“Okay.” Em managed a small smile, allowing his words to ease some of her fears. He was avoiding her, but not forever. He just needed more time. She could give him that. Time was the one thing they had in abundance.
Jay didn’t return the smile. He didn’t make any attempts to get closer, or kiss her. He didn’t even say goodbye, but that was all right. They’d get there. It would just take some more time.
***
“Hey, you sticking around for the party tonight?” Mason sidled up beside Em and helped clear the table she’d been staring blankly at for the past five minutes, lost in her thoughts.
“Huh?” She blinked up at him.
“Tom’s party? He graduated. A bunch of us are sticking around after work to help him celebrate. Bart’s cool with it.”
“Oh . . . um . . . I’m not sure. Maybe.”
“You should.” He smiled at her, but the expression held sadness. “You could use a little fun, Em. Blow off some steam and just relax for once.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Work felt like a dream. She drifted through, paying minimal attention, just going through the motions. Em knew her tips were suffering because of it, but she couldn’t draw her attention away from Jay long enough to do a thing about it. When she wasn’t reliving the day before in excruciating detail time and time again, she was watching him like a hawk, looking for any chance to swoop in and talk to him just for a minute to try and gauge his mood. He hadn’t looked her way once since she’d arrived.
“What’s up with you today?” Ashlyn dropped a bottle of ketchup in Em’s hand and pointed to table eight.
“Long night.”
“Nightmares?”
“No.” Strangely, her mind had been so occupied with thoughts of Jay all night that her uncle hadn’t found his way into her subconscious for the first time in a long time. “Jay and I are . . .”
“Fighting?”
“No. Not exactly.” She didn’t really know what they were. “Something happened yesterday that got Jay worked up and he sort of . . . hit me.”
Ashlyn’s eyes went wide and Em jumped to explain. “An accident. It was an accident. He was talking with his hands and I stepped right into it. Completely my fault.”
“But?” Ash’s eyes no longer looked in danger of popping out of her skull, but now they held a hint of suspicion Em hated to see there.
“Jay freaked. You should have seen him, Ash. It was like . . . he was afraid of himself. He took off right after and didn’t come home until late last night.”
“Have you guys talked about it?”
“Sort of.” Em cast a glance at where Jay was getting swamped with orders behind the bar. “He won’t listen to me when I tell him it wasn’t his fault. He keeps telling me I’m making excuses, but that’s nonsense.”
Ashlyn shrugged, casting her own glance in Jay’s direction. “He’s a protector, Em. It’s what he does. He protects you. That role is practically his entire identity. It was probably pretty confusing when he did something he’d beat the crap out of anyone else for doing to you. Don’t worry, he’ll come around. I bet this party tonight will be just what the doctor ordered for both of you. Let him loosen up a bit and maybe you’ll have a better chance getting through to him.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. Jay could definitely use a night to relax. “Thanks, Ash.”
“Anytime, doll-face. Now move your ass, we’re falling behind, and the customers are likely to mutiny if we don’t get them their deep fried heart attacks soon.”
Chapter Eleven
Jay
“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!”
Jay lounged behind the bar, shaking his head as Tom pounded the last of his beer. Ashlyn, Sahara, Mason, a few guys from the morning crew, and even Em cheered him on. Tom had just graduated college which meant he was off to bigger and better things than his oh-so-lucrative career at Bart’s. Even though he’d used Jay to cover for him while he spent the day celebrating with friends, Bart still let him use the restaurant—and it’s booze—to party after closing. Things had been going strong for over an hour and Jay was feeling the buzz.
He’d had a few. Maybe more than a few—he’d lost count—but that was okay. Em didn’t drink so he could count on her to drive home. He could always count on his girl. She was always there for him. No matter what, she’d stick by him. And that was her fatal flaw. Loyalty. Despite what she said, he was convinced it played some part in why she’d stayed with her bastard uncle for so long, and why she’d never leave him, either. Even though he was so obviously bad for her.