“Again, not my problem,” Tate reiterated.
“Tate, honey –” I tried yet again.
“I don’t believe this shit,” Bubba muttered and Tate’s gaze sliced to him.
“You don’t?” he asked curtly. “How? Christ almighty, Bubba, I told you once, I told you a thousand times, you don’t pull your shit together, I’m gone. Now I’m done tellin’ you. I’m gone.”
“I know shit’s whacked around here and heard about Neet and Jonas, Tate. I shoulda sorted my shit out and it was a crap thing to do, leavin’ while you all were in the middle a’ that but, bud, that’s done. Krys and I talked and –” Bubba explained.
Tate interrupted him. “Heard this before, don’t believe it anymore.”
“But, Tate, swear to God –”
“Don’t believe it.”
“But –” Bubba pushed it.
“He’s gone,” Krystal whispered and everyone looked at her to see her gaze pinned to Bubba.
“What?” Tate asked and slowly her head turned toward him.
“Bubba, he’s gone,” Krystal said.
“What?” Bubba shouted, coming off his stool but Krystal didn’t tear her eyes from Tate.
“Would you help me buy him out?” Krystal asked and my belly stopped burning but I felt my heart start beating wildly.
“What’re you talkin’ ‘bout, woman?” Bubba demanded to know.
Krystal ignored Bubba. “Whatever you want, Tate, I’ll sort the bar, I’ll make the deal you need, but Bubba’s gone.”
Bubba started rounding Jim-Billy and me to get to Krystal but Tate also ignored him and spoke to Krystal.
“We buy him out, you find another bartender, we make Lauren a manager and she gets a pay hike. She handles the schedule, she handles stock, she handles payroll, personnel and orders. You hate that shit anyway and she’s good at it. Frees your time to be front of bar. She works the floor, only days, shorter shifts, ten to five. Office work before opening, five days a week, every other weekend off,” I stared at Tate in shock because he seemed to have this all thought out and hadn’t mentioned a word to me but Bubba had made it to Krystal and lifted a hand to latch on her arm. Tate’s eyes cut to him and his voice was an angry growl when he warned, “Touch her, Bubba, I won’t fuckin’ like it.”
Bubba glared at Tate then threw up both his hands and shouted, “This is whacked!”
“This is consequences,” Tate shot back. “You live your life not worryin’ about ‘em and everyone else deals with ‘em for you. I’m done with that.” He looked at Krystal and demanded, “Well?”
“Deal,” she replied instantly and turned to Bubba. “Go home, pack your shit, I want you out by tonight.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Bubba was still shouting, now at Krystal.
“Yeah,” she answered. “Ten years ago.”
Bubba scowled at her then sucked in breath, shook his head and his tone was much quieter when he said, “Darlin’ –”
“Gotta hold onto what’s real,” Krystal cut him off. “This bar is real. I lose Tate and Lauren, I won’t be able to hold onto the only thing in my life that’s real.”
“We –” Bubba started.
“There is no we, never was. You fooled me into thinkin’ there was a we then I fooled myself into thinkin’ it. But now I know, there is no we and never was.”
Bubba pushed close to her. “Darlin’, we gotta talk, let’s go to the office.”
“Not talkin’, go home, get your shit out.”
“We gotta talk,” Bubba pressed and that was when I watched Krystal change.
She turned fully to face Bubba and her body got visibly tight but her face went soft, not with tenderness, not with love, but with anguish.
“It isn’t about the bar,” she whispered and shook her head. “It isn’t about the bar,” she repeated and sucked in breath through her nose. “There’s a maniac out there, Bub. Laurie doesn’t make a move without someone takin’ her back. She doesn’t step a foot out that door unless she’s got a man at her side. She doesn’t walk in that door unless someone who’s lookin’ out for her brought her here. She’s never alone because these days, in Carnal, alone can get a woman hurt. Alone can leave her vulnerable. She didn’t arrange that, Tate did. But you? What’d you do? Tonia’s sliced up and raped and that hippie coffee girl gets attacked, a killer is on the loose in your town and you’re out gettin’ drunk, gettin’ laid, havin’ a good ole time and I’m here, alone, no one at my back. That’s what it’s about, Bub. I’m already alone. I’m just makin’ it official.”
Bubba got closer to her, lifted a hand to touch her and she jerked away so his hand fell.
“But, baby, you can take care of yourself, I know that,” he whispered.
“So could Tonia,” she replied.
“Tonia was young and stupid, you ain’t that,” Bubba returned.
“No, what I am and have been for months is scared outta my fuckin’ brain,” Krystal said softly. “Alone and scared outta my fuckin’ brain.”
“Baby,” Bubba whispered.