Stay For Me - Megan Smith Page 0,19

unless Fallon is home. I know it won’t last much longer, it never does.

With Brian seeming preoccupied, he hasn’t mentioned anything at all about the way I’ve been getting home every night since our fight about him not picking me up and I’m not about to bring it up to him either. Hell no, he’d flip his fucking lid.

Earlier this afternoon Jaylinn and I ran into Brian between classes. It was a brief ‘hello, what are you doing tonight, I’m going to stop by and say hi’ conversation before he was off again on his way to work. He told me he got a promotion which allowed him to pick up more hours. It’s weird because it’s not like he needs the money but I don’t question him. The less I see of him the better.

As soon as Brian was out of earshot I told Jaylinn she was hanging at the bar tonight and it wasn’t up for discussion. I need her there, she’s more of a source of comfort even though she has no idea that she is. Every time I’ve ever needed her she’s always been there for me.

“Will Cooper be there?” Jaylinn asks nervously.

“Nope, he’s out of town still.” I beam.

She nods. “Alright, I’ll swing by.”

She strolls in around ten and heads directly to my bar. There just so happens to be an empty stool beside Eli. I instantly feel better the second she sits down. Now I won’t have to explain to Brian why Eli was sitting right where I’m bartending talking to me. I love our conversations and I get a little more insight on Eli but it just means more problems for me. It’s his bar and he can do what he wants but I’d rather not have that argument with Brian since everything is going so well at the moment.

As Jaylinn sits down, I catch Eli lean over and kiss her on the cheek and a little pang of jealousy hits me. It shouldn’t, but it does.

I’m tending to a few customers and filling pitchers of beers for the waitresses. Every once in a while I glance over towards Jaylinn and Eli. They’re looking around the club probably talking about business but then suddenly I watch Jaylinn’s face redden and she glares down at her hands. Eli is still talking and I catch the word Cooper coming from his lips. That explains her mood change.

“That’ll be twenty-three dollars.” I tell the guy with the greasy hair who seems to becoming a regular.

He pulls out his wallet as I fill the girl’s glass who is sitting next to him. He puts a twenty and a five on the bar and slides it over to me. He winks. “Thanks and keep the change.”

I smile back even though I really just want to gag.

Finally, having a free second I make Jaylinn a lemon drop knowing she needs it. I sit it down in front of her and then I’m off filling the next order. I love that we are busy on Fridays. It makes me more money and the time seems to go by quickly.

Eli nudges Jaylinn’s shoulder and she sways to the side. Clearly they have a good friendship. They’re always joking around and flirting with each other. Eli’s head falls back and he barks out a laugh at something she says. Jaylinn narrows her eyes at him, then turns her stool to face him and his eyes sparkle. I hate her. No, I don’t really hate her but I want those eyes on me. I want the attention even though I shouldn’t. I’ve got enough shit on my plate to last a lifetime and worrying about the attention from another boy isn’t smart.

Hours have passed. Jaylinn and Eli are still laughing and carrying on. Things are starting to slow down just as Brian makes an appearance with two of his friends, the Campo brothers. Their bad news, everyone who lives in Brick knows this. If someone gets beat up, it’s one of the Campo boys who did it. If a store was broken into, it was one of the Campo boys. Everything bad that happens in that town has their names written all over it.

I hate that Brian hangs with them but at least they keep him out of my hair.

“Hey, babe,” Brian says as he takes a seat at the other end of the bar from Eli and Jaylinn.

“Hey,” I glance towards the brothers. “Hey, guys.”

They mumble their hellos looking like they want