Page 109 of The Other Side of Green

My stomach tightened and I glanced at Lyra who was serving down the other end. She’d only worked two shifts since we’d been back, and I’d made it my job to sit here and make sure no one got too close—her own personal bodyguard if you will.

Someone wedged into the space next to me and I looked down to find her roommate. “Busy night.” Her cheeks were pink from exertion.

Yeah, Lyra drew quite a crowd herself it seemed, not that’d she’d sung yet, much to Evan’s frustration.

“No drink,” I warned, looking up to find Alex weaving over through the crowd.

“What!” Eva pouted. “We’ve drunk here before. Who made you chief of no fun?” Stupid, but her words made me think of Lufette. Dad.

I shot her a tight smile. “Well shame for you I’m here, and I for one don’t plan on getting hauled over hot coals by the college for letting underage students drink in my bar.”

“Like that’s all you could get in trouble for,” she muttered.

I threw back my bourbon. “Sorry, what did you say?”

I expected a little fight from the firecracker, but she laughed, throwing her head back. “Don’t have a fit, I’m teasing. Hell, I don’t care, and Lyra’s happy.”

“I don’t know why you think Lyra’s happiness has anything to do with me.”

She winked. “Sure.”

Wanting to stop the conversation and move away from the student with the annoying opinions, I looked at where Alex had gone. Motherfucker had only managed to position himself at Lyra’s end of the bar where she grinned over at him as he handed her some money.

“Easy, tiger.” Evan put his hand on my arm which I threw off.

How were we supposed to do this?

Lyra turned then and shot me a cautious smile.

We had to make it through, because the alternative was that this didn’t last, and I couldn’t cope with that at all.

Tomorrow I’d be less asshole.

I could promise that much, for her sake if nothing else.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Lyra

“So, guys, gather round.” Greene sat on a table, legs swinging, rather like an overexcited garden gnome. He adjusted his glasses, pulling them down, giving them a clean with a handkerchief before perching them back on his face. The fifteen of us in the small tutor group we’d been split into moved from our music stands and instruments and slouched over. Monday morning enthusiasm levelling in at about one out of ten. I tried not to yawn and flicked a glance at Jack who gave me a small shrug, careful not to look at me directly.

Weekends were my new favorite. Weekdays sucked.

Alex prodded me in the ribs, grinning, his blond hair flopping down into his eyes. “Tired, Lyra?”

I nodded. “Late shift at Blue’s.” I averted my gaze, unable to look him in the face and lie.

“Uh-huh. Doesn’t Church finish at nine on a Sunday?” He smirked.

I scrunched my face and made him chortle. Eva and Alex were fast becoming my very best friends. The three of us had fallen into an easy gang of three which made time on campus much more enjoyable than I ever really considered possible.

But I’d promised myself to protect Jack. So whatever Alex was smirking about, I’d never confirm it, not even under pain of torture and death. I’d do what it would take to make sure Jack got onto that PhD next year, his first stab of an independent future.

As we settled down around Greene, leaning on tables, all of us attempting to look chill but wondering what the hell he was up to now, I glanced quickly at Jack. His lips set into a firm line, gaze burning on the limited space between Alex’s elbow and mine.

I rolled my eyes.

I was trying to ensure he was getting on his PhD next year… Jack… well, Jack was…