Choices (Book Four)

Chapter 16

Shawn

I hang out another hour at the table with Bailey and Milo, trying my best to be good company, but after my run in with Lyla and Will I'm undeniably miserable. And frustrated. And angry. Very angry. Not at Lyla. A little at Will. But mainly at myself and the situation. I should have walked out of here an hour ago, but I stayed and put myself through more misery as I had a little pity party of one.

"I'm going to head out," I announce as I stand up from my stool.

"Already?" Bailey asks as she pouts her bottom lip.

"Yeah I've had about all I can handle for the night," I tell her.

She doesn't argue with me and just nods her head instead. I'm sure she is taking some pity on me after my run in with Lyla and Will. She knows how much I've struggled with it from five hours away let alone being face to face with them. She stands up from the table and hugs me.

"Text me in the morning when you're up and we can go for breakfast or lunch," she tells me with a smile.

"Will do," I agree. "Milo, make sure this wild one gets home safe," I tell him as we shake hands.

"Of course," he answers and I catch Bailey shaking her head in amusement from the corner of my eye.

"You know I am completely capable of getting myself home," she comments.

"We know," Milo and I respond in unison and I chuckle at the timing.

"See ya," I call out as I make my way out of the bar.

When I step out onto the sidewalk I notice how cool it got since we first got here tonight. I can see my breath as I make my way down the sidewalk away from the front doors and check my phone. The team chat is always blowing up with some sort of discussion and I scroll back to get caught up. I smile in amusement as the guys go back and forth chirping each other over some bet. I'm shaking my head and chuckling softly to myself as I scroll through the chat when I hear the bar doors open. I glance up to see none other the Lyla and Will walking out hand in hand. I internally groan as I move further away from the doors hoping they don't see me. When I glance back in their direction I feel a pang in my chest when I see them in a tight embrace.

I stare down at the ground and try to stop myself from walking over there and laying Will flat out on the ground. When I look back up a minute later I'm confused when I see Will getting into a cab by himself and Lyla waves from her spot on the sidewalk. She must be freezing cold in only her shirt and she confirms this by rubbing her hands up and down her arms before she turns and races back into the bar. That's odd. Why wouldn't she leave with him? They obviously aren't in a fight because they shared a goodbye kiss before he left. So why is she heading back into the bar?

I decide to take a walk outside for a bit to clear my head of everything that went down tonight. I start rounding the block as the minutes tick by, daydreaming about getting to kick Will's ass. I know it would get me nowhere if I actually did it, so my imagination will have to do for now because it brings me some bit of comfort at this point. Another image to bring me comfort is Lyla tonight, when I first laid eyes on her. She's as breathtaking as I remember. Her hair is cut a bit shorter than it used to be and I liked the look of it. Not to mention her outfit. She looks good in anything, but tonight it was like that outfit was made to torture me. The way the waist of her pants sat so low on her hips that I knew if I reached out and tugged it down just a bit I would see her tattoo. My tattoo. I groan out loudly and thankfully the street is empty when I glance around. Why the hell did I come back here?

I'm kissing her. I'm kissing Lyla and fuck does it feel amazing. I rounded the block about three minutes ago to find her standing out here on her own and never did I imagine I'd be kissing her now. Her body is pressed against mine as my arms wrap snugly around her but I don't pull her in too tightly in fear I will scare her off. I feel her body relax against me as my lips taste her, I explore her mouth once again, but I take my time, not wanting this moment to ever end. But it does end, like all good things apparently.