Page 31 of All Along

Gotta go. See you tomorrow.

I stuff my phone in my back pocket.

“I got it,” I say as I accept the tray from Chloe.

She brushes the hair off of her forehead. “It’s crazy out there. I’ve never seen it this busy.”

I snort. “What did you think would happen when you came up with a bunch of games with beer prizes?”

Smugglers are competitive enough. Add in a beer prize and they go absolutely all out nuts. Naturally, all of the games are rowdy, too. There’s a tug-of-war between smugglers and mermaids, a mermaid storytelling contest, and the best mermaid-inspired cocktail contest.

“I honestly didn’t think people would dress up as smugglers and mermaids and spend the entire night before the tug-of-war daring each other to drink.”

I giggle. “I don’t know why not. It’s exactly what you would have done.”

She shrugs. “True.”

The dishwasher beeps to let me know it’s finished. I open it and Chloe grabs the tray of glasses.

“Thanks.” She rushes away but spins around before she reaches the door. “You okay in here by yourself?”

My brow furrows. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“It’s a party out there and you’re in here.”

“And?”

“Flynn and Lucas are here, too.”

“And Nova and Hudson are home because she just had her baby.” They named her Iliana. The name is derived from the Greek wordilis, meaning bright. It’s the perfect name since Hudson’s nickname for Nova is Sunshine. “What’s your point?”

“I feel bad you’re all by yourself.”

“You feel bad? Are you sick? Do I need to phone the doctor? Wild child Chloe is worried about someone else’s feelings.”

She glares at me. “I worry about other people.”

I know she does. She used to hide how she cared about other people, but Lucas and his daughter Natalia have changed her. I’m happy for her. I’m also a bitch for trying to steer the subject away from my own preference for being alone.

“Sorry.”

“Chloe!” someone shouts from the bar area.

“Shit. I need to go. Promise me you’ll let me know if you want some company.”

I don’t hesitate since I know I won’t want any company. The only company I want is a man who prefers to hide away in his cabin all alone. He’ll probably become more of a hermit after the restaurant incident. He’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’ll let him hide.

“Promise.”

She studies me for a moment before nodding. “I’m holding you to your promise.”

She hurries away and I return to the dishes. Chloe excels at her position as the restaurant and bar manager forFive Fathoms Brewing,but she’s horrible at stacking glasses for the dishwasher.

The door to the kitchen bangs open and I whirl around with a smile on my face. Chloe must really be worried about me.

The smile freezes on my face. It’s not Chloe. Three people I hoped never to come across again stumble into the kitchen.

Harry, Alan, and Joe – aka the three boys who made my life living hell in junior high school. Harry and Alan are brothers and Joe is their sidekick because every group of bullies needs a sidekick.

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