Page 15 of Lotus

I tap my chin with my forefinger. “Hmm. Stalking one of the staff members for three months might do it.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Casper spits out, rising from his seat. “Stalking is a massive exaggeration.”

“Fine. Stubborn pursual of an unwilling target.”

He curses under his breath, abandoning the drink. “Whatever.”

“And stay out of my bushes!” I call after him, watching as he retreats from the bar.

A smile forms at my small victory, just as Gabe saunters up with his arm wrapped around my sister.Lord help us all.

Clementine reaches for the cocktail, holding it up with gratitude through her wobbly posture. “Thanks, sis!”

She’s impressively intoxicated.

I take another order before turning my attention to my sister and friend. “What are you doing here, Gabe? You left Oliver alone?”

He releases his hold on Clem and perches himself on the vacated bar stool. “Yeah, why? He’s a grown man—he doesn’t need a babysitter. Besides, I think the guy might be smarter than I am. It’s a little creepy… and kind of emasculating.”

“He’s still adjusting. What if he hurts himself?” Anxiety bubbles in my gut at the prospect of Oliver being all alone.

“He likes being alone. And I have a life, Sydney,” Gabe says, folding his hands as he watches me pop open a beer cap. “I’m lucky I’ve been able to work from home for the last few weeks, but I need to go back after break. Oliver will be fine.”

“I just worry.” I hand out the beers, my mood shifting. Oliver’s brush-off filters through my mind as I ring up a tab. “I asked if I could stop by tomorrow to spend time with him, and he said no.”

“No?”

“Yeah… just,no. That was it.”

Gabe blows out a breath, running a hand through his wavy hair. “Bright side: you actually got him to talk. I’ve had shit luck in that department.”

Handing Gabe a complimentary beer, I lean against my elbows and rest my chin on my knuckles. “What do you think happened to him?”

He stares into the spout of the beer as if it holds all the answers. “I don’t have the slightest clue. I’m not sure I even want to know.”

“Yeah…” I nod, a chill coursing through me. “You’re probably right.”

Clem sucks down the Rum Runner in a notable amount of time, then drapes her arm around Gabe, whispering something into his ear.

Weird. Just weird. My sister has been with Nate for almost all of her adult life, so seeing my two worlds collide is verging on awkward.

“You doing okay, Syd?”

Brant saunters over to me, wiping down the counter with a rag and nodding his head in greeting at Gabe and Clem.

My sister gives him “fuck me” eyes, and I let out a sigh. “Peachy. Casper made like a ghost and disappeared.”

Brant almost doubles over with laughter “Shit, Neville. And here I thought you needed me to rescue you.”

I grin, turning my attention to another patron. “Nah. I can take care of myself.”

I lied. I need help.

My hand freezes when I insert the key into the keyhole.

My front door is unlocked, and IknowI locked it behind me. I’m a stickler for safety ever since Casper started lurking in my bushes like a goddamn creeper last year.

Shit.

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