Page 13 of When We Were Reckless
But wow, she looked a lot like Alessia Rossi. Was that what he went for? Girls who looked like his ex-girlfriend? This girl looked like a Gianna. Or a Gabriella. Where did she even come from?
And why should I care? I hated Jesse McCallister. So why was my traitorous heart sending my brain all the wrong signals?
“Quinn. What the hell are you doing?” Declan shouted.
I spun around to face him. He threw up his hands, his anger barely contained.
“Do you see this food?” He pointed to the plates sitting on the pass. “It’s been sitting there for five minutes.”
“Do you see this face?” I pointed to my face. “Ask me if I care.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “What’s with the attitude?”
My shoulders slumped, my misplaced anger immediately dissolving. “Sorry. I’m just…” I sighed loudly, expelling all my pent-up frustration.
“Are you feeling okay?” His dark brows furrowed, concern replacing his anger as his eyes flitted over my face. “Why don’t you take a break. Carly can cover for you.”
“I’m okay. I feel fine.” He needed more convincing. I held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor. I was just… doing that thing I do.”
“Daydreaming.”
“Yeah.” I smiled. Better to let him think that than know the truth.
Sometimes Declan was annoying and quick to anger, but I knew this was important to him, and I didn’t want to mess up his beautiful creations by leaving them sitting on the pass for too long. Not like I was being run off my feet like Carly, who had gotten slammed earlier. Unlike me, she was an excellent waitress.
“I’ll do better,” I promised. Declan gave me a skeptical look and shook his head, resigned to the fact that he was stuck with me for the summer.
I grabbed the plates and delivered them to a couple sitting outside. Unfortunately, they ordered two more beers which meant I had to deal with the asshole behind the bar.
I leaned my hip against the end of the bar and drummed my fingers on the wood while I waited for him to stop flashing his smile at the brunette and fill my order.
When he finally set the two draft beers in front of me, I should have taken them and run, but no, I had to open my big fat mouth. “Sorry to interrupt your social hour.”
He gave me a slow, easy grin and leaned his forearm on the bar, getting all up in my space. Even though I wanted to back away, put some distance between us, I forced myself to hold my ground.
Now that I knew how he could flip the switch on his emotions, his smile didn’t look as charming as it used to. In fact, I was completely immune to his charms now.
“You don’t sound too sorry.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t care one way or the other.”
“We went to high school together. So we were pretty close.”
I bet they were. “Good for you. I’m sure you can rekindle that old flame.”
He chuckled, amused, and I wanted to kick myself. Why couldn’t I just walk away? Why did I always have to say too much?
I grabbed the beers, spun around, and slammed right into a wall. Oomph. Holden steadied me with his hands on my upper arms. Beer sloshed over the rims of the pint glasses and onto his T-shirt.
“Jesus, Quinn.” He released me and caught the bar towel Jesse tossed him, wiping it over his wet T-shirt to sop up the beer before he threw it on the bar. “Watch where you’re going.”
“Well, I didn’t expect you to be creeping up on me, did I?”
He sighed and took the beers out of my hands. “Hey man, two beers on the house.”
I turned to look at the guy who had just joined the brunette, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. I recognized him. It was their high school friend, Tanner.
Jesse smirked as he set two new beers in front of me. It took all my self-restraint not to roll my eyes.
