Hidebound

Chapter One

"I can't believe you're engaged" Harley gushes as she grabs my hand and drags it closer to her over the bar top. I watch with a smile, thinking of Hex getting on one knee again. It was just us at a lookout overlooking the Eastside, despite the fact that we - well, Hex – can't go there, it doesn't take away from the beauty of the land. The best part was that he had asked my mother for permission and apparently she had been an emotional mess and then she was an emotional mess again when I came home with a ring on my finger. "I always wanted a sister and now I have one - well, I will have one" Harley beams at me.

I take my hand back and spin the ring back into place, the diamond shining in the light above our heads.

"That's a big rock, darlin'" I look up as Kevin takes a seat on the bar stool in front of me.

"Kevin! How have you been?" Harley greets him. It had been a while since I had seen Kevin. From what I had heard, he had been going through some hard times. He was on the brink of homelessness and his family had cut off communication with him, all stemming from his alcoholism. He looks different today, healthier and more alive, like he hadn't been through difficult times.

"I've been good. How have you girls been? It's been a while since I've seen ya's, seems a lot of things have changed" he gives a nod to the engagement ring on my left hand. We both answer with a simple 'good'. And things have been good, things have been simple and easy and peaceful, all the things I longed to have for so long and now it's all in motion.

"Want a drink?" I ask, pulling out his favourite whiskey that we only keep around for Kevin; nobody else drinks it, only the occasional outsider driving through town.

He stops me just before I'm about to pour the liquid in a glass "just water will do, darl" I look up, the whiskey still in my hand and tilted ready to pour as I look at him in confusion. Never once in the years I had worked at Darby's had Kevin ever turned down a drink.

"Water?" I question, making sure I heard him correctly.

"Yeah, do me a favour and pour that shit down the sink, okay?" I can feel Harley's shock as she watches from my right.

"U-uh, yeah sure" I say simply and pour the entirety of the whiskey down the drain before the empty bottle goes in the bin. I get Kevin his glass of water and place it in front of him.

"Thanks Poppy" he takes a gulp "been working on myself" he answers when I fail at covering up my confusion. I mouth a silent 'oh' as everything clicks all at once. He had gone to rehab, explaining his absence. I'm happy for him, he deserves to be at peace with his life.

I don't know what I expected but Kevin stuck around for most of the day. He had asked for a glass of water every now and then and he ordered a bowl of chips for lunch to munch on. He met up with some of the other regulars who had their own alcoholic beverages and I watched closely hoping that the temptation doesn't get to him. And it didn't, I'm impressed but also somewhat proud that he stuck out the whole day drinking only water.

Darby's closed early today, we had been kind of struggling since Jacob had left but that ends tomorrow. The new girl is meant to start, apparently she's a few years younger than Harley and I. With her help Stevie is hoping we can stay open until the early morning hours again.

Speaking of Jacob; no one had heard from him and no one had seen him since he had left Darby's. Harley hadn't even got a single text message from him since he left. He said that he'd be back to drop in periodically and as much as I would be happy to never see his face again, I didn't expect him to drop off the face of the planet completely.

"I'll see you tomorrow" Harley gives me a hug before we get in our respective cars. Harley is quick to leave and I know she has only one thing on her mind; Banks. She's still very secretive about whatever they are and I haven't figured out why yet. Is she wary about how he's going to fit into her life or is she still worried about his age?