FULL NOVELXO A Drop of Pretty Poison: Chapter 7
Leaning against the counter, I stare at the five words he sent. I’ve been reading it over and over. Right before he answered, I was seconds away from getting all of our friends together to form a search party. Overdramatic? Maybe. But I was worried. And honestly, I still am. The text helped, but what I need right now is to be in his arms.
The muffled sound of two voices outside grab both mine and Mali’s attention. We share a confused look just as the door opens and in walks Cam, with Hayes right behind him.
“Why not?” Hayes groans.
Cam rolls his eyes, going straight to the fridge. “Because The Salted Rim is a stupid name.”
“Oh, because it’s so much worse than Island Reef?”
“It is!”
Hayes stares at him like he’s lost his mind. “Dude, we live in North Carolina. Where the fuck do you see any islands?”
“The outer banks,” he points out.
“We don’t live there!”
Cam scoffs. “Whatever. The Salted Rim sounds like a chick bar. It’ll be filled with people asking for appletinis and watermelon margaritas.”
A smirk spreads across Hayes’s face. “Oh, so you’ll fit right in then.”
My brother laughs. “You’re such a prick. Let’s just settle this over a game of Center Ice. Winner names the bar.”
“You’re on.”
All Mali and I can do is watch with wide eyes as they banter like the last two weeks never happened. But seeing Hayes, perfectly fine and ten times happier than he was this morning, makes my heart swell with joy.
Cam goes to head upstairs when he stops and glances back at Hayes.
“I’ll meet you up there,” he tells him.
My brother glances between the two of us before sighing. “I wonder if bleach would work.”
Hayes chuckles and then turns to me. With a hand on the back of my neck, he pulls me in and wraps his arms around me, holding me close. I breathe in the smell of him and feel as my blood pressure returns to normal again.
When he backs away slightly, he rubs his thumb against my cheek and stares into my eyes. “I’m sorry I disappeared. I just needed to get my head on straight, and I didn’t want to drag you down with me.”
“You don’t need to apologize for needing some space,” I tell him, shaking my head. “But I want to make sure you know that you’re always able to come to me.”
“I do. I know that,” he confirms.
Eliminating the space between us, he kisses me, and I melt right into it. This, right here, is exactly what I needed. The feeling I get when I’m around him. The way he makes me feel safe and loved.
He breaks the kiss and smiles. “You’re so important to me.”
“Stop macking with my sister and get up here so I can kick your ass!” Cam yells from upstairs.
Both of us chuckle, and I can’t help but love how carefree he looks right now. It’s the look I’ve been craving to see back on his face.
“Go,” I tell him softly, nodding toward the stairs.
His brows furrow. “Are you sure?”
“Definitely. I know you’ve been waiting for him to stop icing you out.”
Hayes beams back at me, kissing me once more and then almost running up to join Cam. Meanwhile, I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face or get the butterflies in my stomach to calm.
I look over at Mali, only to see her smirk and shake her head. “You’re so lovesick, it’s disgusting.”
Laughter bubbles out of me as I flip her off, but there’s no point in denying it. She’s right.
I’m so fucking gone for him.
I always have been.
GROWING UP WITH CAM, the only thing I was ever jealous of was his curfew. Our parents were basically the king and queen of double standards. Cam could do no wrong, while I was grounded if I walked in the door two minutes late. It didn’t matter that I was in the driveway on time. I was late.
As we got older, it got a little better. Not completely—he’s still their favorite despite the fact that he has a criminal record and I don’t—but I stopped being jealous of him and grew to appreciate our bond more.
Until he started hogging my boyfriend.
Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic. He’s not exactly hogging him, but he is getting to spend all Hayes’s free time with him. And I’m just a teeny tiny bit cranky about it. Turns out Hayes isn’t the only one who must have failed sharing in kindergarten.
They’ve spent the last week and a half looking for a location to open their new bar. Every possible hour they have, they’ve been going around with a realtor, and they’ve seen a decent number of buildings. But each one has either been too expensive, was in a shitty area, or wasn’t big enough. So, the search continues, and I stay missing my boyfriend.
Granted, I get nights with him. Either I lie to my parents and tell them I’m sleeping at Mali’s, or my parents assume Hayes is here for Cam, and he climbs through my skylight. But by the end of the day, he’s so exhausted that within a few minutes of wrapping his arms around me, he passes out cold.
He does his best to make it up to me, though—sending me super sweet texts and having flowers delivered to the rink when I’m working. I could’ve done without the kids cooing about the fact that Miss Laiken has a boyfriend, but the gesture was adorable.
And messing with him when I have the chance has been fun, too.
My phone vibrates in my lap as I figure out where to put my little prodigy. She’s ready to move up to the twelve-thirteen class, but both of them are full. I know her parents can’t afford private lessons, so I’m trying to see if there is a way that I can add another time slot for that age group. If she’s the only one in it for now, well, I won’t exactly complain.
Giving myself a break, I open my phone to see a picture from Hayes. They’re at another potential location that’s for sale and I can’t help but cringe.
Is that a blood stain on the floor?
Realtor claims it’s rust.
I chuckle as I type out my response.
I think you need a new realtor.
Another picture comes through, and this time, it’s of a massive bar in the middle of the room. The kind where the bartender stands in the center. It’s a good size, but I don’t really think it’s what he’s looking for.
Sorry, babe. I’m not seeing this place having the right vibe. But sex on that bar could be fun.
😩 What’d you have to say that for? Now I have to buy it.
You are not buying the murder bar. Know your audience.
We’re going to have an audience? I didn’t know you were into voyeurism, baby.
Still got that one-track mind, I see.
Can you blame me? It’s been too long. This search is going to cause me to die from lack of sex.
Snorting, I’m not at all surprised that he’s losing his mind from this. I practically am, too. But I know this is what makes him happy, which makes it worth it for me.
Tell my brother that. Let me know how it goes.
Okay, hold on.
My eyes widen as I rush to text him back.
No!
I was kidding.
Don’t do that.
When he doesn’t answer, I know he’s only fucking with me. It’s only fair that he has to take what he gives.
Well, at least the floor already has one blood stain. One more won’t make much of a difference.
The response I get is in the form of a picture of his face, looking offended. I open my camera and switch it to video, recording myself winking and blowing a kiss at him, only to laugh as I press stop. Shooting him the short video, I try to go back to what I was working on when my phone vibrates four times in a row.
Three things…
1. You’re gorgeous.
2. I’m the luckiest man alive.
and 3. Thank fuck that live wallpaper is a thing.
My cheeks start to ache as my smile won’t fade. This is why all of the distance right now and all the lonely days I’ve spent whining to Mali about missing him, they’re all worth it. Because of this. Because he still manages to make sure I know that I’m one of the most important people in the world to him.
THE SURF SHOP IS dead, which is a little strange for this time of day, but it is approaching the end of summer. Who really wants to buy a surfboard they can only use for a few more weeks?
Hayes is scrolling through more listings that his realtor emailed him while I sit on his lap. If a customer comes in, I’ll move, but for now, I just want to be close to him.
“Ugh,” he groans. “This is not even remotely fun. I’m starting to wonder if trying to make this happen was a bad move.”
I press a kiss to his cheek. “It wasn’t. You just have to keep your eyes on the end game. You have a vision for it, and I’m sure you’ll find the right place eventually.”
He turns to look at me, and I laugh at the way I can read his mind—like how he’s currently thinking that I’m a pain in the ass when I’m right. With a quick kiss, he goes back to looking at his computer and switches to the next listing.
“This one might have some potential.”
It’s a few minutes later when Marc walks in. Hayes’s eyes move to the door for a second then back to the computer. I’ve only seen him a few times at events, but we’ve never actually spoken, and here I am sitting on his employee’s lap while he’s supposed to be working.
I move to get up, but Hayes’s arm tightens around my waist as he holds me in place.
“Hey, Marc,” he greets him.
Marc looks amused by how close we are. “Hey? That’s it? You’re not going to introduce me to your friend?”
Hayes doesn’t look away from the computer as he scrolls through more pictures. “Boss man, girlfriend. Girlfriend, boss man.”
There’s something about the way he says it so naturally that makes my stomach flip while Marc chuckles.
“Oh wow. She really hit the jackpot with you,” he teases Hayes.
I smile sweetly at him. “I’m Laiken.”
Realization crosses his face, and he snaps before pointing at me. “That’s right. You’re Cam’s sister.” I nod in confirmation. “I knew you looked familiar. What are you doing with this idiot?”
Hayes rolls his eyes, making me giggle, and he answers for me. “I’m her pipe dream.”
I whine playfully. “Oh my God, let it go.”
“Absolutely not,” Hayes tells me. “That knowledge does wonderful things for my ego.”
“I’m sure it does, but your ego is big enough. It really doesn’t need anything else.”
Marc chuckles as he watches us, then leans over the counter as Hayes goes back to what he was doing. “What are you looking at that shithole for?”
Hayes’s head drops and he groans. “Well, that rules out that place.”
Closing out of that tab, it only takes a glance at the next one to rule out that one also. There is nothing about boarded up windows with graffiti and a cemetery in the background that screams buy me.
“Care to fill me in?” Marc presses.
Hayes leans back in his seat. “Did my mom tell you that the drunk bastard kicked the bucket?”
Marc’s eyes widen for a moment, but he shakes it off as he snorts. “She told me he passed away, yes.”
“Well, I got some money out of it. Turns out, his gambling ended up being good for something after all,” he tells him. “Cam and I are going to open a bar with it.”
“A bar?” Marc looks intrigued. “What kind of bar? A biker bar? A speakeasy? What are we talking about here?”
Hayes shakes his head. “No, nothing like that. I can’t fully explain it, but I’ve had this picture in my head since I was younger, of this bar. Just a laidback beach bar. Nothing crazy, but a good place to go after a day of surfing or fishing.”
Marc nods as he follows along, but then his expression turns concerned. “Do you know what is entailed in all of that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you can’t just buy a place and open up a bar,” he explains. “There are things you need to do. Steps you need to take. Have you been looking at places where opening a bar is allowed? Making sure it’s a decent distance away from any already existing bars and restaurants?”
Hayes’s brows furrow. “Yes? The realtor is briefed on all that. She’s taking care of it.”
“And what about zoning and planning? Permits? You’re not twenty-one yet. How would you secure a liquor license?”
Suddenly, it’s starting to feel like I’m in the middle of a firing zone. And judging by the way Hayes’s shoulders tense, he’s feeling it too.
“My birthday is like a month away,” he answers. “We wouldn’t be ready to open before that anyway. But why are you giving me the third degree?”
“Because if I’m going to help you with this, I want to be sure you know what you’re getting into,” Marc says. He turns to glance around the surf shop. “This place up to your standards, princess?”
Hayes isn’t even bothered by the nickname. “The surf shop?”
Marc’s head whips over to us. “You mean this isn’t a Chuck-E-Cheese? Yes, the surf shop, dipshit.”
As Hayes taps my leg, we both get up. He walks around to the other side of the counter and leans back against it, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It’s definitely big enough,” he acknowledges. “And the location couldn’t be better. But are you sure you want to close the shop?”
Marc pats Hayes on the shoulder. “Son, I’ve been playing with the idea of closing this one ever since we opened the new one over a year ago. The only reason I left it open was because of you.”
I’ve always heard about the bond these two have, and how Marc stepped up when Hayes’s dad walked out. There were rumors at one point that he was hooking up with Hayes’s mom, but nothing ever became of that. Standing here, though, and seeing how supportive he is of Hayes firsthand, it makes me glad that Hayes has someone like Marc in his life.
“How about this,” Marc says. “You think about it. Talk it over with Cam. Do whatever you have to do. And the three of us will get together Wednesday afternoon to discuss the details.”
Hayes nods. “All right. Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks, Marc.”
“I’ll see you then,” he tells him, then turns to me. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You too,” I reply.
His eyes land on Hayes again and he nods toward me. “Close up early and take her out to dinner.”
Chuckling, Hayes nods. “You got it, boss.”
Marc walks out the door and Hayes goes back to looking around the surf shop—no doubt picturing it all in his head. I come closer and slide my arm around his waist. My head rests against his chest and he mindlessly presses a kiss into my hair.
Thank God for Marc and finally getting my boyfriend back.