Beautiful Oblivion (The Maddox Brothers, #1)(33)

After changing clothes and freshening up my makeup, I grabbed my purse and keys, and reached for the doorknob.

“You’re just going to stay here?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Coby said. “If that’s okay.”

“Don’t do anything that will make me tell you no the next time you want to come over.”

“I’m not staying long. Just maybe until Dad goes to sleep.”

“Okay. Call me tomorrow.”

“Cami?”

“Yeah?” I said, jerking to a stop, and poking my head back in.

“I love you.”

I smiled. “Love you, too. It’s going to be all right. I promise.”

He nodded, and I jogged out to the Smurf, praying that it would start. Thank God it did.

My drive to work was spent worrying about Coby, and T.J., and Trent, and still trying to psych myself up for a busy Saturday night.

Raegan was already behind the east bar, prepping and wiping things down.

“Hey, lovey!” Raegan said. Her bright smile immediately fell when her eyes met mine. “Uh-oh. You went to your parents’ today, didn’t you?”

“How did you guess?”

“What happened?”

“Trent went with me, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Chase found out I had a second job.”

“That shit head told your parents why, didn’t he?”

“Pretty much.”

Raegan sighed. “Always causing trouble.”

“Have you been with Kody all day?”

Raegan’s cheeks flushed. “No. We’re sort of . . . on a break.”

“On a what?”

“Ssh! On a break. Until I get some things figured out.”

“Then where were you all day?”

“I stopped by Sig Tau. Just for a few hours before work.”

“Sig Tau?” It took my brain a little bit to catch up. I watched her for a moment, and then shook my head. “He called you, didn’t he?”

Raegan grimaced. “I’m not talking about this here. It’s already awkward enough. Kody’s here, so let’s just sit on it until we get home.”

I shook my head again. “You are so stupid. Brazil saw you happy with Kody, so he made the call. Now you’re screwing up something good, and Brazil isn’t going to change.”

Kody walked up, looking wounded. “Uh, you guys need anything?”

Raegan shook her head, and so did I. Kody realized I knew something. His shoulders sagged, and he simply nodded and walked away.

“Damn it, Cami! I said not here!” Raegan hissed.

“Sorry,” I said, counting my drawer. Saying anything else would have just made her angrier, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

The rush happened earlier than usual, and I was grateful for the distraction. Kody kept busy at the entrance, so I barely saw him until just before close. He was standing at the west wall, in a dark corner, watching Raegan. The DJ was playing their song, so it was particularly infuriating to see Brazil standing at the end of the bar, leaning across and smiling at Raegan, who was also leaning and smiling.

I couldn’t believe she was being so cold to Kody. I walked a pitcher of beer over to her, pretended to trip, and the entire pitcher went across the bar and all over Brazil. He jumped back, and held up his arms. It was too late: his brown plaid shirt and jeans were soaked.

“Cami!” Raegan squealed.

I leaned into her face. “Do you hear what song is playing? Kody is working the door, so you know he knows Brazil is here. No need to be a heartless bitch, Ray.”

“I’m a heartless bitch? Let’s not even talk about what you’re doing.”

My mouth fell open. Her knee-jerk reaction wasn’t a surprise, but her bringing up Trenton was. “I’m not doing anything! We’re just friends!”

“Yeah, let’s label it something benign so you can sleep at night. Everyone else sees what you’re doing, Cami. We’re just not self-righteous enough to scold you for it.”

Raegan popped the top on a beer, and exchanged it for money. She walked over to the register and furiously tapped in numbers like she was mad at them.

I might have felt bad if I hadn’t looked across the room and seen that for just a moment, Kody didn’t look quite so miserable.

Raegan walked up to stand beside me, her eyes on Kody across the room. “I didn’t realize what song was playing.”

“Did you realize Brazil was within kissing distance of your face in front of everyone not twenty-four hours after you dumped Kody?”

“You’re right. I’ll tell him to stay away.” She reached up to the horn and pulled it, signaling last call. Kody shoved his hands in his pockets and walked toward the entrance.

“I guess Kody’s walking me to my car tonight,” I said.

“That would be better,” Raegan said.

We cleaned our station and set up for the next night. Within an hour after close, we grabbed our coats. Raegan slung her purse over her shoulder and nodded at Gruber. “Walk me?” she asked.

Gruber hesitated, and Kody appeared at her side. “I can walk you.”

“Kody . . .” Raegan began.

Kody shrugged, laughing once. “I can’t walk you to the car? It’s part of my job, Ray.”