Loving You Was the Risk

Message Received

Bennie POV

I noticed them the second they walked in.

Which was a problem, because I was NOT expecting to run into her tonight.

Sharkey’s was packed in that loud, sticky, half-drunken Saturday-night way. The band was decent, the beer was cold, and Austin was in a good mood, which usually meant he was about to talk to everyone within a ten-foot radius.

Tamera had found me about ten minutes after we got there.

She was technically working. Which meant she was wearing a tank top so short it was practically decorative and shorts that seemed way too expensive for being that small. Her hair was done, makeup perfect, and she was leaning into me like we were in the middle of a story. Like she wanted people to believe we were a thing.

We weren’t.

She was talking. A lot. Mostly about her break, and how she was “finally off,” and how “it’s been forever,” and how she “missed me,” with a lot of unnecessary touching mixed in.

I was nodding. Not really listening.

And then—

Amy walked in.

With Savannah.

And everything in my brain stopped working.

She looked… different. Not dressed up in a try-hard way. Just confident. Comfortable. Legs that should probably be illegal. Hair down in loose waves like she hadn’t overthought it, which somehow made it worse.

Savannah looked great too, but my eyes kept going back to Amy like they had a personal problem.

She laughed at something Savannah said and I felt it in my chest.

Hard.

“You’re not listening,” Tamera said, flicking my arm.

“Yeah,” I said automatically.

She followed my line of sight.

“Oh,” she said. Her smile tightened just a little. “Her.”

I didn’t answer.

“She always did get your attention,” Tamera said lightly. “Some people are just… lucky.”

Her tone was sweet.

Her eyes weren’t.

She shifted closer to me, hand sliding along my arm like she was trying to stake a claim.

I gently stepped away.

She noticed.

Of course she did.

Before she could say anything else, two guys had already made their way to Amy and Savannah’s table.

Tourists. Loud. Confident. The annoying kind.

My jaw tightened. I didn’t like it…. not one bit. I leaned over to Austin and told him to look towards the band.

He froze and smiled. Mostly at Savanah and it made me role my eyes. He will never admit his feelings.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he muttered. “They’re here.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I see them.”

My jaw tightened without my permission.

My whole body tensed as I watched them again.

Tamera noticed.

She always did.

She slid a little closer, pressing her arm against mine like she was staking a claim. “You’re being really distracted tonight,” she said lightly, her voice still sweet. “Am I boring you?”

“No,” I said, a little too quickly. “I just—” I stopped myself.

Because the truth was not something I wanted to explain.

I shifted slightly, creating space between us without making a scene. “I’m just tired. Long week.”

She laughed softly and traced a finger over my forearm, like we were sharing some private joke. “You always say that.”

“I mean it tonight,” I said, keeping my tone polite. Neutral. Distant. The way you talk to someone you don’t want to encourage.

She tilted her head. “You don’t have to pretend you’re not happy to see me.”

I almost said something sharp.

Instead, I took a slow breath. “Tamera… we’re not in high school anymore.”

Her smile flickered. Just for a second.

“I know,” she said lightly. “I’m just saying hi.”

“Yeah,” I said. “And that’s all this is.”

She studied my face like she was trying to decide whether to believe me.

Then she shrugged and leaned in again anyway.

From across the bar, if someone were watching—

It probably looked like we were together.

Like we were comfortable.

Like we were a thing.

And I had a bad feeling Amy might see it exactly that way.

Then, Austin started moving.

And I was right behind him.

We reached the table just as one of the guys offered to buy them another round.

“Actually,” Austin said easily, smiling like he knew exactly what he was doing, “they’re good.”

I stepped in beside him.

“Yeah,” I added. “They’re with us.”

Amy looked startled.

Savannah looked amused.

The guys looked annoyed.

They hesitated, then backed off.

Tamera appeared a second later, all bright smile and fake warmth.

“Amy, right?” she said. “Wow. It’s been forever.”

Amy smiled politely. “Hey, Tamera.”

Tamera’s eyes flicked over her outfit. Her hair. Her legs.

Then she smiled wider.

“You look… really comfortable,” she said lightly, her eyes flicking over me. “It must be nice not having to worry about looking good on a Saturday night. I wish I could just go into work without caring what I look like.”

She laughed, too sweet and a little too loud.

It was the kind of comment that sounded harmless.

It wasn’t. She's still being a b***h I see.

Amy’s smile tightened just a fraction. “Yeah. It is.”

Savannah shifted in her seat.

Austin’s jaw clenched.

I took a small step forward.

“Tamera,” I said calmly, not raising my voice, “she’s here to have a good night.”

“So am I,” Tamera said sweetly.

I met her eyes. “Then you should probably go do that somewhere else.”

There was a beat.

Her smile wavered.

Then she laughed like it was all a joke. “Wow. Okay. Message received. Don’t worry, I’ll call you later.” Then she winked and walked away.

Amy looked at me, surprised and a little bothered. Interesting.

“Thanks,” she said quietly.

I shrugged like it didn’t matter.

It did.

Way more than it should have.