Beneath the Surface by Emily McIntire
Mason
Swear to God I was planning to leave town. I took everything Don said to heart, reminding myself of all the reasons why staying was a colossal waste of time. A stupid decision. I got as far as picking up the phone and calling Chase, ready to let him know everything.
I found her. Boom. Done. That’s it. Time to collect my money and leave, the way I do with every other job.
But Chase didn’t answer, and by the time his voicemail beeped, my attention was stuck on the TV, bile burning the back of my throat while flashes of a previous life played on the screen. A life that I would rather die than live again. And that made Lily and her kid run through my brain, wondering if she feels the same.
So I stayed. Because for some reason, I can’t just hand her over without knowing why she ran.
A hand trails up my thigh, and I smirk when Annabelle’s fingers rub against my cock under the table. She’s brazen, and honestly, a little fucking annoying, but in the grand scheme of things she’s harmless. She knows not to expect anything other than a free ride on my dick.
Besides, being close to Annabelle means being close to Lily without her questioning why.
I lean in, brushing my lips against Annabelle’s ear. “Watch those hands.”
She blushes, but her hand drops.
I’m into a lot of shit, but voyeurism is not my kink. And even if it was, having a hookup jerk me off while the girl I’m stalking sits across the table isn’t something that appeals to me.
But is it really stalking if you’re getting paid for it?
My gaze snags on Lily’s. Her head is tilted as she stares, curiosity brimming through her eyes, but I can tell that she’s still cautious. She should be wary of me. I’m not the good guy in this scenario.
I haven’t been the good guy for a long time.
My chest pulls tight and I reach in my pocket for a toothpick, unwrapping the plastic and rolling it between my lips.
Damn nicotine cravings.
I wasn’t sure about coming tonight, Phoenix is about thirty minutes out from Raindale, but when Annabelle mentioned she had convinced Lily to go... the rest is history.
Lily sips from her water, her thick silver bracelets clacking together with the movement. If I were a chick I’d say they were fashionable, but I know why she’s really wearing them.
Sometimes we cover our skin to hide the sins of our past.
She’s practically vibrating in her chair, dark hair bouncing off her shoulders, an anxious energy seeping from her pores. I find myself wondering if she’s always been this energetic, or if it’s a recent development. A bird flapping around her self-imposed cage, wanting to spread her wings and soar, but knowing she can’t.
My eyes glide back down to her bracelets. To the tattoos covering her arms.
Or maybe she already did.
“Well this is way more boring than I thought it would be,” Annabelle’s friend, Natalie, complains. “I thought we’d be at a club, not this lame-ass bar.”
Annabelle shrugs, pushing her auburn hair off her shoulder. “I don’t like clubs.”
“You used to,” Natalie retorts.
“Yeah, when I was nineteen and too young to even be in them.” Annabelle scoffs. “I’m too old for that shit.”
“I’ve never liked clubs either,” Lily pipes in, smiling at Annabelle.
I’m not sure what to make of their relationship. They seem friendly enough, but this is the first time I’ve seen them interact in the two months I’ve been here. Honestly, I’ve never seen Lily spend time with anyone other than her kid or the patrons in the diner.
Natalie huffs a laugh. “That’s not surprising, Miss ‘I don’t drink.’”
Lily’s head cocks. “And there’s a problem with that?”
Annabelle chuckles, but it comes out pinched. “Come on, guys.”
Natalie takes a drink from her martini. “I mean… don’t you ever want to have some fun?”
Lily laughs, the sound hollow as it rings through the air. “I’ve had enough fun to last me a lifetime.”
“Yeah, I bet.” Natalie rolls her eyes.
My stomach sours. “Annabelle, are all your friends gigantic cunts?”
Natalie’s head whips toward me. “Excuse me?”
“You’re a bitch.” I shrug. “I’m just trying to figure out if it’s because you feel threatened by her.” I nod my head toward Lily. “Or if it’s just woven into your personality.” I rest my elbows on the table. “Let me clue you into something. The only reason we aren’t having any fun is because you’re here.”
Natalie’s jaw drops and she looks to Annabelle. “This is the company you’re keeping these days, Belle?”
Annabelle glances at Lily, then me, and then back to Natalie. “They’re my friends,” she says slowly.
Natalie’s lips thin. “Jesus, when did you turn into such a drag?” She slams the rest of her drink before standing and grabbing her purse.
Annabelle nods, exhaling a slow breath. “Before you go… it’s only fair you know the answer to his question, in case it ever gets brought up again. You are definitely always a bitch.”
Natalie’s eyes turn into slits. “You’re pathetic. Don’t call me again.”
She leaves and for a few moments the table is silent. Then, Lily drops her head in her hands, shoulders shaking, a bubbly sound coasting through the air and wrapping around my insides. She looks up, tears streaming down her face from how hard she’s laughing.
A grin breaks across my face, and I grab the toothpick from my mouth, pointing it at her. “You always cause this kind of trouble?”
“Me?” She points to her chest, speaking through her giggles. “What did I do? You’re the one who… who called her a—a cunt.”
Annabelle chuckles, reaching over and grasping Lily’s hand across the table. “I’m sorry she was such a bitch to you.” She glances toward the door. “She used to be alright. I don’t know what happened to make her so bitter.”
Lily sighs, wiping her face with the back of her hands, the laughter dying down. “It’s okay. I’m sure it had more to do with her than me. There’s bitterness in all of us.”
My head tilts, curiosity a blazing inferno rising inside me.
“Well… tonight was a bust, huh? Sorry we drove all the way down here.” Annabelle sighs. “We can go back to my place and watch a movie or something if you guys want?”
“Sounds good to me,” I say.
Lily’s gaze narrows. “I thought you said you had business in Phoenix.”
I shrug. “And?”
“And you’re just gonna hop on that bike and follow us back to Raindale when you’re already down here?”
I spin my ring around my finger. “Are you saying you don’t want my company, little bird?”
Her lips twitch. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Well… tough shit.” I shrug, biting back a grin. “Maybe I want yours.”
Her smirk softens into a small smile.
The bill shows up and I grab it before anyone else can, paying for the two Cosmos Annabelle and her friend drank.
It’s not until I’m on my bike, the vibration of the engine rumbling underneath me, that I question what the hell I’m doing. There’s something foreign thrumming through my veins. A craving to spend more time with Lily, unwrap her layers one by one until I can figure out what the hell it is about her that makes her feel so goddamn different.
But when I get to Annabelle’s she isn’t there.
And later that night when I’m back at the motel, I wonder why I pictured hazel eyes staring up at me instead of Annabelle’s browns.