That look she gave me earlier. That nod. The way her smile lingered long after I walked away.
The brunette is still talking, but I only half hear it.
Across the table, Knox doesn’t even flinch. He raises his beer to his lips, cool as ever, while Noah soaks it all in, practically preening under the attention.
“Rookies,” Knox mutters under his breath, just loud enough for me to catch.
Knox’s eyes watch the woman trying to keep my attention, but I can tell he knows I won’t be doing anything to mess up what I have. He is too damn perceptive and sees the way I have been with Amelia. Hell, he is her best friend. She may not have said anything to him about us, but the man knows what is going on.
The bar dips into that late-night haze—music still thumping, conversations louder, the air thick with the smell of beer and something fried beyond recognition. Our table is littered with empty glasses, the condensation rings bleeding into torn napkins. I nurse what is probably my last beer, the buzz still strong but tapering off.
Knox sets his glass down with a dull clink, and the ice barely rattles.
“Boys, I’m out,” he says, pushing back from the table, his chair scraping the floor.
I smirk, not surprised. Knox isn’t exactly the guy to close a bar, not unless there is a reason.
“Later, man,” Noah calls out, though he doesn’t even glance up—too busy laughing at something the blonde from earlier just whispered in his ear.
Nathan vanished a while ago. Last I saw, he was over by the dartboard, cornered against the wall with a dark-haired woman practically glued to him. She had one hand fisted in his shirt, and Nathan? He wasn’t exactly fighting for space.
I grab my phone, my thumb hovering over the rideshare app. “Yeah, I’m calling it too,” I say, pushing to my feet. The room tiltsslightly before settling. “Noah, I’ll grab my bike in the morning before we head to the airport.”
He barely hears me.
“Vegas, baby!” he hollers mid-laugh, raising his beer in some half-assed toast.
I roll my eyes, already requesting my ride.
“Don’t get into too much trouble,” I throw over my shoulder, though I know it’s useless.
Knox laughs low under his breath as we head for the door. “You think he’ll even make it to his bed tonight?”
“Doubt it.”
The cool night air hits me the second we step outside, crisp and grounding after the dense heat of the bar. My phone buzzes—rideshare is two minutes out.
Tomorrow is Vegas. A whole new city, a whole new crowd.
But tonight?
I let the buzz settle in my chest, feeling the weight of the night ease off as I wait for the car.
The night air is cooler than I expected, the kind that cuts through the leftover buzz from the bar. Knox gives me a quick nod before heading toward his truck, leaving me alone on the curb, the glow of the bar’s neon sign flickering against the pavement.
I shove my hands into my pockets, the low hum of passing cars filling the quiet as I pull out my phone to check the driver’s ETA.
One minute out.
But right as I am about to lock the screen again, a new notification slides across the top.
Amelia: Hope you’re not too distracted by the bar crowd… because I can guarantee I look better than anyone you saw tonight.
My heart kicks hard in my chest.
Another buzz.
Amelia: But if you need proof…
