Page 3 of After the Vows

I wave away their concerns. “I won’t get arrested. I have an ‘in’ with the police.”

Paisley slides her glasses up her nose. “I don’t think Sophia will appreciate you using her brother to get out of trouble.”

“Good thing Sophia’s not here then, isn’t it?” I fire back.

Although Sophia is one of the original founders ofFive Fathoms,she doesn’t live on the island with us. She’s a hotshot marketing exec in Atlanta now.

Maya clears her throat. “But she will be soon.”

Ah, yes. Sophia isn’t a hotshot in Atlanta anymore. She got fired from her job because some asshole stole her work. I volunteered to give him a lesson in stealing but Sophia said she was moving back to Smuggler’s Hideaway.

“I can’t wait for her to come home.” I rub my hands together as I imagine all the fun times we’ll have. “She’s been away too long.”

Maya sighs. “I can’t wait until she falls in love.”

I frown. “This is not some romance book. Sophia is not going to fall in love with the man who caused her to flee the island in the first place.”

Sophia didn’t merely leave Smuggler’s Hideaway. She fled when the boy she was crushing on humiliated her. It’s a long story but it’s her story to tell.

Paisley clears her throat. “Let’s make sure there is a company for Sophia to work for when she returns.”

I roll my eyes. “Five Fathoms Brewingwill be here. Some asshole who thinks it’s okay to grab a woman when she refuses to give him her phone number isn’t going to destroy us.”

“Chloe’s beauty strikes another man down,” Nova says.

I lock my limbs to stop myself from flinching at the word beauty. I don’t want to be beautiful. I don’t want anything to do with beauty. Beauty is the only thing my mother cared about.

And the lengths she went to, to ensure I was thin – because only thin people are beautiful in her opinion – still give me nightmares.

“I’m not beautiful,” I deny and Nova immediately backpedals.

“Sorry, Chloe.”

I wave away her excuse. My friends know all about my mom. Mostly. There’s no reason to bring up the past. It’s dead and buried.

“I need to get the schedule for next week finished.”

Paisley steps toward the door. “We’ll let you return to your work.”

She leaves and Nova follows her. Maya shuffles toward me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Customers can be assholes. It’s part of the job if you’re working as a bartender.”

She bites her bottom lip as she hesitates. Maya is a shy thing. We’ve known each other for twenty-five years. We’ve been through our first periods together, our first kisses together, and numerous heartbreaks together. But still. She’s hesitant.

“What is it?”

“I want to make sure you’re not feeling sad after being reminded of your mom.”

I force a smile on my face. Thinking about my mom doesn’t make me sad. It makes me mad. But Maya doesn’t understand. She still yearns for the love of her family despite how they treated her.

“I promise I’m okay Maya.”

“Mermaid promise?” Mermaids are considered sacred on Smuggler’s Hideaway. Breaking a mermaid promise is one of the worst things you can do.

I nod. “Mermaid promise.”

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