Page 53 of Safe With Me

“I was just telling her how I’ve known Mike since we were four years old,” Amber said with a sly smile.

“I’m hoping she has good stories I can bother him with later.”

“If you want them all, plan on being here until closing time.” Amber laughed.

“Don’t embarrass Mike in front of Lila.” Claudia gave Amber a playful swat on her arm. “I’m sure he only wants her to know the good stuff.”

She shifted to leave when someone called her name across the room, throwing me a sneaky glance over her shoulder as she made her way to them.

“She’s right,” Amber said as she wiped down the bar. “I’m sure Mike would kill me if I told you anything really embarrassing.”

“I hope that doesn’t mean you’re going to hold back now. It’s nice that you’ve known each other that long.”

“When I moved back after my divorce, starting all the way over, he was a lifesaver. Especially when all my old friends were too paired up to deal with my relationship grief.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. And I get what you mean. I have an ex back in Philly who screwed up my friends and some family in the same way. I came to Kelly Lakes pretty much on my own, other than Claudia.”

“I came back to Kelly Lakes solo and still am.” Her pink-glossed lips turned down in a frown. “Sucks either way.”

“So both of us came here for sort of the same reason,” I said, taking a long sip from my glass.

“Did your ex leave you for your coworker too?” she asked, huffing out a laugh.

“No.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “And that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

She lifted a shoulder. “Happens, right?”

“It does. I was the one who broke up with him. And he wouldn’t accept it until I had to move out of state to get away from him and the mess he’d made of my life.”

I wasn’t sure he’d accepted it, but I didn’t know Amber well enough to go into the whole past, and possibly current, stalking story.

“Shit.” Amber’s eyes grew wide. She reached under the bar and pulled out two shot glasses. “You like Patrón?”

“Sure,” I said, eyeing her as she filled both glasses.

“On me. To being displaced and single. May we embrace the new beginnings.”

“I will drink to that.” I clinked my glass with hers and downed the shot in one gulp. Warmth spread through my chest as the liquor left a burning trail down my throat.

I had an odd sense of envy toward Amber. An ex had led her back to Kelly Lakes too, but she was sure he’d stay gone.

Rejection sucked, but it was a hell of a lot better to deal with than fear.

After a couple of hours of chatting with Amber between customers and listening to stories of Mike that were more cutethan embarrassing enough to tease him about, I was ready to call it a night.

“Want me to walk you to your car?” Claudia asked after I hugged her goodbye.

“No, I’m good. Part of the whole venturing out at night experience. I parked close.”

“Text me when you get home.” She pointed at me as she headed to the back room.

“I can walk you out,” Amber said. “It’s my break time anyway. Some air would be nice.”

“I don’t know if this air counts as nice,” I joked as I held the front door open for her. “I thought fall was coming early a couple of weeks ago, but now we’re back to the heat.”

The humidity was still as stifling after the sun went down, and the street was unnervingly quiet.

“Yeah, the air conditioning is nicer than this.” Amber examined my face. “Are you okay? You seem nervous.”

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