The Kiss (Addison #1) (3 page)

Chapter Five

“Addison! Oh my God! I have missed you!”

Liv squeals and hugs me as soon as I sit down in her car. I hug her back and it feels like I’m going to break her in half. She just seems so fragile now. In high school Liv was always thin, but she at least had some meat on her bones.

“I missed you too, how have things been?” I ask. Liv looked…different. There’s something that just isn’t the same and it wasn’t that she had aged six years. She’s way thinner than before and doesn’t look well at all. She looks sick, really sick. I’m beginning to wonder if maybe my mom was right…I glance at her arm and noticed a huge burn mark. “What the hell happened there, Liv?” I gasp.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I had an accident, but everything turned out fine.” Liv smiles and pulls her sleeve down to cover the burn, then put her car in drive.

Liv Sullivan was perfect in high school, just not quite as perfect as everyone thought I was. She has naturally dark red hair, beautiful emerald eyes, and porcelain skin lightly sprinkled with freckles. She’s beautiful, she just wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box nor was she ever very nice. I think it’s a given that all redheaded women have a different level of bitch than blondes or brunettes. I truly believe
Ginger rage
is a real thing.

Before I went to the University of White Sands in Southern Florida, Liv and I had a falling out. It was over something small and stupid like most fights, I just couldn’t quite remember what it was. I had forgotten about it while living my dream life in White Sands.

All I know was that I’m so happy and excited to see Liv again and catch up on life. Well, catch up on her life, not mine. I’m dying to know
everything
about Liv’s. Especially what the hell is going on with her and her health. I’m really beginning to think my mom was right and the thought of Liv letting herself go down that path makes my stomach ache.

“Not much is new honestly, everything is pretty much the same here in good old Norton,” Liv says flatly. Her eyes suddenly pop open though and she immediately asks, “So, what’s new with you? Your fiancé and the pool boy, huh?” She turns the stereo down a little.

I sink back in the passenger seat. “Yeah.” I sigh. “My fiancé and the pool boy…I honestly don’t know if this year could have ended any worse. First I got a DUI, then I lost my job as the marketing coordinator assistant at one of the hottest companies in Florida. Last but not least, I walked in on my fiancé fucking our pool boy and I walked away from our beautiful home in Florida.” Liv is smiling as if she loves hearing about my misfortune.

“It wasn’t just
any
nice home, either. I’m talking a big white house right on the beach. It had six bedrooms, four full bathrooms, a double master suite, a loft that led to a second story terrace where I used to drool over said six-foot tall pool boy with abs that were so perfect it was as if they were painted on his body as well as his ginormous biceps. I mean, I totally give Carlos props for hitting it and all, I must say I was actually a tad envious,” I ramble off sarcastically as Liv laughs hysterically. “But anyway, the house also had a wrap around balcony where I would go and sit in my lounge chair while sipping on my Kama Sumatra coffee—”

Liv cut me off. “KAMA WHAT COFFEE?” she squeals.

“Yeah, the first thing that came to mind when I bought that blend was the Kama Sutra too, that’s honestly the only reason I bought it. My favorite coffee is hazelnut. But anyway, like I was saying, I’d lay out there and catch up on all of the latest celebrity gossip in magazines, all the while soaking in the sun, the sounds of the waves, and the beautiful ocean view.” Tears well up in my eyes again. I won’t cry, I won’t cry, I won’t cry.

“It’ll be okay, Addison, we all missed you back here. Time to get fucked up!” Liv cheers as we pull into the parking lot of
Hadan’s Hideout.

It’s so packed I wouldn’t be surprised if all 1,500 residents of Norton were here right now, okay, well at least my entire graduating class. We walk in and it’s pitch black, then the lights turn on and everyone cheers and shouts, “Welcome home, Addi!”

I smile, feeling my cheeks flaring up from embarrassment. I look at all of the people who are there to welcome me home. I honestly think it’s my whole high school class. Everyone comes up to me and asks how Florida was and told me how I hadn’t aged in six years, blah blah blah.

I’m ready for a drink. I go up to the bar and immediately feel starstruck. Who in the world is this? He’s tall and muscular, has scruff on his face, and long dark brown curly hair. He honestly reminded me of the guy who plays Jon Snow in the television series
Game of Thrones
.

“Addison, how are you?” Jon Snow-look-alike asks.
Wait a second, HE KNOWS ME?
It takes me a minute to recognize him, but when I make full-on eye contact with him my heart stops. All of a sudden my stomach feels woozy, and I think I’m going to faint. I know exactly who Jon-Snow-look-alike is. It’s Stephen. It’s Stephen Hadan. I take a small step back, okay, it may have been a slight stumble. I look him up and down and my mouth goes dry.

“St-Stephen?
Stephen Hadan
?” I stutter. He smiles his perfectly imperfect smile. I can see he never decided to get braces, which is kind of nice. I always did love the character that crooked teeth could give someone.

“Yep, it’s me. I’m Stephen. Stephen Hadan.” He smirks while shrugging his shoulders. I should have known right away it was him. He’s wearing an Avengers shirt which once would have been far too big on him, but now his biceps are suffocating and I feel as if I should get them out and give them mouth to mouth. GOD, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Stephen is one of my old best friends. I should not be thinking these things.

“What can I get you to drink?” His voice is deeper than it was six years ago, it’s strong and sexy. I stand there staring at him in amazement. “Addison, what can I get you to drink? I’ve got a line of folks waiting on you to order so they can get a drink.” He waves his hand in front of my eyes and laughs.

I feel my face burning again. I nervously laugh it off. “Oh, sorry, I was just trying to decide, and I can’t. So, just go ahead and surprise me.” I’m making a damn fool out of myself! This is ridiculous. I glance around the dance floor and see some guy wrapping his arms around Liv’s waist and kissing her neck. I don’t remember her mentioning that she was in a relationship now.

I look back over at Stephen and watch him make my drink. I don’t know what happened to him in just six years, but my God. I just want to run my fingers through his hair. His body is perfect. I almost hate it because he’s not the same Stephen and I feel so wrong for thinking that he’s hot. I was never attracted to Stephen before, but now…Good Lord is he gorgeous. He sets the drink in front of me.

“So what is it?” I ask.

“Let’s Kiss,” he said nonchalantly. My heart dropped to my stomach and my stomach fell to my feet. Is this really happening? I laugh nervously again.

“You’re joking, right? I can’t kiss you here.”

He smirks and whispers, “Come here.”

“Stephen!” I scoff jokingly.

“No really, come here. I have to tell you something.”

I get up on the bar stool, flip my hair off my left shoulder, lean in, and tilt my ear toward his mouth. “What?” I whisper seductively.

“The drink is called Let’s Kiss. It’s three parts gin, two parts cherry juice, two parts lemon juice, and a splash of simple syrup, topped with a maraschino cherry.” Stephen quietly chuckles as he passes the recipe card to me.

“Oh my God, Stephen, are you joking?” I cringe. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t know why I would actually think you would want to kiss me, or I mean, I don’t know…I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn’t thinking. I have just never ever heard of that. So is that the drink you give to all the ladies when they tell you to surprise them? How much do I owe you?” I ramble. I just made a damn fool out of myself. I seriously just acted like a sixteen year old girl talking to a boy for the first time. I just want to go home.

“It’s on me. Welcome home, Addi.” He scribbles something down on a napkin and hands it to me along with my Let’s Kiss. It had his number on it.

“Just give me a call or shoot me a text so we can catch up. We can go to breakfast or out for coffee or whatever you’d like.”

“Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll get a hold of you.” I manage to force a normal smile and walk toward the table where Liv is now sitting on Mystery Man’s lap. I pull out a chair and glance up. My eyes locked with Mystery Man—he’s no mystery at all.

“You have to be shitting me,” I blurt out loud. It was Nolan fucking Shepard.

“This is awkward. I’m sorry, Addison, I didn’t really know how to bring it up. I so planned on telling you, but since it’s been so long I really didn’t think you’d mind. It’s been six years, ya know?” Liv tries to justify the fact she was now with my ex-boyfriend. Liv isn’t with just any ex-boyfriend, but my first
real
boyfriend. The only boyfriend I ever had before Carlos. Nolan and I dated off and on throughout high school, the boy I dreamt of being with all through elementary and middle school. I finally got him in high school. I was crowned Homecoming Queen and he was Homecoming King. We were supposed to be high school sweethearts. I seriously can’t believe my old best friend is dating my ex-boyfriend. I thought there was a girl code for this kind of shit.

I really can’t complain though, Nolan looks just as bad off as Liv does. He’s extremely thin and he has meth-mouth. I chugged the Let’s Kiss and looked back and forth at the two of them. I could tell Liv was waiting for me to say something, but everything that came to my mind was horrible. What was I supposed to say?

“Nah, it’s no big deal. You guys look perfect together. I’m happy for you two. Good luck to the both of you. Anyone want a drink?” I ask as I push the chair out to go back to the bar.

“Addison, I’m sorry, love! Hug me! Please don’t be mad at me,” Liv slurred. We hadn’t been at the bar very long, so I don’t know how she’s already slurring her words.

I walk back up to the bar and sit on one of the red leather stools. Stephen looks over at me, holds up his pointer finger and mouths, “Just a second.” After helping a few people, he rushes over to me.

“Let’s Kiss?” Stephen smirks.

“No, I’ll have whiskey straight up. Make it a double, please.”

“Well, look who’s come out to party!” he hollers as he takes his Stetson hat off and holds it up in the air then places it back on his head.

I just want to go home, but I can’t. All of these people came here for me, and now they have all scattered off into their own little cliques after the first five minutes of interrogating me. I’m sure I could have snuck out and no one would have noticed.

I look up at Stephen and watch as he pours the whiskey, he’s like an alcohol magician. I never thought pouring a shot could look so fascinating. But then again, maybe it’s because he’d been marinating in sexy for the last six years. It feels so wrong thinking about him this way because he’s my friend. But, damn. He truly is like fine wine, he has gotten far better with age.

Stephen slides the shot to me and I slam it.

I look all around the bar and notice that Stephen is running this place all by himself. He has a full bar of people hanging out drinking, then there are a few full tables out on the floor, and a bunch of people grinding and stumbling around on the dance floor. “Do you run this all on your own?” I ask.

“Yeah, I do for now. We had some lady who used to serve drinks here, she would drive from the city to get here because she couldn’t get hired anywhere else and we quickly found out why. She was a nut case. Then we had old Kurt’s boy behind the bar, but he got locked up for drug possession and stealing, so he obviously no longer works here. We were supposed to have a couple interviews this week sometime, but I’m kind of picky about who we hire now. Would you wanna work here, Addison?” Stephen looked at me seriously. I thought for sure he was joking, but with that look I knew he was serious. This really couldn’t have happened at a better time though, I need a job.

“Honestly, I’d love to. I just moved back today and I have nothing. I’m in desperate need of a job. On that note, can you get me another double of whiskey, please?”

“Look at you using your manners. You start tomorrow, just warnin’ ya. So are you sure you want another double?” he asks.

“You guys are closed on Sundays,” I retort.

“I know, but you’re going to learn how to bartend tomorrow.” He winks. I laugh at him like he had to be bullshitting me.

“Just give me my damn drink, please.” He slides the double shot of whiskey my way. I shiver from the taste, which is a great indication that I’m not drunk yet. Here’s to drinking until I can no longer taste the memories and the whiskey no longer burns.

The bathroom is clear across the bar, how convenient Stephen. As I pass the table with Liv and all of our ‘friends’ I feel hands grasp my shoulders from behind and begin to massage them. To my surprise it’s Nolan. Nolan fucking Shepard. He walks me the rest of the way to the bathrooms. Nolan gently pushes me up against the wall.