“Careful of my girl, man!” Harley chuckles, moving in to pull Nash away from me, but suddenly the energy shifts and an overwhelming tension settles unevenly.

“Yeah, right!” Nash scoffs, turning on his unsteady feet. “She was my girl, first,” he mutters through gritted teeth with an angry look in his hazy eyes as he tries to push Harley away from him with everything he has, which barely even causes Harley to budge.

Shocked at something I never for the life of me thought I’d ever be witness to, I remain against the side of the bus, frozen at the instant change in Nash’s normally carefree demeanor, watching as Harley collects himself, calmly smoothing his hair back from his face. His eyes dart from Nash to me, and back again, and he looks to consider his options a moment, before nodding at his best friend, holding his hands up in the air in some semblance of surrender. Though I’m not sure why, it hurts me, and I can’t help but wonder if it ever came down to it, whether Harley would ever be the guy to fight for me.

“C’mon y’all, let’s go!” I finally find my voice, clapping my hands together in an attempt to attract the attention of Nash who looks just about ready to fight his very best friend. My eyes flit to Harley who is watching me intently, and I offer him an apologetic glance before moving to Nash and taking a hold of his hand to help him so he doesn’t fall and break his damn neck.

“Murph!” He laughs, gripping my hand so tight as I carefully lead him up the stairs. “I just knew you’d choose me.”

I try to ignore his obnoxious words. He’s just drunk. Cursing deep down on the inside, I continue steadying him with each step before finally directing him to the first available seat on the bus. I watch as he falls asleep almost immediately, and I hesitate a moment, looking from him, to the rest of the guys already seated who are completely unaware of the tension that just transpired outside.

“Let’s go!” Harley calls through to the driver on his way up into the bus. He stops to look down at me, an unreadable emotion flashing within his eyes as he looks at Nash before moving past and taking one of the seats in the back. And I want to go to him. I want to be with him. But Nash is in a real state, and he needs me. I just hope Harley understands.

Chapter 24

“Are you sure you don’t wanna stay with the rest of the guys?”

Harley glances back at the flickering neon lights of The Pink Palace, an aptly named strip club on the outskirts of Myrtle Beach with an interesting collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles parked in the gravel lot. He turns back to me with a tight smile, his jaw tense as he shakes his head, glancing over my shoulder to where Nash is barely conscious, resting up against a streetlight. And, to be honest, I’m glad he doesn’t want to stay with the guys. Not only do I not feel like dealing with drunk Nash on my own, but I also know the two of us need some time together to try and talk about everything.