Crazy Stupid Love (Crazy Love #1)(6)

Visions of that night flood through my mind. Trey, the shit he f*cking spewed, the way my mom cried. It was almost as bad as that night with Conner. I shake off the memory, taking a deep breath as I approach her.

“Mother,” I say, pulling out the chair next to her.

She immediately lowers the menu and hits me with gentle eyes and a sweet smile.

“Oh, my sweet boy. Look at you,” she says, gesturing for me to sit. “You look so... grown up.” She pats the back of my hand when I settle down next to her, my eyes immediately falling to the only other chair placed at the small round table.

“Tell me, how are you?” she asks, ignoring my obvious tension.

“I’m good. Things are good.”

Lies. Lies. Lies.

What I really should be saying is that I’m a f*cking alcoholic who f*cks everything that moves just to feel something other than my own pain.

“And Gavin? How are things at the bar?” She does her best to fill the silence.

“The bar’s good. Gavin is, well Gavin.” I shrug and she laughs, knowing Gavin really well from our childhood.

With as much as he stayed at my house, hell we were practically brothers. Not to mention that his parents took me in for the last half of my senior year until I graduated and could get the f*ck out of here.

“Business is good then?” She pulls my attention from the past back to her.

“Really well.” I stop, turning my gaze to the waitress when she steps up next to my mother.

“Can I get you something to drink Sir?” she asks, her eyes immediately widening when they land on me.

Well, f*ck me. If it isn’t the sweet little thing from last night, only she looks much different in the bright afternoon sun; almost angelic. Instead of sporting a tight little dress that she clearly wasn’t comfortable wearing, she’s more casual today; wearing a long flowing white top and dark skinny jeans, her long blonde waves pulled back into a messy bun.

“It’s Kimber, isn’t it?” I say, smiling when her lips part in surprise.

“Hi.” She seems to regain her composure. “It’s nice to see you again.” She takes another long pause. “Can I get you something to drink?” She nervously tucks a stray curl behind her ear, the movement causing my stomach muscles to clench tightly.

She’s so f*cking innocent. So pure. I can think of a hundred ways I could corrupt that tight little body of hers. A hundred different positions I could f*ck her in. Just the thought of her screaming my name makes my groin twitch.

Clearing my throat, I realize I haven’t responded.

“What do you have on tap?” I ask, ignoring my mother’s gaze and the look of disapproval that is surely etched across her face.

Kimber nervously rambles off a list she clearly is still trying to memorize, going back twice to add to the non-domestic beer list before I finally just settle on a Guinness. She smiles nervously and walks away, my gaze immediately falling to her backside when she does. It takes everything in me to keep my posture casual when every muscle in my body seems to tighten.

Thankfully I’m still wearing my sunglasses because my mother doesn’t seem to notice my mental stray. She picks up the conversation exactly where we left off, asking more about the bar, clearly just trying to take an interest in what I’m doing when she probably couldn’t care less.

I catch sight of Kimber just minutes later when she reappears onto the patio, a large frosted beer mug in her hand. When she leans over and sets it next to me, I get a waft of her scent; vanilla with a hint of something sweet that I can’t quite pinpoint; coconut maybe. I breathe in deeply, letting the intoxicating smell linger in my nostrils for a moment longer. Yes, definitely coconut. It’s a light smell, refreshing, and so very fitting for her.

“Is there anything else I can get for you or are you still waiting for the rest of your party?” She turns her attention to my mother.

“We will wait.” She starts but then retracts when she catches sight of Trey making his way towards the table. “Scratch that. There he is,” she says more to Trey than Kimber.

“Water with lemon,” Trey instructs Kimber without even batting an eye in her direction. I don’t know why but the action makes me want to shove his f*cking face into the table.

She nods and quickly exits without a word.

“Decklan. You’re looking, well...” He takes a long pause. “The same,” he says judgingly, his eyes taking in my appearance.

“We can’t all be perfect now can we?” I give him a tight smile and gesture to his black sweater and khaki pants.

Fuck. With his short side swept hair and that ridiculous getup, he looks like he just stepped out of a prep school magazine. Fucking tool.

“Well it wouldn’t hurt some of us to try,” he says, kissing mom on the cheek before taking the seat between us to my left.

“You got something you want to f*cking say?” I spout, feeling already too on edge for his bullshit.

“Oh, I’ve got a lot of things I’d like to say, little brother.”

“Then f*cking say it, Trey.” I clasp my hands together to keep myself from lunging in his direction.

“Now boys.” My mother immediately interferes when Kimber reappears at my brother’s side, setting his water on the table.

“Ridiculous,” Trey adds on, fueling my temper to near its breaking point. “It should have been you.” He mumbles under his breath, breaking the last tiny thread holding me in place.