Infatuated (26 page)

Dave pulled me close and hugged me. “I’m so sorry, Ally. For everything.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“Are you sure you want to work? I know it’s your last shift, but you can take it off.”

“Yeah. I don’t mind.” I needed something to keep me occupied since everything else was done. Time was the one thing I had too much of and it led to too many bad things, like thinking. Like crying.

“You’re coming back before you leave, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll stop in before I drive away into the mid-afternoon sun.”

“Okay.” Dave nodded. “I’ll go man the bar and give you two a minute to talk.”

“Thanks, Dave.”

He nodded and walked out.

Laura, who was still pouting and looked suspiciously on the verge of tears, said, “Have you heard from…you know.”

The other unmentionable name. “No.” I hadn’t seen or talked to Kale since I left his house the day after my apartment had been vandalized. I texted him a few days ago to let him know I was leaving but I never heard back from him. It was probably for the best. I wasn’t sure I could look at him without crying.

“I can’t believe he didn’t call or text or come by.”

I couldn’t either, but it was his decision. “He wanted out. He got out.” When my tone came out cold and bitter sounding, I set my shoulders back and plastered on the biggest smile I could manage. “Anyway. Are you going to be here to see me off?”

“Of course,” she said, grinning. “I’ve always wanted to see someone drive off into a mid-afternoon sun.”

“You’re from Texas. Haven’t you seen a lot of those?”

“Only on TV.”

I laughed. “I’m going to miss you, Laura.”

“I’m gonna miss you, too.”

“Has Dave found you a replacement yet?”

“Not yet. Soon, I hope. Or he’ll be manning the bar a lot more often than he wants to, that’s for sure.”

“Well, get out of here and enjoy your night off, then. You might not get another for a while. You know he’ll talk you into working on your nights off if he can.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” She gave me another hug. “Have a good night, okay? Get some rest. You’ve got a long drive tomorrow.”

“I will. See you then, Laura.”

“Night, Ally Cat.”

I flinched.

“Shoot. That’s what K—he calls you. Sorry, it’s catchy.”

“It’s okay. Now go before I change my mind and make you stay with me.”

“Gone!”

I laughed as she all but skipped out of the room, and then I gave myself a minute before moving. I looked around at the shelves of supplies and stacks of booze, Dave’s minuscule office. Even with everything that had happened, I’d miss this place. The noise, the scents, and even some of the people. The work, tiring and frustrating though it could be.

This was my last night. Tomorrow, I would leave town unhappy, but I would leave town alive, without Earl to worry about. So tonight, I would make the most of it. I was going to leave with a smile on my face and good memories, because I was leaving everything else behind.

Taking a deep breath, I held it in for a moment, exhaled, and headed out front.

Sounds and lights exploded around me. Someone turned on the jukebox, and then confetti rained down on me as a banner fell over the door in bright, red letters.
We’ll miss you, Ally!

Fighting a smile, I shook my head. “I thought I said no surprises. I thought you guys agreed.”

Laura smiled smugly.

Max pushed through the crowd and wrapped an arm around me. “Since when do we listen to you?”

I leaned into her, glad she was here.

“We agreed we wouldn’t have a going away party last week,” Dave said, looking up from pouring a round of shots. “Hence why we’re having it now.”

I walked over to him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Dave.”

“Thank Laura. She’s the mastermind behind all of this. I still can’t figure out how she hid everything.”

“It’s all an illusion,” she said, making weird motions with her hands. “And some duct tape.”

“Hey,” Max said. “I helped, too.”

Smiling, Laura nodded. “That you did, young Padawan.”

I laughed. “I knew you two were sneaky. But you, Dave? That I didn’t realize.”

Dave winked at Laura. “I had a good teacher.” He slid a shot glass over to me, then raised one in his hand. “To Ally.” Everyone turned to face me and quieted down. “May your legs always carry you where you need to go with your heart leading the way.”

The people with beer and shot glasses lifted them to me. “To Ally!” they said in unison and then downed their drinks.

My eyes heated, so I busied myself with doing the same. I laughed and twisted the glass in my hand before setting it back down. Fixing Dave with a hard stare, I leaned against the counter. “Water? Really?”

He shrugged. “Hey, you’re working tonight. The rest of us were smart enough to take it off.”

“Maybe I should call in after all,” I said, then I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Too late now.”

I shook my head at him and glanced at the door as it opened. Debbie and Rob came in. My heart flipped in my chest, then flopped. No Kale.
This is what we both wanted
.

“Hey guys,” I said, my pitch higher than normal.

They waved and took seats in front of me.

“How’s it going?”

“Good.” Debbie smiled. “Max told us you were here, so we figured we’d stop by. I wanted to make sure I saw you before you left.”

“Appreciate it.” I smoothed my hands over the apron. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”

“Couple of beers would be nice.”

“Sure.” I turned for glasses and let out a breath. My hands were shaking and sweaty now. Me and Debbie had hung out a few times over the last few weeks, though neither of us mentioned Kale. Seeing her then had been hard because I was so used to seeing them together, but now it was even harder. She and Rob were here. Kale wasn’t.

Knowing the breakup was what we both wanted and needed didn’t make it easier. It didn’t make the pain any more tolerable.
And thinking about it is not going to help.

When I finished making their beers, I smiled. “Here you go.” My hands still shook as I set the beers in front of them and beer sloshed up. “Sorry. I’m klutzy tonight.”

Debbie grabbed my hand. Her expression softened. “Ally—”

I shook my head. That was the same look Max and Laura had been giving me since I told them about the breakup. The pity look. I hadn’t handled it well before and I couldn’t handle it now. Especially tonight. “I’m okay,” I said, more for my own sake than hers.

“He’s a fucking idiot,” she muttered angrily.

“He did what he needed to do, just like I am.”

“What he needs is you, he’s just too stupid to admit it.” When Rob looked away, Debbie elbowed him. “What? You’re his best friend, why haven’t you told him so?”

Rob held his hands up. “I’m on your side here, and I did tell him as much. I can’t help it if he locked himself in his place and didn’t listen.”

Their words helped, because at least they thought I was good enough for him, even if he didn’t. “Thanks, you two, but really, it’s okay.”

Or it would be, starting tomorrow when I didn’t have hear things and see people who reminded me of him.
Fourteen hours.
In less than fourteen hours, things would be different. They would be better. They had to be.

They couldn’t get any worse.

A
fter an hour, everyone who’d come for the going away party left, including Debbie and Rob who gave me hugs, well wishes, and a list of uncomplimentary adjectives for Kale.

At closing, I flipped the sign to Closed, shut and locked the front door, and then just stood there looking around. Before he left, Dave told me not to bother cleaning and to just go home and get some sleep, but it didn’t feel right leaving a mess on his hands to clean up. Besides, what else did I have to do? Go home and think of Kale? Stare at my empty apartment? Thanks, but no thanks.

Laura and the others always wanted out the second their shifts ended, but that’d never been me—at least not until I’d met Kale. Before, I’d always thought there was something soothing about cleaning to wind down from a hectic shift.

I turned on the jukebox for sound, then cleaned and scrubbed everything, took out bags of trash, washed dozens of glasses, and restocked what needed stocked. And then I sat at the counter, beer in hand, and relaxed as the music played.

When I’d sipped the last of my beer and washed the glass, I sighed. There was nothing left for me here, which meant it was time to leave.

I left Dave a note and a five-dollar bill for the beer, tucking both into the register. I gathered my purse and turned off the lights. At the security panel, with my fingers hovering over the buttons, I hesitated. This was really it, the last time I’d turn of the alarm off or on, the last time I’d lock the doors.

God, I was going to miss this place.

My eyes heated as I set the alarm and ran out. My fingers shook as I turned the key. The sound of the lock sliding into place seemed to punctuate the finality of my plans. “Well, when one door locks, another one opens. Or something,” I muttered under my breath, wiping my eyes.

Why had I agreed to work? Why hadn’t I just said goodbye to everyone tonight and saved myself the heartache of a long, drawn-out goodbye tomorrow? How pissed would Laura and Dave be if I just left town tonight? I could text them and hit the road now. I wasn’t tired, so I could probably get in a few hours driving before I had to stop—

Headlights flashed behind me and I spun around. They were bright, blindingly so, and I could barely see anything. I raised my arm to cover the worst of it. And then I wished I hadn’t, because what I saw had my blood running cold.

Earl’s truck.

CHAPTER 21

M
y breath froze in my lungs and I couldn’t move. My mind whirled with orders to run, to call for help, to scream, shout, do something, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t get my legs to obey any of those commands.

My heart raced, knocking against my ribs like it was trying to burst through my chest.

The driver’s side door of the truck opened and Earl stepped out. He took a lazy step forward. A small smile twisted his lips. “Pretty girl like you shouldn’t be alone at night. Never know who you’re gonna meet.”

I stared blankly. I opened my mouth to call for help but words wouldn’t form. Call. Phone. If I could get to it… Slowly, trying not to draw attention to myself, I reached into my bag for my phone. It worked, or at least I thought it had, before Earl shook his head with an amused smile on his face.

I noticed the bag over his shoulder first, then saw the glint of metal in his hand. A knife.

“I’ll take that,” he said and snatched the phone from my fingers. “You won’t be needing it just yet.”

“I—my—my boyfriend’s on his way to pick me up. He’ll be here—”

Earl laughed. “Kale? Is that the boyfriend you’re talking about? The one you haven’t seen in weeks?” He laughed again. “Don’t you think I’ve kept a better eye on you than that?” He shook his head again and his eyes went dark. “We’re going to talk about him, but first, get inside.”

I didn’t move.

I watched his grip tighten around the knife. He brought it forward, just an inch, but it was enough to have me jumping back. “Inside, Ally. Don’t make me ask you twice.”

He was going to kill me. The thought raced through my mind. I’d made a liar of myself earlier, because I wasn’t leaving town, and I wasn’t going to leave alive.

I either died out here, on the concrete in front of the bar, or I…did something else, tried to get help, tried to buy time. Something.

“Now!”

I jumped at his words and ended up smacking the door with my hand. Pain shot up my arm but I unlocked the door and it pushed it open. Earl shoved me inside and slammed the door behind him.

“Turn off the alarm.” His eyes were like ice. “Try anything stupid and I’ll gut you where you stand.”

“What do—what do you want?” My voice shook uncontrollably, just like my hands as I punched in the code.

That twisted smile was back. “I have what I want.”

“People will look for me.”