Hit the Wall (Blythe College) (13 page)

CHAPTER 13

Kaylie

“I’m so glad you told Aubrey to stop by so we could hang out while we’re working,” Char told me. “You were totally right when you said that she and I would get along really well. She’s so fucking hilarious.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know that she was going to bring
Lex with her,” I said, glancing down the bar at both of them. I didn’t know Lex that well. She seemed nice enough, and I was trying not to act all weird. It was kind of awkward to be hanging out with her knowing that Jackson once had feelings for her. We hadn’t really talked about it, and we hadn’t even really defined our relationship. But after last night, I guess I was feeling a little sensitive about where things stood. This was horrible timing.

Char came closer so that she could whisper without anyone overhearing our conversation. “You know that Jackson is totally into you, right?”

“Yes,” I replied before shooting a look Lex’s way again.

“No, Kaylie. Like head-over-heels into you. I might not know the whole story, but I can see the wheels turning in your head tonight. Don’t second-guess yourself or your relationship with Jackson. If you have questions about
Lex, ask him.”

“I know I am probably just being silly, but every once in a while I have that little voice in the back of my head that wonders if the only reason he’s with me is because he can’t be with her instead. But what if I don’t like the answer?” I worried aloud.

“Then it’s better that you know where you stand now before you get in any deeper. I’ve heard the same rumors as you about her being the reason he never dated and just did the whole one-night stand thing. But they are just rumors. And even if they are true, he sure didn’t hesitate to throw that rule out the window for you. That’s gotta mean something, Kaylie.”

Char was right—as usual. I’d never actually heard Jackson say that he loved
Lex. He hadn’t really talked about her that much except when he was telling childhood stories or talking about stuff she did with his sister. And when he had mentioned her, he hadn’t seemed any different than when we talked about anything else. Surely if there were something for me to worry about, then I’d have noticed it before now.

You could tell that
Lex and Aubrey had known each other forever. It was hard to feel threatened by her when she had no problem making it completely obvious that she was totally in love with her boyfriend with the way she talked about him and kept sending him messages throughout the night. And when Aubrey introduced us, she’d seemed thrilled to meet me because she’d heard lots of great things about me and excited that Jackson was dating someone. It was pretty damn clear she had no interest in him as boyfriend material and acted like she was just his other sister. But that still didn’t stop the questions from popping into my head as the evening wore on.

I walked over to where Aubrey and
Lex were sitting at the other end of the bar. “You girls ready for another round?

“Hmmm,” Aubrey said as she thought about. “Sure! Bartender’s choice, but make it a crazy one this time around.”

Lex giggled in response to Aubrey’s request. “Yeah, pick something dirty. Gimme something good to text Drake and drive him a little more crazy.”

“Dirty I can do,” I assured them as I mixed their next round. I poured in a shot each of spiced rum and coconut rum with peach schnapps and pineapple juice. “Okay, spread ‘
em,” I said, sliding their drinks in front of them.

“Spread what?” Aubrey asked.

“Your legs. That’s what this drink is supposed to get you to do. It’s called A Leg Spreader,” I explained.

“Oh, I’m sure I will be spreading my legs tonight,”
Lex joked as she tossed the drink back. “No help needed from a drink for that to happen.”

“Damn, I haven’t spread my legs in so long that I don’t know if I even remember how,” Aubrey complained before drinking hers.

I blushed, thinking that I could have said the same thing before my time with her brother last night. But there was no way in hell I was going to say that. Way too awkward.

“Bit of a dry spell?” Char asked as she came up behind me.

“She gets tons of offers,” Lex threw in.

“Yeah, it’s a self-imposed one,” Aubrey explained. “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t miss it.”

“I totally get that,” Char said. “With me here and Shane back home, my vibrator gets a major workout in the time between when we get to see each other.”

“
Ohmigod, I so know what you mean!” Aubrey agreed.

“She’s not joking,” I said dryly. “I’ve thought about buying stock in LELO with how much Char raves about hers. I’m just
surprised that Shane isn’t jealous of how attached she is to her vibrator.”

“Nah. He knows that, as much as I enjoy the hell out of it when he’s not here, it’s still only a substitute for the real thing. And besides, he likes to see how crazy he can make me with it sometimes, too.”

“Jesus, Char. TMI!” I shrieked, looking at Lex and Aubrey, who didn’t really know her well enough to understand that she didn’t have the same boundaries as other people. “Geesh, maybe you could share a little less with the new people?”

“No way,”
Lex interjected. “She’s giving me ideas to use for later.”

“Yeah! She can be our
sexpert,” Aubrey offered. “For, you know, when I decide to have sex again or something.”

We all busted up laughing as we glanced around to make sure nobody was paying much attention to us with all the sex talk. Luckily, Thursday nights weren’t too busy. Char and I still worked them because there were enough customers to make decent tips, but it usually died down earlier than Friday or Saturdays, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves right now except for a handful of tables, the waiter, and our boss, who was hiding out in back doing God knows what.

“You know, taking a break from the dating scene was a good idea, right?” Lex asked Aubrey.

“I do. It’s just nights like these when I’m feeling a little frisky that it gets hard to stick to my guns.”

“Well, you can always change your mind. Or drink enough to get past the frisky stage and make it to the falling-down-drunk one instead,” Char chimed in.

“I like the sound of the falling-down-drunk option,” Aubrey replied. “Let’s go that route. How about another round of drinks for my
bestie and me?”

“I think I’ll pass this time,”
Lex said. “Someone has to be ready to hold your hair back if you’re going that route. Plus, I don’t want to rule out the possibility of sex tonight by getting so drunk that I pass out.”

“Damn. I don’t want to drink alone,” Aubrey complained.

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” I said as I watched Jackson walk into the bar with Drake at his side. “For either of you, since your boyfriend just showed up, Lex. And I’m pretty sure we can convince your brother to have a lemon drop shot with you, Aubrey.”

I smiled at Jackson and poured two shots as they approached us, getting a third ready to go in case Drake was interested in having one also. Jackson had a worried look on his face as he watched me the entire time. I gave him a questioning look, trying to figure out what was bothering him. Maybe he hadn’t had fun on his guys’ night and that was why they were here instead of out doing something.

I had the drinks ready when they made it to the bar. “You guys have perfect timing. I’m working hard to get Aubrey trashed and Lex just bailed on the drinking portion of tonight’s entertainment. Which one of you will do a shot with her instead?”

Jackson glanced at Aubrey and shook his head when he realized she was already well on her way to drunk. He flashed a quick grin at
Lex and then Char before turning his attention back to me. His grin turned into a full-out smile when I gestured at the shot glasses and nodded my head in his sister’s direction, trying to hint that he should have one with her.

“Sure. I think I can handle a shot with my sis. Not sure she can handle another one though,” he teased her.

“Hey, I’ve got a head start on you is all,” Aubrey answered. “You wouldn’t believe the crazy-ass drinks your girlfriend has been serving me all night. We started out pretty tame with some Sex on the Beach but she made us Leg Spreaders the last time around. You better watch out for her, Jackson. She’s a naughty one.”

“Naughty, huh,” he murmured under his breath, his gaze heating up. I’d bet just about anything that he was thinking about last night.

“Oh, stop eye-fucking her already and take the shot,” Char taunted him. “You guys are bound to melt my panties off if you keep that up, and I’m wearing my favorite pair!”

“Hurry up and take the shots,” I pleaded with them. “Before my roommate says something inappropriate. Oh, wait! Sorry. She already did.”

Char punched me lightly in the shoulder before walking away to start breaking down for the night. We’d already announced last call, and she wanted to get a jump on cleaning tonight so she wouldn’t feel guilty leaving it all for me while she raced home to have some sexy Skype time with Shane tonight. With Jackson here, she could even take my car instead of riding back with the girls.

“Hey, Jackson?” I asked to get his attention. “Do you think you could wait around and give me a ride back to campus?”

“Oh, he’ll give you a ride alright,” Aubrey slurred. It looked like that last shot had been enough to push her well past her limit.

I laughed at her joke, thinking that it would be great if she were right even though I was still a little sore from the last ride
he gave me before pouring her a glass of ice water and pushing it across the bar to her.

“I think you’re going to need this.”

Jackson picked up the water and handed it to his sister with a stern look before glancing at Drake, who nodded his head. “Of course I can. Drake can go back with the girls and make sure Lex doesn’t have a problem getting my sister into bed safely. What about your car?”

“That’s where I come in,” Char announced, walking back up to us. “Kaylie’s trying to make sure I get plenty of time on Skype with Shane before she makes it back to the dorm. So please, take as long as you’d like to bring her back. Maybe even all night again.”

“Char!” I gasped as I felt a blush creep up my neck and face since she’d basically just announced to the group that Jackson and I had had sex last night.

“Crap! Sorry, Kaylie,” she apologized.

“Oh, please. Like everyone doesn’t know you guys are having sex with the way my brother looks at Kaylie,” Aubrey said.

“Okay, that’s enough out of everyone,” Jackson warned as he leveled the group with a glare. “End of subject.”

“How about I get you two back to your dorm, baby?” Drake asked as he looked down at Lex, who was standing in the crook of his arm, beaming up at him.

“Thanks. I can definitely use the help,” she replied before turning to look at me. “I’m really glad you asked Aubrey to come out. This was a ton of fun. It was nice getting to know you a little bit. I can see why Jackson’s finally dating since he met you.”

She really was very sweet, which kind of made me feel like a bitch for wanting to punch her in the face when I first saw her with Aubrey tonight. Luckily, I had been super nice to cover for being uncomfortable around her at the start of the night so she’d had no clue what was going on in my head at the time. Only Char had noticed because she knows me too well.

“Yeah, I’m glad you both could make it. We’ll definitely have to do it again sometime. Maybe even on a night when Char and I aren’t working so we can all go out and have some fun.”

“Definitely,” Aubrey giggled as Drake and Lex bundled her up and out the door.

“Do you mind waiting while I finish breaking down the bar and cleaning up?” I asked Jackson.

“Not at all, sweetheart. I never mind waiting for you.”

He could be so damn sweet sometimes. “It should only be another thirty minutes or so. I’ll give Char my keys so she can head out and meet you out front when I’m done?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll pull the truck up and wait until you’re done.”

I watched his ass when he walked away and couldn’t help but wonder if I had left any marks when I dug my nails in it last night. I shook my head to clear my thoughts as the rest of the customers left the bar and the waiter started to wipe down the tables so he could bail as soon as possible. I needed to get my butt in gear so I could spend some time with Jackson before he dropped me off. I still wanted to know what the deal was with the concerned expression he’d had when he came in tonight.

****

I found Jackson in his truck parked out front just like he’d said I would. I climbed inside the passenger’s side door and leaned over to give him a quick kiss hello since I hadn’t been able to do it earlier when I was working.

“I missed you today,” I admitted as he pulled me across the cab and into his lap when I tried to pull away after my kiss.

“Fuck, I missed the shit out of you too, Kaylie. I couldn’t get you out of my head all day,” he replied before crashing his lips against mine. His kiss was quick, but he kept me wrapped in his arms when he was done so that he could peer into my eyes.