I nearly choke on my beer, coughing.
“Come on.” He shoots me a grin. “Hazel fucking hated you, and then McKinnon shows up and you’re together? You don’t have to be a genius to figure that one out.”
I start laughing. “Does everyone know?”
He shakes his head, still grinning. “Nah. I didn’t say anything.” Jordan drops off another beer and he thanks her.
“You’re a good guy, Owens.”
“And you’re a good captain.” He clinks his glass against mine. “Cheers, asshole.”
I finish my beer, and because it’s still the break, I catch Jordan’s eye, silently requesting another.
It’s the holiday, and I’m having fun with my friend. Hazel would say I deserve good things in my life.
“The question is,” Owens says with another playful grin, “does Hazel know it’s not fake?’
My smile stretches from ear to ear as I think about her whispering say it again. “Yep. Told her last night.” Excitement races through me. I can’t wait to get home to her.
“Ah, shit.” Owens stands and moves to my side of the booth, engulfing me in a back-slapping bear hug while I laugh. “Happy for you, man.”
Streicher walks in the door and waves hello to Jordan before making his way over to us.
“Hey,” Owens calls, lifting his glass as Streicher slides into the booth. “There he is. Get a drink. We’re celebrating.”
After saying goodnight to Jordan, we pour out of the bar and into the cold, crisp night.
My head’s spinning, so I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. “You guys. The air smells so good.”
I think about waking up this morning with my face buried in Hazel’s neck, inhaling her.
My Hazel.
I grab the front of Streicher’s jacket as we walk. “Hazel smells incredible. Does Pippa smell good? Why do girls smell so good?”
He shakes his head at me, smiling, and behind him, Owens and Volkov laugh.
“You’re drunk,” Streicher says.
“I’m drunk,” I admit to them. “I haven’t been drunk in years.”
“Don’t worry, Miller,” Owens says. “We’ll get you home safe to Hazel.”
I hum to myself, thoughts floating. “She’s so pretty.” I dig into my pocket and yank my keys out, holding up the plastic dragon key chain she got me. “Did I show you this? She bought it for me. She made me a stocking.” My words smear together.
Owens groans. “You showed us. You showed everyone in the bar.”
I smile at the little dragon, glinting from the streetlights above. It’s so cute. I love it.
“I love Hazel. I love her a lot.” I tuck the key chain back in my pocket and grin stupidly at Streicher. “We’re going to get married.”
Streicher cracks another grin, Volkov rolls his eyes, and Owens is laughing so hard he can’t breathe.
“Does she know that?” Owens asks.
I pull out my phone to look at the picture of her in high school, smiling reluctantly. “Not yet. But one day.”
She went with me to my mom’s house. She knows me. She sees who I really am, and yet she’s still sleeping in my bed, telling me she’s not going anywhere.
A sign in a tattoo parlor window catches my eye—OPEN.
“Wait.” I grab Owens’s shirt to stop him, staring up at the glowing letters, and behind me, Volkov swears.
I grin big. “Let’s go inside.”
CHAPTER 70
HAZEL
A jingling sound wakes me in the middle of the night, followed by a thundering boom. I sit up in Rory’s bed, half-asleep.
My phone’s ringing. I squint at the screen. Hayden’s contact photo lights it up, and I answer.
“Hayden?” I rasp, confused. “What’s going on?”
“Can you open the door?”
“Don’t wake her up,” Rory says in the background, and my head clears a little more.
“I’m at Rory’s.” The booming noise sounds again. Someone’s pounding on the door.
“I know.” Hayden chuckles. “I have a surprise for you.”
A moment later, I open Rory’s front door. His arm is around Hayden’s shoulder and he takes one look at me, wearing his t-shirt with bare legs, and his eyes light up.
“Hi, baby.” His words slur and his grin stretches wider.
Hayden gives me an entertained, expectant look as he ushers Rory into the apartment. “This belongs to you. He couldn’t figure out which key to use.”