it again. That I beat them. That I got the girl. I knew it would be a thorn in their side and nothing made me happier.
***
“How does this place even stay open?” she laughed, taking a sip from her milkshake. “I don't remember it ever being full.”
Betty's Diner was empty except for the two of us. But that's because everyone – and I mean everyone – was at the bonfire.
“It's a staple around here,” I said. “Just like Driftwood. Some things are just institutions and will never disappear completely.”
“The Driftwood – which you guys now own,” she said, looking a little more relaxed and her eyes twinkling for the first time since we'd met.
Her smile was warm, genuine and she seemed more confident now that we were away from the crowd. She was no longer hugging the hoodie close to her body and spoke a little more confidently.
“Yeah, that was Cason's idea,” I said, running a hand through my hair.
The front door of the diner opened, the bell overhead tinkling, and I cringed. I just had a feeling I knew who was coming through the front doors. It took everything in me in that moment to not jump up and stab them both in the heart with a spoon.
“Speak of the devil,” I muttered and sighed.
Hailey turned around just as Cason and Ben entered the diner, wide smiles plastered upon their faces.
“How'd you find us?” I asked when they reached our table.
“Easy,” Cason said, slipping into the booth next to Hailey. “It's the only place open and your truck is out front. Didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out, chief.”
Ben sat down beside me. “Besides, I was in the mood for a milkshake,” he said, a cocky smirk on his face.
“Yeah, of course you were,” I grumbled.
“So, Hailey,” Cason said, turning toward her with an arm behind her on the bench. “What did you miss most about Black Oak?”
“Truthfully?” she laughed. “Not much. No offense or anything, but it's not like I ever had a lot going for me here. I still don't, but hopefully, that'll change soon.”
“Oh, I have no doubt it will,” Ben said, leaning across the table, closer to her. “A lot has changed since you left. It's like a whole different town in some ways.”
“That's what everyone keeps telling me,” she said. “Yet, I see that so much has stayed the same.”
“Like what?” Cason asked.
She looked at the three of us, her lips curling up in a grin, and I so badly wanted to know what she was thinking. Instead of enlightening us though, she passed and gave us something that was a little more benign. “Well, like the diner,” she said. “This milkshake tastes exactly like I remembered it. And the bonfire – that hasn't changed a bit. And I have to tell you, that brought back so many memories.”
Judging by the look on her face and the air of sadness around her, not all of the memories that came back to her at the bonfire were good ones. She stared down at her hands for a moment, seeming to be lost in thought, before looking back up at the three of us.
“I don't mean to be blunt, you guys,” she said, biting her lip. “But why all the attention? To be honest, it's a little overwhelming and unexpected. I mean, it's not like any of you noticed or paid attention to me back in high school.”
“Like I said,” Ben said. “A lot has changed. We've all grown up, and it's been a long time since someone came back to Black Oak once they left. Usually, when somebody gets out, they stay gone. We're just interested in getting to know you, Hailey. That's all.”
She nodded, but she still didn't look entirely convinced. But she was smiling, almost like there was some small part of her that enjoyed the extra attention. Her gaze flitted back over to me and we locked eyes. I It felt like something hit me in the chest good and hard. As I looked into her eyes, I realized I could see myself easily falling for someone like her. She was sweet, down-to-earth, yet adventurous, and beautiful.
If I ever needed a girl who could get my mind off my ex, Hailey Roberts was it. Someone who didn't already know my entire past and wouldn't judge me on the mistakes I've made. I could work with that. “So, Quinn,” Ben said, turning back toward me, a sly smirk on his face. “How are things with you and Shelly?”
Damn him. That son of a bitch.
CHAPTER EIGHT - HAILEY
The next day, Jenn called, and I decided to meet her coffee at the one little coffee shop in town. It wasn't a Starbucks – not even close. It was a hole in the wall mom and pop shop, and it had been around long before coffee houses were trendy.
Mainly it just served regular old coffee and some bakery items. It didn't have any of those fancy coffee drinks you get in the city. Nobody in Black Oak seemed inclined to spend five bucks, or more, on some fancy coffee drink that had too much milk and not enough actual coffee in it.