String Beans (The Girls of Beachmont #2) (29 page)

I could feel him against me, and it was enough to
shove all of the worries out of my mind, leaving only him and me.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “We don’t have to do
this tonight.”

“You don’t want to sleep with me?” I asked,
suddenly alarmed.

He exhaled loudly and then kissed me once before answering.
“I think we both know I want to.”

I ran my fingers from his shoulders, down his back
until they reached his waist and I pulled him against me. Our breaths mingled
in the air between us before he slowly pushed into me.

Words…so many words wanted to come out, but I kept
my mouth shut by kissing him and focusing on anything to keep them tucked
safely inside as we continued making love.

The last thing I remembered hearing as I fell
asleep in his arms that night was the whisper of those words when he thought I
couldn’t hear them. I squeezed my eyes a little tighter and waited for sleep to
take over.

WYATT

“I’m so nervous,” Vi kept saying over again.

“It’s just a coffee shop,” Callie said. “No one’s
going to sign you tonight.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“You’re going to do fine,” Kirk said to her. “Just
do it like we rehearsed.”

I didn’t like that they’d spent the afternoon
after we had sex working on something that seemed to be deeply personal. She had
sent me a few flirty texts, but until she came into the coffee shop that night,
I hadn’t seen her.

I didn’t know what Viola and I were, but I knew
that she shared her words with Kirk. It wasn’t my place to feel jealous, but I
was. I wanted to know everything about her, but if I had learned one thing
about Viola, it was that she needed to go at her own pace. The night before was
all her, and I was more than happy to repeat it as necessary.

It didn’t go unnoticed by me that she had mildly
freaked out when I’d told her I loved her. I didn’t mean for the words to come
out, but I had fallen for her. There was so much about her to love, and I was
determined to break through her walls because she was worth the effort.

“I’ll be in my office if you need anything,” I
said as I stood up.

Viola got to her feet and tugged at my hand, her
brows pinched together with worry. “You’re not watching?”

I kissed her forehead and then her lips. “Of
course I’m watching. Just getting some things done before you go on. Okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled.

I leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Not sure
how much I’ll get done, because I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

When I pulled away, she smiled up at me and I noticed
the tinge of pink on her cheeks. That was enough to hold me over for a while,
so I left her at the table with everyone.

Emma was standing behind the counter talking to
Mike, and barely acknowledged my presence as I rounded the corner. She’d been
spending more time with him, and it was then that I realized how much she’d
actually been around the shop before. Until Viola had pointed out how Emma felt
about me, I hadn’t once noticed the way she looked at me.

I had been in my office for a while looking over
some papers when Busy knocked on the frame and smiled.

“She’s next.”

“Thanks.”

I dropped what I was doing, and walked out beyond
the counter and leaned against the corner to watch. Vi was settling onto the
stool at the front of the stage, somehow managing to trip and hit her guitar in
the process. She smiled nervously and looked around the space at the customers
waiting for her to sing.

I’d been told by some who performed for open
mic
that the lights weren’t bright enough. These people
didn’t say it to be assholes—they simply hated being able to see everyone
in front of them. It made them nervous. I was sure that’s what was happening to
Vi at that moment.

She cleared her throat and started to speak.

“Hey, I’m Vi. And I guess I’m gonna sing
something.” She started strumming the guitar and stared down as her fingers
began to play chords.

The crowd that came in to listen to the performers
was as diverse as you could get and were always supportive of one another. She’d
been there enough times to know that, but she was shaky, at best.

She raised her mouth to the microphone and closed
her eyes as the first words began to come from her.

I wasn’t looking for you.

She opened her eyes and smiled in my direction
while she sang the first verse, when a sudden look of panic flashed across her
face. She was struggling to get the words out as she glanced from me, the
guitar in her hands, and at the restaurant door.

“Is she okay?” Busy asked quietly. “She’s looking
at that door like she’s about to bail.”

I nodded encouragingly at Vi, hoping she would
continue, but she just kept looking around.

“She’s fine,” I said. “Probably just nervous.”

Busy walked back to the counter to help a customer
that walked in, and Vi forced herself to keep playing, but it was bad. Suddenly
the music stopped and the microphone squealed as she spoke.

“I’m sorry…I can’t…” She stammered and then rushed
off the stage toward the table where Jolie was waiting.

Jolie’s arm wrapped around Vi’s shoulder and she
glanced over in my direction. I made my way to check on her, but as I got
closer, I realized she wasn’t looking at me, she was looking
through
me. Viola’s features were
unreadable, and as I got closer I reached out for her arm but paused when I
heard a voice behind me speak.

“Are you okay?” a man’s voice asked.

I turned around and looked to see a blond,
tattooed guy staring at Viola.

“She’s fine,” Jolie said angrily. “You need to
go.”

“Who is this guy?” I asked.

“Banks!” Kirk said. “When did you get in town?”

He stood up and shook the man’s hand, both smiling
at each other.

“Just got in,” he said, and then looked at
everyone sitting at the table. “Sorry. I’m Will. Vi’s husband.”

“
Ex
-husband,”
she corrected. “This is my ex-husband.”

“Not yet, I’m not,” he said smugly, and for the
first time since I was a kid, I wanted to hit someone. “Can we talk?”

“This isn’t a good time,” she said and then turned
to me. “Earp, can I use the phone in your office?”

I didn’t know what that was supposed to be code
for because I didn’t have a phone in the office. Hell, I was certain Vi had her
cellphone in her bag. But I didn’t argue. She walked away quickly and it was
then I realized that all eyes in the coffee shop were on the scene that had
just taken place.

I hurried to the stage and stood in front of the
microphone.

“Sorry about that. Never know what’s gonna happen
here. Hey Bob, are you out there?” I looked around for the burly biker that
everyone loved.

“Right here,” he said. I didn’t have to ask him to
come up because he was already on his way. I stepped aside to give him space
and patted his shoulder.

“Thanks, man. I owe ya.”

“Hope everything’s okay,” he mumbled, away from
the crowd.

“Me too.”

Bob began playing, and though a few were still
trying to see what happened, most were watching him. I made my way through the
tables and found Jolie talking to our friends. Dallas caught me looking and nodded
his head toward my office. I knew where she was, but he kept doing the nod. My
brow furrowed and Dallas’s eyes widened as if he was trying to convey some
message to me. When I didn’t get the hint, he lifted his hand and swiped from
left to right and then pointed to my office.

I got it that time.

I neared the office and looked in, expecting to
see her there, but it was empty. Viola would have been seen easily if she went
out the front door, so there was only one other place she could be.

The back door was propped open with the rock we
used when we were dealing with deliveries. When I got to the end of the dark
hallway, I saw her back to me and smiled. But as I got closer, I noticed she
was wrapped in Will’s arms, her own around his waist.

He kissed the top of her head and it felt like I
was intruding on a deeply personal moment. I was about to back away and go
inside when I saw her look up at Will and they kissed.

There it was, the reason she pushed me away at
every chance. She wasn’t over a man who didn’t deserve her in the first place.
I wasn’t sure who I was more angry with—her for not thinking she deserved
better. Or me, for allowing myself to pursue someone who had made it clear from
the beginning that she wasn’t interested.

Not going to lie…it stung. Seeing her in his arms,
his lips on hers—jealously wasn’t a color with which I was too familiar.

“She okay?” Emma asked when I got to the counter.

“Yeah,” I scoffed and then forced a smile. “She’s
great.”

“You okay?”

“Can you handle things in here for a few? I need
to run to the store,” I lied.

“Yeah, we got this.”

Jolie caught me look over in their direction, but
I walked out the front door and into the night. It was relatively quiet except
for the usual evening traffic. I took out my phone and used the break to call
and check on my folks. I’d spoken to them earlier that day, but it gave me an
excuse to be absent from the shit inside.

“I thought you have something going on at the
store tonight,” Dad said.

“Yeah. Just wanted to check and make sure you two
didn’t fall again.”

“Your mom’s watching some sappy chick movie in the
living room and I’m reading a book.”

“You two are always
livin
’
on the edge,” I mocked.

“You’d be lucky to have this life,” he shot back
and laughed.

“You’re right about that.” I smiled.

The door opened behind me and I stepped aside,
assuming a customer was leaving, but when no one came, I looked back. Emma was
waiting to get my attention and I lifted a finger to stop her before ending the
call.

“I need to get back inside. Tell Mom I’ll check on
you both tomorrow.”

“Just come by for lunch. And bring Vi.”

I didn’t argue or agree. Instead, I said my
goodbyes and tucked the phone in my pocket before giving Emma my attention.

“You need to see this,” she said.

We had hosted some entertaining acts since I
started open
mic
night, like the guy who would do
nothing but
beatbox
for two minutes.

“I need to make another call,” I said.

“No. You
need
to come inside. Now.” She reached over and grabbed my arm, pulling me through
the door behind her.

We walked near the counter and she dragged me to
the back with everyone who was staring up at the stage. I followed their view
and saw Vi, sitting on the stool again, guitar in hand.

“Sorry about before,” she laughed nervously. “Guy
drama.”

Everyone laughed quietly and she began to strum
the guitar like she did before.

“I just wrote this song today, so if I sounds like
shit…well, whatever,” she laughed. “This is called ‘You’re All I See.’”

I wasn’t looking for you

But fate had other plans.

You tried to break down my walls

Ready to catch me if I fall.

My secrets and my shame

Ran deeper than I could admit.

How could I expect you to care

When I treated you so unfair.

But when I woke, you were there.

Holding. Caring. Loving.

The greatest gift you gave me

Was a second chance.

I’m not perfect, on that

I think we both agree.

But give me time, I’ll be good for you

You are all I see.

When the darkness fades

And I need someone

To show me the other side…

It’s you I want.

It’s you I need.

You are all I see.

When she finished, String Beans erupted in
applause and she smiled as she left the stage. A few people shook her hand or
patted her on the back.

I was standing behind the table and she stopped in
front of me. I didn’t know what to think of her song. Was it about us? Was it
about Will?

“Say something.” She laughed nervously.

“Where’s Will?”

“He left.”

“Why?”

“Because I told him it’s over between us. He
wanted to try one last time to see if we could work it out.”

“And?”

“I told him no.”

I nodded, but wasn’t completely convinced by
anything she was saying.

She shifted nervously on her feet and looked
around. “Full disclosure…he did kiss me.”

My nostrils flared and I took a deep breath. At
least she was honest. She touched my arm and waited for me to look at her.

“But I felt nothing.
Nothing
.”

“Why is that?”

She rolled her eyes and huffed loudly before
smiling up at me. “Because I love
you
.
I’ve moved on and I’m finally happy, truly happy. I know what I want and where
I need to be.”

“Where’s that?”

“Wow, you’re not making this easy for me,” she
laughed.