Page 8 of Capturing Hearts

Chapter Seven

Brendan

If Christiano is still in the bathroom, I’m going to challenge him to a duel.

My arm brushes hers as I pass. The sting of need to touch her again fires into me, but it’s eclipsed by the anger that’s back in full force. Anger at her lie. Anger at meeting her ex. Anger at not being able to hate him. Anger at wanting her so badly, despite all of it.

Anger at being put in this position and not knowing how to break out of it.

Mark said to fight for her. How the fuck am I supposed to do that?

She walks behind the bar, chewing her lip. “Can I get you something?” Her voice is shaky.

I glance to Tommy, if only to stop staring at her. “Lagavulin?” He nods, his eyes hard. I can’t remember the last time he said something. As soon as she turns her back to get the bottle, I cut my eyes to him to tell him to cut it out. He glares from her to me and when he sees my expression, he struggles and shifts his body on the stool, trying to relax. I’ve seen loyalty, but this is fucking ridiculous. It’s not like she cheated on me. I’m the one that ended it and while I would have liked it to have not been THE NEXT DAY she got back together with her ex, I can’t blame anyone but myself.

Tommy’s shoulder shifts as he cracks his neck.

She flashes a tenuous smile to me as she pours into three glasses. “I need one for myself,” she laughs, the sound strained and nervous.

“How’ve you been?” I mutter, feeling lame.

She glances my way, and stops pouring. “Okay. You?”

“Great,” I lie. “Really great.” She nods and starts pouring again, her eyes locked on the glass for focus. This is nuts. What are we doing?

She glances to both of us, lays the bottle on the counter, and hands Tommy a glass. He drinks without waiting for a toast. She and I both follow his lead, looking at each other awkwardly. Suddenly, I wish he wasn’t here. I want to talk about everything. I need to–

“What do you think of the patio?” she asks, flicking her eyes to it as she shifts her weight on her feet. Tommy and I both look.

“It’s good,” Tommy manages, which draws Annie’s smile his way.

“Yeah? Thank you, Tommy. Brendan, it was your idea, do you like how it turned out?”

I nod, relieved to have something neutral to focus on. “It looks great. Really great. I brought these for you.” I put the plans on the counter in between us, and slide them over. “I guess you don’t need them anymore, though.”

“That’s okay,” she offers, quickly. “I can keep them as a souvenir.”

I smile, loving that she said that; that we think alike. I stare, transfixed, aching for her as she pulls a lock of hair behind her ear and smiles up at me from underneath her eyelashes. Fuck. It’s like she glows.

Tommy and I both watch as she walks out from behind the bar, saying, “I’m sorry. I forgot to lock the door. Hang on.” She smiles apologetically, and jogs over. “It’s not like he’d come back a second time, but…better to be safe than sorry.”

Tommy leans his elbows on the counter, brings his glass to his lips and downs it. He holds the glass in both hands, his fingers tight. I glance over to him, surprised that he sucked that down so fast. It was a five-finger pour. The corners of my eyes tighten as I take in his face. He looks like he’s about to fight. Being a man, I know the look all too well. He’s got that look. I scan his body and it’s tight. If he were a rattlesnake, we’d hear the warning rattle.

Annie senses something, too. She’s walking back to us from the door, but she’s carefully glancing from him to me. We exchange a look.

“Tommy? You alright?” I ask, slowly.

Annie watches him put the glass down, and freezes, staring at his hand, her face turning white as her mouth falls open. “It was you!”

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