Page 64 of Crashing Waves

Tony’s Bar really was, as the guy at the motel had put it, a hole-in-the-wall.

It was dark, almost too dark to see clearly, and the place gave me an overall sensation of being dirty the second I walked through the door. But I approached the bar, where a few very loud, very rowdy drunk guys stood. They didn’t bother to lower their volume when I came to stand beside them and leaned against the bar’s surface, shining beneath the dim lights.

The bartender approached, threw a rag over his shoulder, and asked what I’d like, and I told him I’d heard he served some really great burgers. He nodded with a proud smile, handed over a menu I could hardly read in the lack of light, then put in my order, shouting above the raucous laughter coming from beside me.

“You got it, boss,” the bartender said. “And don’t worry about paying. It’s on the house.”

I narrowed my eyes, startled. “What?”

The guys beside me quieted then as the bartender said, “Thank you for your service, soldier.” He tipped his chin and tapped the bar top with his knuckles before turning and heading toward what I assumed was the kitchen.

One of the drunk guys turned to face me. He had a mean look in his red-rimmed eyes—wild and unhinged—and he said with a sneer, “I guess being a murderer andmooching off the government gets you free food ‘round here. Huh. Who knew?”

One of the other guys growled, grabbed him by his shoulder, and yanked him back. “Shut the hell up, Ritchie,” he groaned. Then he looked around Ritchie and muttered, “Sorry.”

The apology didn’t quite touch his eyes, and I assumed he wasn’t that sorry at all. Still, I nodded and went to find a seat—somewhere far away from Ritchie and his little group of loud, inebriated friends.

The booth I settled on was in the farthest corner from the bar, which also made it the darkest. But it was the most secluded in the whole establishment, so I sat and immediately took my phone from my pocket to call Laura.

“Hello?”

I smiled at the sound of her voice. God, it was good to hear her—when was the last time I had? I could hardly remember now—time had passed in strange succession overseas—and I felt my shoulders sag with something I could only describe as relief.

“Hey, it’s your knight in shining armor. Finally on American soil.”

“Oh, hi, Max,” she replied quietly,distantly, and my spine went rigid.

Something was off. Something felt weird. She was lacking the breathless flirtation I was used to hearing in her tone. She didn’t sound happy. She had been the last time I talked to her, but—fuck, why couldn’t I remember when that had been? A couple of months ago? Maybe even longer?

I ran my finger in circles over the tabletop, gleaming in the dim bulb I sat beneath. “Yeah, so I was thinking we could—"

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she was quick to interject.

My tongue poked the inside of my cheek as a hot, raging fire, built on envy and anger, was fast to ignite beneath my skin. She was turning me down. And the only reason she’d have to turn me down was—

“So, what’s his name?” I asked, an icy bite in my tone.

“Brett,” she replied without hesitation, and I recognized it.

That was the guy she’d gone out on a date with years ago. The one who had kissed her. The one she hadn’t felt sure about. And she was … what? Dating him now? Suddenlysure? Did she love him? Did she love him more than she loved me?

I sniffed a spiteful laugh, devoid of all comicality, and shrugged as if she could see the gesture. “Okay,” I replied, not even trying to hold back my condescension.

“Okay? That’s all you have to say?”

I huffed, humorless and bitter. “What else do you want me to say, Laura?”

“I don’t know! I thought you’d be more …”

“What?Upset?” I shrugged again, ignoring the sensation of my heart being crushed beneath the weight of my despair. “Why would I be upset? I always knew this would happen. We both knew what we were.”

Her end of the phone line was silent for a moment, and the bartender brought my burger and fries out to me, along with a frosty glass full of beer.

“Enjoy, man,” he said quietly, tapping his fingertips against the tabletop.

I smiled gratefully and nodded in lieu of a verbal response as I waited for Laura to say something,anything, even when all I wanted was to hang up and pretend this conversation never happened.

Fuck! I could barely talk to another woman without feeling guilty. How the hell could she kiss someone else? God, was she fucking him too?!

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