9

Alistair

I surveyed my bar, taking in every detail one last time. After five years, I was finally parting with this place. My divorce had taken a toll on my finances, and the settlement required me to sell my most valuable asset—this bar.

This place held countless memories, both joyful and painful.

But it was time for a fresh start. I stood behind the bar and poured a beer for one of my longtime regulars.

"Here you go, Chuck. Thanks for being here."

"It's the end of an era. Going to miss you, buddy," he said, raising his glass to me.

I rarely bartended anymore, but since this was my final night owning the place, I personally served drinks to some of my loyal customers. The first two were on the house, so we had a good turnout for the farewell.

As I poured another beer, I noticed Liliana and James entering. Julian quickly got up from the table with Grandpa to greet her.

I looked away as he kissed her. Otherwise, I might have done something regrettable, like throwing a beer bottle at Julian.

James sat down at a nearby table with Grandpa, and Julian joined them. Liliana, however, approached the bar with a bright smile. My heart skipped a beat.

"Hey there, barkeep!" she exclaimed, tapping the bar with her fist. "Line 'em up!"

I smiled back. "Your grandpa wants a beer too?"

"Yep. So make that two," she said, holding up two fingers in a V sign.

"What kind?"

"Whatever's on tap," Liliana replied, leaning comfortably on the bar as I poured two glasses of beer. "How are you holding up? Julian mentioned you weren't thrilled about selling the place."

I sighed inwardly, both annoyed that Julian had discussed me with her and because, truthfully, I wasn't thrilled at all.

"True, I'm not thrilled," I admitted with a shrug. "But some things can't be helped. I've come to terms with it. It's good to see everyone here tonight. I wanted to give this place a proper sendoff."

Liliana smiled warmly, and I felt myself letting down my guard. I couldn't help it. When she looked at me like that, I forgot all the reasons I needed to keep my distance.

Julian appeared behind Liliana, snaking an arm around her waist. She leaned back into him, giggling as he kissed her cheek. Jealousy simmered inside me.

“Come on, babe. Let’s go sit,” Julian said as he pulled her toward the table.

Liliana looked at me and smiled. Such a fucking beautiful smile.

“I hope you won’t be too busy bartending to come over and visit,” she said as she pushed away from the bar.

“Nope,” I said, passing her two full glasses. “Just wanted to give some regulars a bit of personal attention. I’ll be over when I can.”

Fucking liar. I had no intention of sitting with them.

I had to do my best to stay away from Liliana. It’s been over a month since the last time I saw her at the diner. I had come dangerously close to crossing the line and saying something I knew I’d regret.

If Julian had been anybody else, I wouldn’t have cared. I’d have done my damnedest to win her over and fuck how he felt.

But Julian was my little brother. And he was completely in love with her. I just couldn’t hurt him by doing anything to ruin what they had going on between them.

I nodded and smiled as friends and regulars stopped by the bar to chat, but it was getting harder to focus. My eyes kept drifting to Liliana's spot across the room.

The effort of staying away from her all night was slowly killing me.

I busied myself restocking glasses, trying not to stare at the woman I couldn't have.

She looked amazing tonight. The skin tight jeans she wore hugged every curve. And her hair was up in a loose bun with soft curls that framed her beautiful face.

"You're cleaning that thing enough to wear a hole in it," James chuckled as he sidled up to the bar. "What's got you so distracted tonight?"

“Just trying to get used to the fact this will be our last night here.”

"Gonna miss this place, huh?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's been good to me over the years. Time for a change though."

James gave me a knowing look. "Time to get over a certain someone too?" He inclined his head towards Liliana.

I shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen the way you look at Liliana when you think no one else is watching," James said gently. "And how moony you get when she's around. Face it, son. You've got it bad for her."

Before I could respond, James held up a hand. "But I get it, she's with Julian."

I met his sympathetic gaze.

"Yeah, it's...complicated. But it doesn't matter. Nothing can happen between us." Saying the words aloud only made the situation more real.

James nodded. "For what it's worth, I've seen the way Liliana looks at you sometimes too when she thinks no one is watching. Makes me wonder if the feelings aren't entirely one-sided."

He gave me a significant glance before returning to the gathering.

My gaze wandered over to Liliana, sharing a laugh with Julian across the room.

Seeing them together made my chest constrict. I hurriedly averted my eyes.

I couldn't avoid their table for the entire night; that wouldn't be fair to Grandpa. However, I could keep my distance when Julian and Liliana were there.

When the music started playing, Liliana and Julian stood up to dance. I paused at their table briefly to chat and fetch Grandpa a drink.
The nurses had warned against beer due to his medication, but Sarah had assured me that one wouldn’t hurt. He lit up like it was Christmas when I surprised him with a glass instead of his usual diet soda.

By the time Liliana returned to the table, I had moved on to chatting with others. It was challenging not to keep an eye on her whereabouts, but I managed to stay away for a couple of hours.

"Hey, come over to the table," Julian urged, pulling on my arm while I was talking to a regular.

"In a few minutes," I replied.

"Try now," Julian insisted, withdrawing his hand from his pocket and revealing a ring box, shielding it from view with his body.

A ring box. This had to be some kind of sick joke.

Today, of all days, the universe seemed intent on tormenting me.

He was about to propose to Liliana. In my bar. Right in front of me.

"Julian," I said, keeping my voice low.

I paused, carefully choosing my words. "Rushing it much? You've only been dating for barely five months."

"When you know, you know," he insisted.

His eyes seemed a bit glazed, perhaps from alcohol, or something stronger.

"How drunk are you?" I asked quietly.

"Not so drunk that I don't know what I'm doing. Drunk on love, how about that? Come to the table. I want my family there. Even the jerks," he added with a wink. I shoved him lightly, trying to laugh it off.

What else could I do? I couldn’t tell him not to propose. He was my little brother but a grown man.

If he was going to do it, I sure as hell didn’t want to see it.

God, it was ridiculous to be that hung up on someone I wasn’t even with. But from the moment we’d met, she stuck inside me in a way no one else had.

He looked at me with big, sappy eyes, so I dropped my shoulders and followed him to the table. I stood a few feet behind Grandpa, my arms crossed. That was as close as I was willing to get.