At First Hate (Coastal Chronicles)

“We can still pull it out,” Amelia said with a wince. She peeked back up at the screen. “We’re almost set up for a field goal.”

Ash kicked back at the bar and threw peanuts into his mouth. He was enjoying this, which was a sharp contrast to how I’d seen him every other time. But hey, we both loved to watch UNC lose.

“Come on,” Derek shouted.

I took the seat next to Ash and watched the field goal get set up. “Ten bucks he misses,” I said to him.

Ash nodded.

Derek glared at me. “Watch your mouth.”

I couldn’t keep the grin from my face. “You’re losing to App State.”

He rolled his eyes and went back to praying. I could actually feel them hold their breath as UNC got the last-second field goal off that would tie up the game and send them into overtime. I’d been joking when I said he would miss. I hadn’t expected App State to block it.

I gasped. “Oh fuck.”

Derek’s head hit the bar with a loud groan. Amelia’s jaw fell. Ash tried not to look too smug.

“Should we go get drinks elsewhere?” Ash asked, patting Amelia on the back.

“I need one,” she said. “That was…”

“Terrible,” Derek groaned. “There goes the whole season.”

“Didn’t you lose last weekend too?” I asked.

Derek threw his hands out. “We beat South Carolina. I don’t get it.”

“You’ll probably still be bowl eligible,” Ash said like a consolation prize.

“Clemson is going to wipe the floor with us next week,” Amelia said as she hopped off the chair. “I don’t even want to watch.”

“But we will,” Derek said, following us out, “because we’re masochists until basketball season.”

“Admit it,” I said with a laugh. “You’re masochists during basketball season too.”

“Hey, didn’t Alabama beat you forty-two to three in your opener?” Derek asked.

“Shh, we’re talking about your defeat to an unranked App State right now.”

“It was pretty beautiful,” Ash said. “You wanted to cheer me up, and look, that made my birthday.”

Derek shot him a look. “So glad that my defeat could bring you such joy.”

“Thanks, man.”

Ash stepped forward with Amelia, and I fell into step with Derek as we took the stairs up to Bay Street and walked toward City Market. Ash dragged us into bar after bar, and it became increasingly evident that Ash Talmadge knew every bartender. He got free birthday shots at them all. He was clearly a regular.

“How often do you come out?” I asked him when we stepped into Rouge Water and the tall blonde offered us another round of shots.

Derek passed his extra to Ash because he planned to drive home.

“Often enough.”

I glanced at Derek, and he shrugged. “Like every weekend or every night?”

“What does it matter?”

Because you’re a wreck, was what I wanted to say. But didn’t he deserve to wallow for a while? It had been three and a half months though. He needed to find a way to move on. And not just by getting under someone else.

“I know that look, Mars,” Ash said, leaning back against the bar. He didn’t even slur.

Meanwhile, I was having trouble standing from all the shots. Amelia was a beast because, somehow, she still seemed fine.

“Spit it out.”

“It’s your birthday. I’ll be nice.”

Ash snorted. “Since when does that matter?”

“Hey, I’ve been nice to you before!”

He nodded, his eyes going briefly distant. “Right. Yeah.”

Ash turned back to the bartender to order another shot. I grimaced. I hadn’t even brought up Lila, but clearly, it had made him think of her.

“Come dance with me,” Ash said to Amelia and dragged her out into the middle of the dive bar. Other people were sort of dancing, but it wasn’t the kind of place to dance.

“Good job,” Derek muttered. He turned to the bartender. “Can we get a few waters?”

“Maybe I’m not the right person for this job. I don’t have many memories of Ash outside of college that don’t include my best friend.”

“Ah yes, she who shall not be named.” Derek handed me a water, and I took it gratefully. “It’s fine. This is better than what he originally wanted to do for his birthday, which is all that matters.”

“What did he have planned?”

“It was a tie between sit at home alone and drink until he passed out or go out alone, drink until he nearly passed out, and take home some stranger.”

I cringed. “Gross.”

“I’d rather have him here with us. Less time to think.”

“Agreed.” I watched him dance with Amelia. He was definitely drunk, and the boy still managed to have good rhythm. It was kind of impressive. “He’s not going to try to hook up with Amelia now, is he?”

“I don’t think he’s that stupid.”

I remembered the one time I’d seen Derek throw a guy against a wall for touching his sister. But that had been years ago. He couldn’t still be that protective, could he?