Page 19 of Top Shelf

Sure,I text back almost too quickly.I was about to leave anyway. You know I can’t be around Debbie that long.

Lol, good ol’ Deb. Where ya headed?

Probably the coffee shop.

I’ll meet ya there,he texts back, and my stomach flips.I don’t have a class this period.

Cool.

And in two seconds, I’m pulling a sweater on, slipping into my boots, and heading out the door.

A few minutes later, I’m pulling up to Cool Beans coffee shop. This place has been my little haven since I moved back. I picked up a few shifts to make some extra cash while I feverishly apply to every job possible, I have unlimited access to the best iced coffee in Maryland, and best of all, I’m away from my parents. It’s a win-win-win.

But today, when I notice Tyson’s truck parked in the lot, butterflies swirl around in my stomach. I walk through the door, and Livia, the barista who trained me and also makes me my vanilla cold brew every morning, gives me a smile.

“Morning, sunshine,” she says. She’s got long black braids with strands of blue and purple mixed in. She wears thick eyeliner, has both eyebrows pierced, and a tattoo on her neck. She’s probably ten years younger than me, but she’s been my saving grace since I got back here. One of the few friendly faces who is actually happy to see me.

“Morning,” I say.

“It’ll be right up,” she says, wiping her hands off on a towel and moving around behind the counter.

“You’re the best, Livia,” I tell her. Then my eyes meet his, sitting at a table at the back corner of the shop. Other than an older gentleman in a suit, typing away on his laptop with headphones in, the shop is empty.

I slip my jacket off and fold it over my arm, making my way to him. I slide into the seat across from him, putting my things down in the empty chair beside me. When I look down at the table, I notice there are already two drinks on it.

“I ordered you a decaf with just cream,” he says with a shrug. “Wasn’t sure if that was still your go-to.”

I smile.

“Her go-to is iced these days,” Livia says, putting the other drink down in front of me. She gives me a suspect look as she eyes Tyson, then hides a smirk as she walks away.

“Ah,” he says. “Tastes change, I guess.”

I look up at him.

Notalltastes.

“So,” I say, taking a sip of the iced coffee, putting it down, then taking a sip of the hot coffee that he got me, “what did Levi have to say?”

He smiles at me.

“You don’t have to drink that,” he says. I shrug.

“These days, I need all the caffeine I can get.”

He laughs.

“Amen to that,” he says, taking a sip of his own. “Anyway, uh…so, apparently, in order for a board member to be removed, he has to be voted out by the other members of the board and the president, which would be Levi. Obviously, if it came down to it, Levi would vote in favor of it, but he says that since Hayden has pledged so much money, it’ll be really hard to convince the others. Especially since there’s no record of him reallydoinganything.”

I feel my heart beating so hard in my chest it takes my breath away. I grab my necklace and swirl the charm around, tapping my fingernails on the table. That feeling of fear, of absolute dread, that I might not ever be free of Hayden starts to creep in. My leg starts to bounce, and then I feel Tyson’s hand slide up my thigh. Suddenly, everything freezes, and I’m locked on him.

“I got you, Blackwell,” he says. His face is serious, sincere. “We will figure out a way to get rid of this fucker. But until then, he will think you are as off-limits as you can possibly be.”

I swallow.

“Why?” I whisper. He cocks his eyebrow.

“Why?”

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