I glare at Brix, reaching to grab him a bottle of beer, sliding it across the counter to him. I don’t even bother opening it for him. He grins, knowingly, flashing me a wink that says not to worry, opening the top and tossing the cap at me.Catching it with my hand, I mouth back at him that he’s a pain in my ass, which earns me a laugh.
I busy myself with serving beers to the other guys, as Trevor makes side conversation with Brix about their show tonight.
“So, I was wondering,” Trevor says, when things start to slow down. Taking the towel from my back pocket, I wipe down the top of the bar, waiting for what he’s about to say.
“If you don’t have any plans tomorrow night, I was hoping you’d want to go out again?”
God, I hate to do this right now. I can feel the heat from Brix’s eyes blazing into the side of my face, knowing he’s listening, despite him trying to pretend he’s talking to the guys.
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
“Really?”
“Umm, yeah,” I murmur, biting down on my lip again. Peering up under my eyelashes, I look at Trevor, and it seems he realizes our conversation isn’t moving in the direction he had been hoping for.
He reaches for his beer, taking a swig before he sets the can down on the counter as if trying to prepare for what I’m about to say next.
“I’m not going to be staying here in Carolina Beach much longer. I, uh, am only here for the summer, you know. I’m not looking for anything serious. It’ll only be a few more weeks before I head back to school.”
“Right, of course. I get you.” He nods, taking another drink of his beer before flashing me a forced smile.
After my night with Brix, I know the spark I feel with him is incomparable to what I feel with Trevor, and it’s for the best that we go our separate ways. He’s a great guy and he deserves someone who wants the same thing he does.
I leave him alone while he finishes his beer. He doesn’t say anything more as he sets a twenty on the counter. He flashes me a brief wave when I catch him walking out.
“You broke his dead heart.” Brix chuckles.
“You really are a jackass, you know that?”
“I’m beginning to think it’s one of your favorite things about me.”
Tossing my head back, I scoff. “You’re out of your damn mind.”
His eyes bore into me, watching my reaction to him, feeling the heat in his stare. “What time you off tonight?”
“Midnight. Why?”
He nods. “Wait for me, will ya? Don’t leave when you’re off.”
“Okayyy…” I draw out. “What are we doing?”
“You’ll see.”
He chuckles again when I stare out the corner of my eye at him, untrusting.
“I promise, I’m not going to hurt you or anything.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better about this.”
“I said, I promise.” He winks as he finishes off his beer. He throws a fifty down on the bar, and without a word, takes off toward the other end of the bar with the guys.
My mind is preoccupied with what Brix has in store for us later while running through all the possible explanations for why he’d want me to wait for him. I keep going back to what Kyla said about him canceling his show last night and his family emergency.
I had been worried when he was gone, so I had called my mom, checking on her and Jasper while on their trip to Aruba. I didn’t want to cause them to worry unnecessarily either but hinted at whether Jasper had spoken to Brix at all while he was away.
Nothing.
Whatever it is, I reassure myself he’ll tell me when he’s ready. For now, I’m going to focus on the next few weeks we have left together before I head back to school.