Page 55 of Untethered Heart
“Are you doing anything else tonight?” she asks, a blush filling in her cheeks, and it’s cute as fuck. “Maybe you can stay and talk?”
“I would love to.”
“Lex, have we got more elderflower syrup?” The bartender who served me before plucks a lime wedge from a container beside Lex.
“Yeah, I’ll go get it.” When she looks back at me, I feel like I’m floating.
With a sweet grin, she takes off down the bar and out of sight, and I stay right where I am.
I sit at that bar for another three hours, taking pieces of Lex’s time when she’s not jumping into serve or filling in whatever manager duties are demanded of her, hopelessly in awe of the person she is. Until the bartenders announce last call, and I reluctantly pull my numb arse off the seat.
While Lex is distracted, directing staff in various tasks that need to be done as they prepare to close, I reach over the counter and snatch a pen. There’s a stack of napkins beside me, so I take one of those too and start scribbling out a note.
Siren,
Thank you for a wonderful night, friend.
Same time tomorrow?
Caleb x
Chapter twenty-eight
I haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face for the last week. Ever since Caleb started coming into Hallucinogens for every one of my shifts.
He’s claimed the last seat at the end of the bar, orders a drink and watches me work. When I’m not needed, I find a reason to creep down to his side and talk to him, learning everything I can about the real Caleb.
Every Sunday, without fail, his family has dinner at his grandparents’ house. He says it was his favourite time of the week, until recently. Now it shares a top spot for the nights he comes to visit me.
I’ve never met anyone who speaks of their family with such pride. Everything he does is for them. He does it happily, but it’s also painfully obvious that he doesn’t do much for himself. Something I’m familiar with. My dad’s not here to see it, but talking to Caleb makes me face a question. Is it possible to do things for others that are also for ourselves? Isn’t everything we know about a parent’s love that, at the end of the day, they just want us to be happy?
To have all the best things in life, no matter what that may look like?
If Dad were still here, would I even want to be involved with the tavern? Would Dylan and Dad be running it together? That’s a nice thought.
One thing’s for sure, I’d still be down south in Killara Bay. I would never have met Claire. Or Caleb.
I love my life in Heart City, but I also miss the ease of my small beach town. Seeing my brother all the time.
I really do love learning about business. Building Legacy Malt with Dylan feels right, but the idea of leaving the city is starting to feel like less of a certainty.
It’s only a two-hour drive away, so it’s not like I’d never come back. It’ll be different not seeing Claire every day. Although things are changing for her, too.
“Lex?” The lingering way Lee calls my name makes me think it’s not the first time he’s said it.
“Sorry.” I chuckle. “What’s up?”
“Can you pass me the snow peas, please?”
I grab the bowl beside my chopping board and hand it over. Lee starts cutting them and adds them to the wok where he’s cooking all the vegetables for our curry.
“Hey, I wanted to ask you something,” Lee whispers, keeping his eyes down where he’s stirring.
I look up at Claire, comfortably lazing on the couch while she scrolls through movie titles before talking through the side of my mouth. “Yeah?”
“Has Claire ever been to Queens Coast?”
Queens Coast is a city on the other side of the country, known for its crystal beaches, coral reefs, and islands that dot the shore.
