When You're Ready (Ready #1)(41)

I just shook my head and sighed before answering.

“Because I wanted to know how it felt to break the rules for once.”

“You wanted to live, Logan. And I showed you, right?” he asked.

“No, Declan, you showed me what it was like to drink, f**k, and party. You gave me exactly what I wanted - a summer of debauchery. But it wasn’t living.”

This conversation had really taken a nosedive.

“Well, you can only give a man the tools,” he shrugged, before adding “but the rest is up to him. He kept coming back, though. Every time his life went to shit he’d come back to his buddy Declan and I’d show him how to live again. When was the last time, Logan?” he asked, clearly knowing exactly when the last time was.

“I think we’ve had enough of this conversation,” I said, the threatening tone clear in my voice.

“Okay. Oh! One more thing!” Declan shouted, that cocky smile still plastered all over his face. I almost stood up and decked him right there.

“He snores in his sleep,” he added, obviously trying to lighten the mood, and I felt myself relax for the first time since we sat down. I knew the conversation wasn’t over and Clare would ask about my time with Declan. But I didn’t want to talk about it in a bar, with our friends present.

The conversation lightened from there but I only half listened to Leah explain her job and Declan talk about his upcoming project. I was unable to move on from the previous conversation.

I spent those few weeks with Declan in high school doing everything and anything I wanted to, and I had gotten away with all of it. My father didn’t notice a damn thing. I’d been working my ass off to please him for years, doing everything he wanted, and then I went on a three week bender and he didn’t even notice. I should have thrown in the towel right then, told him to f**k off, and gone off and found my own life. But, I couldn’t. I was too damn scared to go up against my father. Turns out it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was painless, because he didn’t care.

“Clare, how about a round of pool?” I suddenly asked, needing to pull myself out of the funk I was currently swimming in.

“Pool?” she asked as she finishing off the drink she’d been nursing.

“Oh, it’s okay. I’ll teach you if you can’t play. Come on, it will be fun.” I stood and grabbed her hand. She threw Leah a mischievous grin over her shoulder, and we headed for the pool tables.

“Do you play a lot?” she asked me, suddenly looking very nervous.

I grinned. This was going to be fun. I’d never taught a woman how to play pool before.

“Not a ton anymore, but I use to be fairly good in college,” I admitted.

“And you’ll go easy on me?”

“Of course,” I promised, grabbing a pool cue and heading toward an empty table.

“I’ll go first and break so you can see how it’s done. Okay?”

She nodded, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. I gathered up all the balls, took my first hit, and scattered balls everywhere. Two stripes landed in the pockets. Not bad for my first turn.

“Okay, so now I’m stripes and you’re solids. It’s your turn. Grab a pool cue behind you,” I instructed. She turned, grabbed a pool cue from the rack and joined me at the table.

“Like this?” she asked, her mouth now so close to mine I could feel her breath.

“Yep. Take a shot.” I whispered.

“Huh?”

“Your turn Clare. It’s your turn.” I chuckled.

“Oh! Right.”

She took a slow walk around the pool table, looking at every ball, almost like she was surveying every option and angle, like a seasoned pro might do. She finally took her shot, sending two solid balls into the corner pocket.

She looked up at me, smiling sweetly, “Beginners luck, I guess.”

What the f**k?

She moved to the other side of the table, took another shot and sank two more.

Walking up to me, she smiled again, then bent over, giving me a nice view of her ass, sinking one more ball. As she turned around, I pounced, pinning her to the table between my arms.

“I think I’ve been hustled,” I purred in her ear.

She giggled, wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me, which made me wish we were anywhere but a crowded bar. She pulled back and I saw the mischief in her eyes. She giggled again and that’s when I realized.

Clare was kind of drunk.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. You looked so eager to teach me,” she laughed, swaying in my arms.

“How in the world are you so good at pool?” I asked.

“Ethan. It was how we met,” she explained, her mood light and happy.

“Leah and I were at this dive bar near campus and we were attempting to play a game of pool. We were already half drunk on beer we’d bought with our fake IDs. Some guys came over asking if they could join us and we said sure. One guy became particularly interested in me, asking if I needed help with my game. He was drunk and smelled God awful. He tried doing that thing guys do where they lean you over the pool table showing you how to aim.”

I was so glad I didn’t try that.

“Anyway, Leah had found a guy she was really into and they were busy making out in the back. I could not get Mr. Grabby Hands to take a hint. Our game was over and it was just me and him standing there alone. Just when I thought I’d have to go hide in the bathroom for the rest of the night, someone spun me around and kissed me. I mean, seriously kissed me. I pulled back, stunned, wondering who I’d just kissed...and there was Ethan. I’d seen him around campus, but never talked to him. He wrapped his arm around me, and looked over at the guy and said ‘Hey, thanks for looking after my girl, man!’ He walked me home, and that was the beginning.”