My Jaded Love, Forbidden Love

Chapter 3

Mikayla POV

Tripp had been kind enough to offer to take me and Dad out for dinner; he insisted on going to one of the local bars for some food, which I was excited about. The bar was called The Little Tree Taproom, but we all called it John’s. My dad would bring us here every Thursday night; it was our little family tradition, and I had to admit it was one of my favorite things to do from my childhood. The bar would always be packed; it didn’t matter what day of the week it was; the atmosphere inside was so lively and fun and welcoming that you couldn’t help but be drawn in. Something was always happening as well, whether it was quiz night, open mic night, or my favorite, the live bands, which would be on throughout the weekend. The whole bar was electrifying when John had a live band playing. Dad walked in first, holding the door open so I could enter. As soon as the door opened, I was hit with the smell of home-cooked food and beer; a small flutter of excitement whirled around my stomach.

“Hey, John, look who I found,” Dad shouted, making the old man behind the bar look up.

“Well, if it isn’t our little troublemaker. You look so grown up now, Mikayla.” John smiled, making me smile back.

John was my father's oldest friend and had owned the bar for as long as I could remember; he was a tall man with broad shoulders, his once flat tummy was now round and plump, but he wasn’t overweight; he looked healthy. He wore his long, dark grey hair tied back in a low ponytail, and his face was weathered with age, but his dark brown eyes still shimmered with happiness.

“John, it's so good to see you,” I replied, my voice bubbly with joy.

The old man lifted the hatch for the bar up and made his way over to me, throwing his arms around me and giving me a warm hug.

“What are you having? My treat.”

I didn’t think being back home would feel this way; I felt safe and loved and cherished. I didn’t realize how much I had missed this place and the people here.

“I will have a beer, please.”

“Same for me too,” Tripp added, throwing his arm over my shoulder playfully.

“Go sit down, and Maria will be right over to take your order.”

I spun around, taking in the unusually quiet bar; Dad made a beeline to a booth that sat in the perfect spot, as he would say. Close enough to the bar and the toilet and with the perfect view of the stage, his footsteps made soft thuds on the vinyl floor, which looked like it had seen better days. I followed behind him with Tripp still clinging to me, but I didn’t mind; it felt nice having him be playful with me again, just how he used to be.

“So, what are you going to do now that you’re back home?” Dad asked as I slid into the booth; the cushion felt bouncy, but the material on the back where I leaned felt stiff and scratchy against the skin on the back of my arms.

“I honestly don’t have a clue. I couldn’t stay there anymore.”

“What about that boy?”

Tripp’s brow furrowed as he sat up straight, waiting to hear what I had to say about Jared, or the boy, as Dad called him.

“What about him? I found him with another girl after he dumped me by text. It turns out he had been seeing her for a while before that, so I came home. He was the only thing keeping me there anyway.”

Tripp’s eyes grew darker, and his lips pulled into a tight line. Warmth radiated through my chest seeing Tripp’s reaction; he really was back. My big brother, who I had missed terribly, was back.

“He cheated on you?” Tripp asked, but his voice sounded low and gruff.

“Honestly, I’m fine; it was over a long time ago. I just didn’t know it. Plus, I missed this place. I missed you.” I smiled as I looked at my brother; his eyes remained dark, but his lips curled up into a half smile, making him look quite dashing. Yep, Tripp was definitely a good-looking guy; Michelle didn’t know what she had with him.

I looked up as a bottle of beer was placed in front of me to see Maria, John’s wife and my late mother's best friend. She looked down at me with large eyes that glistened with love and a warm smile that made my heart feel full. She looked just as beautiful as I remembered her; her long dark hair was braided, the plait hung over her shoulder, and her skin was a beautiful olive color; it looked so flawless and smooth, but her deep brown eyes showed signs of aging with some wrinkles around them as she smiled, but it didn’t take away from her beauty; she looked radiant.

“It’s good to have you back, mi amor.” She leaned down and wrapped me in a warm embrace that made tears spring to my eyes.

I never experienced what a mother's love was, well, not that I could remember. I was young when our mother left, and then when she passed, I wasn’t sure what to feel, but to me, Maria was that; having her hold me was like having my mother hold me. She pulled away, giving me one last loving smile, and pulled her notepad out of the pocket of her black apron, ready to take our order.

A few beers later, with a full tummy and lots of laughs, I felt myself finally loosen up for the first time in such a long time. The sound of laughter surrounded me. I could hear the rowdy conversations of the workmen who had come into the bar an hour ago, the gossiping of the girls who were sitting in the booth beside us, the sound of glasses being placed on the table, and ice clinking together as drinks were drunk. I felt like I was finally home. I wasn’t afraid someone was going to jump out of the shadows and hurt me; I felt free of my fears, and it was because of my dad and my big brother. Tripp was actually hilarious; I had forgotten how charismatic he was. The stories he told always engaged me, and it felt like we hadn’t spent almost 10 years apart. Being here with him and Dad felt right. I was doubtful before about coming home, but now, after tonight, I was positive I had made the right choice. The bar was filling up now, lots of old faces from my past stopping by to say hi, and a lot of new ones that I didn’t recognize. The town had expanded since I was last here. I feel my eyes roll as I spot a lanky girl from my past I wished I didn’t ever have to see. She was the biggest bìtch I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Tripp followed my gaze and quickly leaned against his elbow, using his hand to hide his face, making my brow furrow, but my lips curled up into a smile. She sashayed across the bar, exaggerating the sway of her hips; her dark hair curled around her face and bounced with every step she took. She stood beside the table; her perfume was overpowering, it suffocated my senses and the smell of my beer, which I held to my lips; her big blue eyes were locked on my brother, who was acting as if the ring mark from his beer bottle on the table was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Mikayla, it’s been forever.” Her voice sounded shrill; I saw Tripp’s back stiffen, making a small laugh escape my mouth at his obvious discomfort. She turned to glare at me, letting me see that time hadn’t been so kind to her; her foundation looked thick on her face, her eyelashes looked too heavy for her eyes, and her lipstick seemed to have been applied at least 50 times. Abigail Benson used to be one of the prettiest girls at school, but now she looked haggard and plastic, her appearance mirroring her black heart and soul.

“Abigail, it’s so good to see you.” I lied, not even trying to hide my sarcasm.

Tripp’s shoulders went tense as she ran her hand across them, stroking them seductively.

“Tripp, how are you?”

“Good,” Tripp answered, his voice gruff.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink?”

“Can’t, sorry. Got to get Kay settled in.” My brother lied. I covered my mouth, hiding my smile at how desperate she was acting; Tripp was making it extremely obvious he wasn’t interested, but Abigail was never one to take the hint.

“Maybe another time.” She asked.

Tripp just gave her a curt nod and sipped his beer, looking straight at me, begging me with his eyes for help. I cleared my throat, getting her attention.

“It was good to see you, Abigail, but you are interrupting a family gathering,” I said.

Her head whipped round to me, her eyes narrowed, and a fake smile was plastered on her caked-in-makeup face, but it was a cold and dangerous smile that made a chill run down my spine. God, I hadn’t had a smile like that since I was 18. She turned back to Tripp, but he looked straight ahead at me, unwilling to look at her; she spun on her heel, letting her hair flick out as she turned, and as she walked away, she swayed her hips dramatically, making me roll my eyes again.

“You should just give her a good seeing to, then she will leave you alone,” Dad shouted, making me almost spit my beer out; Tripp’s eyes went wide with disbelief. I looked at my big brother before we both burst out laughing.

“God no, she’s a clinger; we will never be able to get rid of her.” I snorted, making Tripp shudder.

I glanced across the bar to see where Abigail had gone when I spotted him walking through the door. It was as if time slowed down; the sunlight illuminated him, casting a bright glow around him like a deity. My heart raced. He was the most attractive man I had ever seen—his short, wavy, golden-brown hair was slicked back, even James Dean would have been envious. His skin looked sun-kissed, radiating a glow that made him appear almost ethereal, and a strong jaw, covered in dark stubble, added to his allure. He scanned the room, our eyes locking, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. He was undeniably beautiful. As he walked toward me, my stomach fluttered; his gaze never wavered. He was tall with broad shoulders; his black T-shirt hugged his body, accentuating the toned, muscular physique beneath it, causing my mouth to go dry. With each step he took, my heart pounded against my chest. A playful half-smile curled his lips, making him look roguish and undeniably sèxy. As he drew nearer, I noticed a spark of danger in his captivating eyes. His aftershave enveloped me, and I could practically taste its intoxicating scent; he smelled like the most delicious thing on earth.

“Kay, you remember Rafe?” Tripp said, breaking the spell this man had cast over me. Rafe was Tripp’s best friend from childhood—always by my brother's side. I had a major crush on him growing up, but seeing him now felt different. We weren’t kids anymore; Rafe was staggeringly beautiful, he looked so strong and masculine. I glanced back up to find him still watching me, making my heart race again as our eyes locked.

“Mikayla, you look... different.” His deep voice made my insides clench. Great, this was definitely not what I needed right now.