Carter didn't bother replying. He just slipped out the back, only the metallic clank of the door declaring his departure. The good-looking guy stayed for a few minutes after that, then he left as well. Hailey was disappointed, but she hadn't really expected him to stick around until she got off work. Guys like him never noticed girls like her. If they did, they were usually married, and that only made it worse.
There was one more surge of customers around ten that night, just as Tanya arrived. Hailey stayed long enough to get the line under control, then, like Carter, made a hasty retreat out the back. As the heavy steel door closed behind her, she saw a figure in the darkness.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Expecting someone?" came the reply.
Recognizing the voice, she groaned, tossed her apron over her shoulder, and began heading in the opposite direction. Miles. He was the last person she wanted to see. Walking with a purpose, she almost made it to the side of the building before he caught up and grabbed her arm.
"Hey, babe, I need a place to crash."
With an exasperated sigh, she turned to face him. "Lisa kicked you out already?"
"No. I mean, she's just a friend, Hailey. Nothing like that." He flashed her one of those charming smiles that always got him what he wanted.
But not this time. She was done. "Where were you last night? You promised you'd watch the asteroid with me and didn't even return my texts. Nothing. Like you completely disappeared." She lifted her chin. "Too busy with your newest 'friend' to check your phone?"
"Hailey," he said, trying to sound offended. "You can't be mad about that, can you? I mean, the news started saying it was going to be late - and it was. I figured that meant watching nothing was kinda pointless. You get any pictures?"
She stared at him blankly. This is what he always did, and she always fell for it. He tried to make it sound like he'd just been hanging out with friends, that nothing had happened, but she knew better. Miles didn't have a clue that she'd seen him two nights ago with his newest "friend." Of course he didn't. He'd been too engrossed in getting his hands higher up the woman's shirt, with his mouth plastered to hers, to even notice Hailey at that party. She thought she'd surprise him by showing up to one of his typical hangouts. She thought she was trying to make things work by taking more of an interest in his life, because he said she never did. Instead, she'd caught him making out with yet another girl she'd never seen before.
This was what he did. Miles was the typical tourist town heart-throb. He was just cute enough to be someone's summer fling, autumn addiction, or winter wildside. If there was a male version of "sugar baby," he'd claim the title proudly. The problem was that he clearly had no interest in growing up, and she was sick of trying to deal with his crap. She was twenty-eight, not eighteen! His bad boy thing had started to lose its appeal.
And now, listening to him twist the conversation to make him sound almost sensible, she realized the truth. Miles actually thought this was normal. He wasn't even ashamed of what he'd done. His only goal was to score a free meal and a place to crash, and she was his latest scam. He also thought she was too stupid to have a clue, and that only made her more annoyed.
"Stop." She lifted her hands between them and stepped away. "Just stop, Miles. Stop talking. Stop acting like there's nothing wrong. I don't want to see you ever again, get it? I'm tired of this game, and I'm not going to play it anymore."
"Hailey!" He stepped closer and grabbed her wrists. "C'mon, baby. You can't do this to me. I mean, with that ship landing, I'm just so freaked out. You can't leave me alone, can you?" Which meant he had already burned all his other bridges.
Well, she wasn't going to fall for it this time. "Yeah. I can," she told him.
Pulling her hands free, she walked quickly toward the street without looking back. Her rubber soles slapped against the pavement in frustration, and she lengthened her strides. What the hell was he thinking? She didn't deserve to be treated like a backup plan. So what if she wasn't the prettiest girl in the world? That didn't mean she couldn't find someone better. Maybe not hotter, but still better. She'd almost made it to the sidewalk by the street when Miles grabbed her again, shoving her against the wall to stop her headlong flight.
"You don't fucking walk off on me," he hissed, shaking her to make the point.
"Let go!"
She tried to pull away, but Miles was desperate. For the first time, he didn't look annoyed, he looked downright pissed. His fingers dug into her arms, bruising her even as she struggled to get away. Her heart began to race. Glancing around in a panic, she realized that no one else was around. The line to the store, only about fifty feet away, had dried up. A handful of cars could be heard in the distance, but it had to be almost eleven by now. The sleepy little seaside town had gone to bed for the night, and she honestly didn't know what he'd do.
Miles leaned in close, his eyes flooded with frustration. "Do not ever think you can just dump me. I introduced you to my friends. I took you to my parties. I taught you how to work this town, and now you owe me."
"Yeah?" she asked, not knowing when to shut up. "Is that why I'm always on the back burner until you have no one else to screw over? I'm tired of being your fall-back plan, Miles. If you want a place to crash, try getting an apartment. Your dick isn't that good."
He shoved her again, hard enough for her head to bounce off the brick. Stars burst at the edge of her vision, but he still refused to let go. Just as Hailey was ready to start screaming for help, a deep voice spoke up.
"You think that is going to help?" he asked.
Miles's head snapped around to see who was speaking. No more than ten paces away, the guy from the coffee shop leaned against the building across from them. His arms were folded across his dark hoodie, his baggy jeans were creased where his legs were crossed. His mouth twitched in a lazy smile, then he gestured toward the two of them, his finger drawing a circle in their direction.
"Pushing her around like that. You think that's going to make her more attracted to you?" he clarified.
"Fuck off," Miles snapped. "This isn't any of your business." He grabbed Hailey's arm and tried to drag her away, but she pulled back.
"I'm not going with you."
Miles tensed, and for a moment she thought he was going to backhand her, but the stranger chuckled. "You hit her, and I will hit you," he said softly, his voice oozing with menace.
"Just leave me alone, Miles," Hailey said, shaking free. "Just," she took a deep breath to make sure her voice wouldn't shake. "Just get out of my sight."
Her ex-boyfriend simply could not accept her refusal. He reached for her again, but Hailey expected it. She ducked out of his reach, walking backwards toward where the stranger was. The man pushed himself away from the wall, striding forward to put himself between her and her former boyfriend. It was only when Miles marched up to him that they both realized just how tall this guy was.
His shoulders were broad, but he had a lithe grace about him. Hailey's hunk from the coffee shop had to be at least six and a half feet tall, and his height hid his width. When Miles looked into the man's face, the stranger nodded slowly.