“And you’re okay with that?”
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug.
“Is that why you threw a damn fit yesterday with Liam?” she asked and Karl laughed. She glared and she wasn’t sure why she even asked because she knew the truth before he answered.
“Yeah, I don’t like that guy. But I love this one,” he said like it was common knowledge, and she guessed it was. But still, he’d acted like a damn two-year-old!
“Daddy, you embarrassed the shit out of me!” she complained, but he only shrugged.
“Don’t date dudes that drive Priuses then,” he said with a grin and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Really listen, Kace, don’t jump to conclusions,” he whispered before pulling away and pinching her nose. Taking a set of keys from Jordie, he looked back at Kacey. “Be good, kids.”
And then he walked away.
Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t believe him.”
Jordie nodded. “I hadn’t even put two and two together. I just thought he really didn’t like the guy.”
She shrugged, her heart kicking up in speed when she realized she was alone.
With Jordie.
Sucking in a breath, she looked over at him to find that he was watching her. “Well, come on. I need a drink to get through this.”
He only nodded before going to the door and pulling it open for her. Going past him, she tried to ignore the thick coconut smell that came off him in waves, but that was like ignoring a wide-open net.
She couldn’t.
Standing as still as she could, she waited as he told the host how many people and then followed as he led them to their table. It was a booth in the back, only one table nearby, but it was empty, much like the rest of the place. As she slid into the booth, Jordie did the same across from her, picking up the menu as she threw her purse beside her.
“What can I get you to drink?” the waitress asked and Kacey couldn’t order a mango margarita quick enough.
She looked to Jordie and he smiled as he said, “A water, please.”
Her brows drew together as her lips curved. Looking across the table at him, she scoffed. “A water.”
He nodded as he laid the menu down, dunking a chip in the salsa before looking back at her. “Yup.”
“Weird. I thought you’d get a Corona like you always do. Maybe you have changed,” she said offhandedly. She meant it as a joke to break the tension, but his eyes didn’t leave hers as he nodded.
“Yeah, I have. I don’t drink anymore.”
That was huge, and very surprising since Jordie was a big drinker. So to be sure she hadn’t heard him wrong, she asked, “Really?”
“Yeah, I’m an alcoholic, Kacey. But I am a hundred and fifteen days sober now.”
Her jaw dropped.
Wait, no, that couldn’t be.
But he wasn’t smiling. No, it wasn’t a joke.
He was serious.
Holy. Shit.
“You’re serious?”
Kacey watched him as he slowly nodded, lacing his fingers together as he leaned back in the booth. Stunned to silence, she could only stare at him wide-eyed as the waitress came back, setting their drinks down for them and asking if they were ready.
“Can we have another few minutes, please?” Jordie asked, and she nodded before walking away.
“Like, really? You know for sure?” she asked, but really, she’d always known he was. He really didn’t know how to stop when he started, and sometimes he drank for no reason. She was always too scared to say something because she knew it would give him a reason to blow up and break it off with her.
“Yeah,” he nodded, his eyes cutting to her drink and then to her.
“Does this bother you?” she asked, pointing to the drink.
“Kinda, if I’m honest. But I’ll have to get used to people drinking around me sooner, rather than later. Sort of pisses me off that I want it, y’know? Thought I would be cured by now.”
“It’s not an overnight thing,” she said softly, sympathy filling her chest.
“Yeah, but I want it to be.”
She could see the truth in his eyes, not to mention the way he was eyeing her drink. He was salivating for it, but he only glanced at it a few times. Who could blame him? It looked like a great margarita. One she wanted, but refused to drink with him across from her.
“I really don’t know what to say,” she said before stopping the waitress. “I decided not to drink, I have to drive.”
She nodded, but Kacey didn’t miss the annoyed look as she picked up her drink. “Water?”
“Yes, please,” she answered before looking down at the table, sucking in a breath. “That was the last thing I thought you’d say. I’m a little shocked. But I’m glad; it was a problem.”
“It was,” he agreed. “But I didn’t realize it until halfway through rehab.”
She sat up straighter, her eyes widening. “So you actually went to rehab?”
He nodded. “Yeah, for ninety days. Elli made me.”
Kacey looked away, hating that he didn’t go for her. She knew he wouldn’t; she didn’t mean anything to him, apparently. But still, it hurt that he went because of Elli. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, since I already threw away everything that mattered because I was fucked in the head, all I had was hockey, and she threatened to take it from me.”
Oh. Well, didn’t she feel like a jerk. She assumed Elli had talked him into it, not threatened him. “Oh, wow.”
“Yeah,” he said with a shrug.
“Is that why you threw a damn fit yesterday with Liam?” she asked and Karl laughed. She glared and she wasn’t sure why she even asked because she knew the truth before he answered.
“Yeah, I don’t like that guy. But I love this one,” he said like it was common knowledge, and she guessed it was. But still, he’d acted like a damn two-year-old!
“Daddy, you embarrassed the shit out of me!” she complained, but he only shrugged.
“Don’t date dudes that drive Priuses then,” he said with a grin and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Really listen, Kace, don’t jump to conclusions,” he whispered before pulling away and pinching her nose. Taking a set of keys from Jordie, he looked back at Kacey. “Be good, kids.”
And then he walked away.
Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t believe him.”
Jordie nodded. “I hadn’t even put two and two together. I just thought he really didn’t like the guy.”
She shrugged, her heart kicking up in speed when she realized she was alone.
With Jordie.
Sucking in a breath, she looked over at him to find that he was watching her. “Well, come on. I need a drink to get through this.”
He only nodded before going to the door and pulling it open for her. Going past him, she tried to ignore the thick coconut smell that came off him in waves, but that was like ignoring a wide-open net.
She couldn’t.
Standing as still as she could, she waited as he told the host how many people and then followed as he led them to their table. It was a booth in the back, only one table nearby, but it was empty, much like the rest of the place. As she slid into the booth, Jordie did the same across from her, picking up the menu as she threw her purse beside her.
“What can I get you to drink?” the waitress asked and Kacey couldn’t order a mango margarita quick enough.
She looked to Jordie and he smiled as he said, “A water, please.”
Her brows drew together as her lips curved. Looking across the table at him, she scoffed. “A water.”
He nodded as he laid the menu down, dunking a chip in the salsa before looking back at her. “Yup.”
“Weird. I thought you’d get a Corona like you always do. Maybe you have changed,” she said offhandedly. She meant it as a joke to break the tension, but his eyes didn’t leave hers as he nodded.
“Yeah, I have. I don’t drink anymore.”
That was huge, and very surprising since Jordie was a big drinker. So to be sure she hadn’t heard him wrong, she asked, “Really?”
“Yeah, I’m an alcoholic, Kacey. But I am a hundred and fifteen days sober now.”
Her jaw dropped.
Wait, no, that couldn’t be.
But he wasn’t smiling. No, it wasn’t a joke.
He was serious.
Holy. Shit.
“You’re serious?”
Kacey watched him as he slowly nodded, lacing his fingers together as he leaned back in the booth. Stunned to silence, she could only stare at him wide-eyed as the waitress came back, setting their drinks down for them and asking if they were ready.
“Can we have another few minutes, please?” Jordie asked, and she nodded before walking away.
“Like, really? You know for sure?” she asked, but really, she’d always known he was. He really didn’t know how to stop when he started, and sometimes he drank for no reason. She was always too scared to say something because she knew it would give him a reason to blow up and break it off with her.
“Yeah,” he nodded, his eyes cutting to her drink and then to her.
“Does this bother you?” she asked, pointing to the drink.
“Kinda, if I’m honest. But I’ll have to get used to people drinking around me sooner, rather than later. Sort of pisses me off that I want it, y’know? Thought I would be cured by now.”
“It’s not an overnight thing,” she said softly, sympathy filling her chest.
“Yeah, but I want it to be.”
She could see the truth in his eyes, not to mention the way he was eyeing her drink. He was salivating for it, but he only glanced at it a few times. Who could blame him? It looked like a great margarita. One she wanted, but refused to drink with him across from her.
“I really don’t know what to say,” she said before stopping the waitress. “I decided not to drink, I have to drive.”
She nodded, but Kacey didn’t miss the annoyed look as she picked up her drink. “Water?”
“Yes, please,” she answered before looking down at the table, sucking in a breath. “That was the last thing I thought you’d say. I’m a little shocked. But I’m glad; it was a problem.”
“It was,” he agreed. “But I didn’t realize it until halfway through rehab.”
She sat up straighter, her eyes widening. “So you actually went to rehab?”
He nodded. “Yeah, for ninety days. Elli made me.”
Kacey looked away, hating that he didn’t go for her. She knew he wouldn’t; she didn’t mean anything to him, apparently. But still, it hurt that he went because of Elli. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, since I already threw away everything that mattered because I was fucked in the head, all I had was hockey, and she threatened to take it from me.”
Oh. Well, didn’t she feel like a jerk. She assumed Elli had talked him into it, not threatened him. “Oh, wow.”
