Page 10 of Addicted

“No,“ Liam said, and even though he couldn’t be heard above the crowd, she read his reaction perfectly, bursting into laughter.

“Just stay away from Isaiah, he’s mine.” Her voice rang out easily and she leaned over the stained and sticky bar, signaling the tall, dark-haired, tattooed man behind it to pour them another round.

Liam was fine with staying away from anyone and everyone. Once the drinks were freshened and Marci flitted off, he decided to go outside for some air and it took him ten minutes to squeeze through the patrons before he was out the door and into the night.

There were groups of smokers hovering by the front of the building and a few women huddled around someone who was vomiting onto the sidewalk so Liam walked around the side of the place, leaning against the white-painted brick and enjoying the solitude as he stared up at the stars.

He didn’t know how long he was out there before a side door swung open a few feet away, startling him.

“Oh, sorry.” The barback from before appeared, the door slamming behind him with a metallic bang. “I was just takin’ a break.”

Liam didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to hang around the guy but he didn’t want to rudely walk away so he stood there, awkwardly quiet and hesitant.

“Bad night?” Barback settled against the opposite wall.

Liam didn’t know what came over him but he smiled grimly. “Bad life.”

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” Barback said in the same self-deprecating way. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tilted them toward Liam who blinked, shaking his head.

Barback helped himself, lighting up and taking a deep drag. Blowing the smoke out the side of his mouth he shifted, holding out his hand.

“I’m Zach.”

Liam tried to ignore Zach’s dirty fingernails as he shook the offered hand, hoping that he hadn’t waited too long to take it.

“Liam.”

“Listen, Liam, I didn’t mean to stare in there but you look like you’re having a rough time.” Zach reached into a different pocket than the one he pulled his smokes from. “And I usually don’t give freebies but…here.”

He extended his arm, wanting Liam to reach out and take whatever he held in his fist.

“Wh-What is that?” Liam suddenly felt more uncomfortable than he did inside.

“Some Vicodin.” Zach gave him a wicked grin. “Trust me, it makes the world a better place. Or at least it seems like a better place for a little while.”

“Uhhh,” Liam took a step toward the front of the bar. “I, a-appreciate the offer but I don’t do drugs.”

“They’re just fives,” Zach shrugged, still holding out his arm. “And I don’t like seeing someone as pretty as you be so sad.”

Liam tried not to raise an eyebrow; it surprised him that despite how washed-out and depressed he looked, he still got hit on. More than one drunk wedding guest had asked for his number but this was the first time a drug dealer offered him a freebie because of his looks.

“Fives?” Liam echoed, wary and wanting to leave.

“Yeah, fives are the weakest. They’ll only make you feel good for a few hours, nothing fancy.”

Liam’s mind stopped planning the quickest way home and instead began to wonder what it would be like to feel good for a few hours. He couldn’t remember the last time that he did.

“You’re think-in’ about it...” Zach sang smugly.

This whole thing was bad news and Zach’s weird energy was making Liam nervous but, to be fair, hewasthinking about it.

“Okay,” Liam said, taking the pills, which felt small and solid in his hand. It was a means to end the conversation and get away from Zach, and Liam would throw the things away as soon as he got home. He definitely would.

“Take this too,” Zach handed him a white business card with a phone number printed on the front in blue. “That’s my cell, in case you want more. I have seven-fives, tens, and oxys too if you want something stronger.”

Liam stared at the card.

“Thank you but I think I’ll be fine with these.”

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