Page 33 of When We Are Falling

“Two beers, please. On my tab.”

Blake’s hands deftly work the taps. “Coming right up.”

I take the drinks. “I’ll be on the roof terrace,” I say, gesturing upstairs. “Can you let him know?”

She holds my gaze a fraction longer. Heat surges between us as it so often does, and IknowI’m not imagining it. “Enjoy.”

I head up the stairs, the sound of the tavern fading as I reach the rooftop. The terrace is almost empty, the lighthouse light slowly flashing in the dusk light, visible in the distance. Moments later, Liam joins me.

“Quiet night,” he remarks, taking a seat across from me.

“Yeah,” I reply, handing him his drink. “Looks like we’re not the only ones struggling at the moment. Good thing we had a bumper last season. ”

We clink our glasses together, the sound a soft chime in the night. As we sip our beers, I can’t help but glance back toward the stairs, where Blake is working the bar. Liam sees me and smirks.

“How is Operation Blake going?” He takes a sip of his beer.

“There have been some interesting developments. But I’m not one to kiss and tell.” I lean back in my chair with a grin.

Liam lets out a cat call and drums his hands on the table, making a scene until I tell him to knock it off. “Alright, alright, calm down. How’s your team going with the oil spill cleanup?”

The humor fades quickly. “Yeah, it’s been a hell of a job. The mayor’s latest announcement wasn’t exactly encouraging either.”

I think back to the email update she sent out this morning. “She said they’re doing everything they can, but the damage is extensive. It’s going to take a lot more time and resources than we initially thought.”

Liam sighs, taking another sip of his beer. “I know. We’ve got to keep the volunteers motivated, though. If we lose them, this whole operation could fall apart. Almost everyone in town is losing money every day. We don’t want to prolong this.”

“Patrick won’t let that happen,” I say firmly. “We’ll keep pushing, keep organizing. We’re making progress, even if it’s slow.”

We chat about our plans to get some skydives booked in for next week, then Liam checks his watch and groans. “I’ve got to head home. Mom wants to have a family dinner tonight.”

“Yeah, I’m heading home soon, too,” I lie, knowing full well I’m staying here. “See you soon, man.”

Liam drains the last of his beer and claps me on the shoulder before heading down the stairs. I finish my beer slowly, savoring the quiet moment. Eventually, I head down with the two empty glasses to find only a couple in the corner finishing their drinks. The place is almost empty, and Blake is cleaning behind the bar.

I lean against the bar, watching her work. “Sent everyone home?” I ask, breaking the silence.

She looks up, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Yeah, can’t afford to pay staff when there are no customers.”

The couple comes over to pay their bill, and soon it’s just Blake and me. She turns to me, raising an eyebrow. “So, how did your business meeting go?”

For a moment, I draw a blank, then remember the excuse I gave her earlier. “Oh, right. It was... productive,” I say, somewhat unconvincingly.

She smirks, pouring us both a drink, before coming around to sit beside me. “Smooth. Real smooth.”

We sit side by side at the bar, the warmth of her leg pressing into mine. The room feels smaller, the air thicker. We’ve both been acting like that night at my house didn’t happen, but enough is enough. I take a sip of my drink before turning to face her.

She raises one eyebrow. “You look serious. Everything okay?”

A swallow. There’s no time like the present, right? Straight, direct and to the point. “Look, I think we need to talk. I know you don’t want a relationship, but I really like you. I’d love to see how things might go between us.”

She stares at me. “It’s not that I’m not attracted to you. Trust me, I’m super attracted to you. It’s just... I’ve got so much going on right now.”

I lean in a little closer. “I get it. Life is messy. Especially with the oil spill. But life is also short. We should see where this goes.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“That’s because it can be. We’ll take it one day at a time. No pressure, no expectations. No labels. Just... us.”

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