waist, and I tugged her closer, pulling the whole barstool with her. Her hand rested on top of mine, and I relaxed. She wasn’t going to bail on me. At least not tonight.
“Hey, Savvy, you’re looking fire tonight.”
Yeah, I’d like to pull out a hose and blast your ass the hell out of here.
“Thank you,” she said, stroking her hand over mine, and his eyes tracked there.
Good. Take the hint, asshole. She’s with me.
At least for the next few months.
“I wanted to see if you’d like to get dinner tomorrow night?” he asked, completely ignoring the fact that she was clearly here with me.
I leaned forward, ready to teach this guy some manners. Whether this was real or not, she was leaning against me. Our hands were intertwined. And him hitting on her right now was a dick thing to do.
She must have noticed, because she turned slowly, her hand moving to the side of my face and catching me off guard. “Hey. Give me a minute, okay?”
I nodded, and she pushed off the stool and walked away, with dickhead Scotty on her heels. I followed them with my gaze. I didn’t trust the dude, and I sure as hell wouldn’t let him out of my sight with her. They stood a few feet away, and she was talking to him, and he didn’t look happy.
Good. He needed to back the fuck off so I could give this fake marriage a try.
“What in the holy hotness is going on here, Hayes Woodson?” Peyton asked, and everyone laughed. She was sitting on Slade’s lap, as apparently, she and Demi’s brother were a full-on couple now. Slade reached for his water and chuckled at his girlfriend.
“We’re just having fun. It’s good to see her again,” I said. And it was all true, so I didn’t have to feel bad about a damn thing. I needed everyone to believe we were falling for each other, but I had to ease them into the idea of me with a girlfriend before I could sell them on the idea of me with a wife.
“I always thought you two liked each other when we were in high school,” Demi said.
“But then you dated that bitch on wheels, Kate.” Ruby raised a knowing brow at me. “And trust me. I like a badass bitch. But that girl, she was the worst. She put on this show like she was sweet and kind, but then you’d watch her actions, and she was a mean girl to her core.”
Yeah, Kate had been a very layered person, showing me different sides of herself over the years we’d spent together. Ruby was not wrong about her.
“Well, sometimes you don’t think you deserve better than that, you know?” Saylor said, her gaze locking with mine. My sister had a heart of gold, and she knew me well.
“How about we don’t psychoanalyze me tonight and just have a good time, yeah?” I reached for my beer and took a pull. I’d driven here, so I wouldn’t have more than one.
And then Savannah made her way back to the table, with a tray of shot glasses on it, all clear, while one had dark liquid in it.
“I wanted to celebrate being back in town, so the tequila shots are on me. And I got you a Cherry Coke shot, Demi.” She chuckled as she passed out the shot glasses. Everyone else had walked here, but I’d picked up Savvy, as the farmhouse would be a long walk, especially in these cold temperatures.
She handed me mine, her fingers grazing my hand.
“I’m your ride, remember? And I’m sure as hell not letting you get in an Uber with Scotty after you’ve had so much to drink.”
She leaned closer. “Don’t overthink it, Woody. Take the shot. We’ll walk home. You can come get your car tomorrow.”
“It’s a far walk to your place, Shortcake,” I reminded her.
“Then I guess I’m spending the night at your place.” She winked, and I reached for my glass.
“Cheers to old times and good friends!” Kingston shouted, and we all tipped our heads back before grabbing a lime.
“Damn, that first shot always hits a little different,” Romeo said, and we all laughed.
The girls went on stage together and sang a few songs, and it was entertaining as hell.
And we drank and laughed and stayed out way later than I’d planned. Demi dragged Romeo out of there, as she was pregnant and exhausted. I was fairly sober now, as I’d stopped drinking after that shot, but I still wouldn’t get behind the wheel, so we’d be walking home.
Savannah sauntered over to me, where I sat on my barstool, her cheeks flush, hair a wild mess of long waves flowing down her back, her jeans hugging her curves in all the right places.
She wrapped her hands around my neck, her nose brushing against mine, lips close enough to kiss. “Take me home, Woody.”
Her words slurred, and I nodded. I reached for her coat on the back of the barstool and helped her into it, before zipping it up and taking her hat from her coat pocket and pulling it over her ears. I found her mittens next, and she held her hands up. “You like taking care of me, Hayes?”
Her voice was all tease, but my dick jumped to attention at the tone of her voice. At the heat in her honey-brown eyes. I slipped the mittens over each hand and nodded.
“Always, Shortcake.”
We walked outside and said our goodbyes as we made our way home. Once it was just me and Savannah heading toward my house, she groaned. “These damn boots were not a good idea.”
I looked down at her heeled boots and chuckled before bending my knees and patting my back. “Hop on.”
“You’re going to give me a piggyback ride all the way home?” She laughed. Her words made it clear that she was still very tipsy.
“A whole block and a half, yeah. I’m a fucking firefighter. I’ve carried a lot more than a lightweight like you. Get on.”
She jumped up, and her arms wrapped around my neck, her legs around my waist, and I started walking.
“Do you think everyone noticed us acting sort of like a couple tonight?” she asked, her lips grazing my earlobe just beneath my beanie.
“They definitely noticed. What did you say to Scotty?” I’d been dying to ask since she’d come back to the table.
“I told him that we’d hung out the last few days, and those old feelings had returned,” she said, before nipping at my earlobe and shocking the shit out of me.
I yelped. “Hey. What was that for?”
“You always had sensitive lobes, remember?” she said, over a fit of laughter. “I used to love tugging on them and messing with you.”
“Yeah, you sure did.” I turned down my street and headed toward my house.
“Sometimes that feels like a hundred years ago.” I could hear the sadness in her voice.
I put the key in the door and walked inside, making my way to the couch and setting her down. I tugged off my coat and tossed it on the couch before dropping to my knees as she gaped down at me.
“What are you doing?” She tugged her mittens off and tossed them on the couch.
“I’m taking off your boots. You said your feet hurt.”
“Wow. You do know I’m a sure thing on this whole fake marriage thing, right? You don’t need to pamper me behind closed doors.” She chuckled as I tugged the first boot off and wrapped my hand around her socked foot and gave it a squeeze before doing the same to her other foot.
“Everything I do isn’t for something, Sav.” The words came out harsher than I meant them to.
She looked down at me, and her hand moved to the top of my head as her fingers scraped along my short hair. “It’s easier to hate you when I’m not around you.”
The admission hit me like a punch to the gut.
She’d blocked me. She was admitting that she hated me.
It was one thing to think it and another to hear her say the words.
“Why in the fuck would you hate me after everything we’ve been through?”
Her eyes welled with emotion, and she shook her head. “You left me, Hayes. When I needed you most. You crushed me, and it took me a long time to get over it.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” Her being drunk worked in my favor because at least she was opening up to me.
“Oh, God,” she said, as she jumped to her feet before sprinting around the couch toward the bathroom. “I’m going to be sick.”
I made my way down the hall and heard her heaving. I pushed the door open and stood there as she hung her head over the toilet. I waited for her to finish vomiting before reaching around her body and unzipping her coat and carefully slipping it off her shoulders.
She groaned, and I moved to the sink and turned on the water, wetting a washcloth and wringing it out. I handed it to her and flushed the toilet before helping her sit back so that her back was pressed against the wall. “Sorry about that. I’m not used to drinking so much.”
I sat beside her. “So, how about you tell me why you drank so much, then?”
“Since when do you ask so many questions?” She wiped her mouth and forehead with the damp cloth.
She was right. I wasn’t usually this inquisitive because I didn’t normally give a shit.
But I gave a shit about Savannah.
“Since when are you someone who deflects every question that’s asked?”
“Fine. I’m fake marrying a man I have worked hard to hate for a very long time, and I’m lying to everyone in my life about it. And it’s all so that I can help my father who is dying before my eyes. And let’s not forget that I just had to say goodbye to Abe, a man who was like a grandfather to me, who also left me the money to help my father, but with all these crazy conditions. That’s reason enough to drink tequila, isn’t it?”
I chuckled. “I’ve known you a long time, Sav. Fake marrying a man you’ve worked hard to hate is not the craziest thing you’ve ever done.”
“That’s your answer? That I’ve done worse than being deceptive to everyone I know?”
“Just saying. I’m the only living witness who knows it was you who pulled that fire alarm our freshman year in high school.”
“You are such an asshole for bringing that up,” she groaned. “I did that for you.”
“I know you did.”
I still remembered it like it was yesterday. I’d had a late night because my fucked-up stepfather, Barry, had come home drunk and was breaking furniture and going crazy. I’d had a chemistry test that morning and knew I’d fail since I hadn’t studied the night before because I was dealing with family drama, per usual. And if I failed that class, I’d be yanked from the football team because Coach did not mess around. I’d thought it would cost me my future. But it turned out that football wasn’t my future anyway.
“And you didn’t end up taking that football scholarship, did you?” she asked, but she made it clear she already knew the answer.
“I did not. But that’s not the point.”
“What’s the point?” she asked, her voice sleepy now as she fell against my shoulder.
“The point is, as a firefighter, I could have you arrested, knowing what you did,” I said over my laughter. “A fake marriage is nothing for a hardcore criminal like you.”
She laughed, her eyes were closed now, and she whispered four little words that I hadn’t expected to hear from her.
“I missed you, Hayes.”
I miss you, too, Shortcake.