submerged » l.h {FINISHED}

0.9 » still watching you

Song for the chapter: Get Away by CHVRCHES

Kaity wiped at her brow, the back of her hand coming back slick with sweat. She was nearing the end of her shift. She was tired and hungry, again because she skipped her break and it was almost one in the morning. 

The casino bar seemed to be busier than usual, but at least she had another bartender on the clock with her so she didn’t have to handle the workload by herself. Kaity looked down the bar, her eyes settling on Calum as he shook a drink in the metal shaker.

His dark hair spilled over his tanned forehead, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he laughed at what a customer said. Her and Cal had been friends the moment they started working together when they were both eighteen.

Though, they hadn’t started out on the right foot. Kaity had mistaken him for being Hawaiian, when he got upset and sternly explained to her how he was Australian and Kiwi. But he had been living in Hawaii since he was eight. Ever since then, they had always been on each other’s good side.

Kaity returned to the drink she was making, hoping that she hadn’t made her alcohol counts off. She switched bottles, adding another ounce and then mixing it together. She handed it off to the paying customer, accepting her tip happily. Kaity wiped her hands off on the towel that was hanging out of her apron and moved onto the next customer.

Ten minutes passed and finally Kaity could take a breather. She wiped at her brow again, leaning against the side part of the bar where her POS system was.

“Looks like you’ve been having quite the night,” she heard. Kaity let her arm drop at the familiar voice. She turned her head, her eyes finding Luke’s oceanic eyes.

He was sitting on the other side of the bar, the half that Calum was covering, but his voice still seemed to carry over the white noise of the casino. He smirked at her when she still didn’t reply, licking at the black lip ring encircling his lower lip.

“You could say that,” Kaity said, finally peeling herself away from the bar and walking over to him. She leaned against the bar right across from him, her arms crossed over one another. “How’d you end up here? I never took you for much of a gambler.”

His fingers were slowly picking up his cup and spinning it around in a lazy circle. That’s when Kaity noticed the pinky ring on his last finger and she bit her lip.

“You’re right,” he said, his deep gaze connecting with hers. “I’m not much of a gambler, but Ashton is,” he continued, throwing his thumb over his shoulder towards the nearest slot machines.

And sure enough, Ashton was planted in front of one of them, incessantly feeding the machine coins and pulling the lever.

“Poor guy,” Kaity held back her laugh. “No one ever wins on those, but technically I’m not supposed to tell anyone that. So don’t tell him that,” Kaity laughed just as Luke did.

He took a sip from his glass, downing the rest of the alcohol. “No worries,” he told her. “Your secret is safe with me,” he smirked again.