Four Letter Word

“Thanks.”

“Seriously. That’s great for all of us. Means I won’t have to put you on suicide watch and take shifts with Cole. Just so you know, pretty sure it was coming to that.”

I glared at him, got a smug grin in return, then went back to the bacon, pulling out pieces that were on the good side of being burnt and putting them on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up the grease.

“Fuck. Last night was crazy,” Jamie muttered next to me. “Think I might need a cast for my dick.”

“Not that it’s any of my business and, please, let’s keep it that way. Only sharing this ’cause it was shoved upon me last night and I had no choice but to hear it. Now I’m figuring I can pass it off and maybe I’ll forget I ever heard it in the first place, which would be fuckin’ great.” I cut my eyes to him, continuing on to say, “You fucked up with Legs. Pretty sure she wants to kill you.”

Mug in his hands resting in his lap, Jamie looked irritated as he asked, “What the fuck for? She shows up at my party looking like straight-up pussy on a fuckin’ platter, flaunts that shit in my face knowing I want it then disappears on me like a fuckin’ ghost, making me tear this place apart looking for her hot ass, which I did for a solid fifteen minutes, passing up opportunities left and right, and she wants to kill me? Why?”

“Don’t know. She didn’t say,” I replied, then studied him hard to ask, “Wait, who the fuck did you have in your room last night then? I know you had more than two.”

Jamie shrugged.

“The Baker sisters,” he answered casually.

“That’s weird, man,” I told him.

He looked affronted.

“They’re stepsisters. It ain’t that weird.”

I shook my head while looking away, pulled the rest of the bacon out and turned down the heat, then grabbed a bowl and slid the carton of eggs in front of me, cracking a few in and whisking them quickly with a fork.

“Need to talk to you about something,” I said after draining out most of the grease but leaving enough in the pan so it would flavor the eggs.

“Shoot.”

I checked over my shoulder, making sure we were still alone, then turned to Jamie.

“What’s happening with me and her upstairs is something I want permanent. I’m not fuckin’ around with her. Never was.”

He smirked. “Pretty sure I got that.”

“Good, then you’ll get why I’m asking you to buy my share of Wax from me.”

Smirk vanishing, Jamie stared at me long and hard, eyes unblinking, looking like I’d just confessed to murdering someone he hated and wanted dead, but wasn’t sure if he should like the idea of me murdering someone or not.

Figured this reaction was coming. Hoped for something less complicated like an easy nod and a pat on the back so I could get to finishing Syd’s breakfast, but I’ve never been lucky.

I cut the heat on the stove, not wanting to burn the grease, stepped back until I hit the island, and leaned against it, arms crossing on my chest.

“You …want me to buy you out?” Jamie asked. “What the fuck? Why?”

I pulled in a deep breath to explain.

“Figured I’d continue doing what I was doing at Xstasy, the solo shit, until I could give that kid enough to get by for years, taking some of that burden off and letting that family breathe easy. I need that for them. It’s important. I think you know that.”

Jamie nodded, letting me know he understood.

“That being said,” I continued, “there is nothing more important to me than that girl upstairs. Not one damn thing. Can’t explain why she has me like this but she fuckin’ does and it’s good, the kind of good you’d change your life for. So solo or not, I won’t have ties to something that could hurt her. I won’t chance her feeling this, which puts me in a fuckin’ bind ’cause I need that money and doing shit like I was doing for Xstasy was the only way I could think of to get it fast like I needed and in that quantity without risking getting arrested.”

Jamie shook his head.

“It’s not lost on me what this girl’s doing. I see the good she’s giving you but there’s gotta be something else,” he said. “Another way you can get them that money. A loan or something. Fuck, Dash, this was our dream, owning Wax. It’s something we’ve worked our asses off for and you wanna sell out?”

“No other choice, man.”

Jamie clenched his jaw, nostrils flaring as he looked down.

He was upset and I got that. Appreciated where he was coming from, too. This wasn’t an easy decision for me, but at least I’d still be connected to Wax somehow. I’d still work there.

I wouldn’t have to give up that dream completely.

I watched Jamie set his mug down and hop off the counter, then take a step toward me, hands raised seeking peace.

“Hear me out,” he requested. “There’s another option and it’s one you can take without giving anything up.”

“No,” I said, shooting it down before hearing him because I already knew his suggestion. “It’s not going down that way. I’m not taking your money unless I sell.”

“Come on. What’s the difference?”

“Don’t fuckin’ ask me that again,” I hissed, impatience burning in my throat. “You wanna help me? This is how you can help me. Buy me out.”