Page 36 of Verses

“And discuss the same old shit?”

“Yeah…because something’s gotta change around here.” Before he could get in another dig, I went in the bathroom and combed out my hair. Running the blow dryer and touching up my makeup helped me calm down—but every time I thought about Kyle, my bile grew hot and bubbly in my gut.

So when I left the bathroom, I planned to tell Kyle I was heading to the bar—but he wasn’t there. When I went in the bedroom to get my phone and jacket, I found him on the bed.

Asleep again.

I considered waking his ass up, admonishing him to not be late to practice…but that would have been like poking at a coiled-up rattlesnake—and I was exhausted from all the futile arguing.

That was when the niggling idea started nudging the edge of my brain. Maybe Ididn’tneed Kyle. Maybe we would be happier apart.

Pushing it out of my head, I left the apartment and headed into the cool afternoon. Clouds were gathering over Charlotte, and I wondered if we were about to get our first snowstorm of the season.

It matched my mood.

But as I got closer to The Apothecary and farther from my apartment, my step felt lighter, and it was as if my soul felt like a heavy weight was slipping off.

My head told me that was because of Wolf, but that couldn’t have been it. It had to be because my band was the only good I had going.

Yeah…that made sense. My music, pouring all my shit out into a microphone, creating something out of nothing—thatwas why I felt better suddenly.

That had to be it.

When I walked in, Marv was there again, but no Wolf. That was when my body felt like a balloon losing air.

Maybe Wolfwasthe reason I felt lighter.

“I suppose the little princess wants water with lemon.”

What the hell was his problem? As much as I wanted to give it to him with both barrels, I’d let it all out with Kyle and couldn’t afford to lash out anymore. “I can get it myself if it makes you happy.”

“Actually, itwould.”

Raising an eyebrow, I made my way behind the bar. I’d never been back there before, but it was just as I’d imagined—glasses on multiple shelves and stainless steel refrigerator units, a shelf with a knife and half a lime cut into wedges.

And several taps, all for different varieties of draft beer.

Grabbing a glass, I managed to find the ice, but I wasn’t sure where to get the water, and I stood still, examining everything I saw as I tried to puzzle it out. I worked in a coffee shop, for heaven’s sake. It couldn’t be that hard.

“Get out of here,” Marv all but growled, impatient. “I’ll get it.”

What the hell?

“Youtold me—”

“I know—and I appreciate that you were going to do it yourself.”

He had a funny way of showing it.

I didn’t see Wolf when he came in, but when Marv placed the glass of water on the bar and said, “For the little princess,” he made his presence known.

“Hayley’s the reason you have more than the same three customers with cirrhosis. Instead of calling herprincess, you might want to consider treating her like aqueen.”

A shiver crawled up my spine as I turned to meet Wolf’s emerald eyes. His words warmed both my heart and soul, andalthough I knew the band could draw a crowd, I didn’t know that I was solely responsible for that.

But something in Wolf’s eyes made the air in my lungs evaporate. And what were they telling me?

Marv’s voice cut through, seeming to wake me up. “I ain’t servin’ no royalty, butyoucan feel free anytime you wanna walk behind here.”

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