Tommy

"Tommy." Jason's voice cut through the haze, "Are you actually gonna speak tonight, or are you just here to brood?"

The bass from the speakers was so loud it felt like my pulse was trying to sync with it. The club reeked of cheap perfume and desperation. Neon lights bounced off the mirrored walls, casting a kaleidoscope of reds and blues across the room. Women moved like liquid sin on the stage, their bodies undulating to the thrum of bass-heavy music that pulsed through the speakers.

Rocky was already at the edge of his seat, throwing twenties like he had something to prove. Jason leaned back in his chair, nursing a whiskey and smirking like he owned the place. And Billy sat there like he was a goddamn anthropologist observing some rare species in their natural habitat.

Me? I was just… here. Nursing a scotch, counting down the minutes until I could get the hell out of here.

My scotch tasted watered down, the lights felt too bright, and the whole scene made my skin crawl. This used to be my playground. Nights like this were a regular thing, back when my life was less complicated. The reason for that sat heavy in my chest, her brown eyes haunting me even here, in the middle of all this debauchery.

Kimberly fucking Hart.

Her laugh. The way she smells like vanilla and summer. The look in her eyes when she's pissed off at me, which seems to be most of the time. Fuck, even the way her voice gets sharp when she calls me out. She's got this fire I can't ignore, even if I should. She was in my head, my gut, my goddamn bones. No amount of alcohol or half-naked women could erase her from my mind. And trust me, I'd tried.

I shot him a glare, downing the rest of my drink. "I'm speaking now, aren't I?"

Jason laughed, leaning back as a blonde slid into his lap. "Barely. You're over there acting like someone dragged you to a church service instead of a strip club."

"Maybe he's saving his energy for the main stage," Rocky added, waggling his eyebrows as he waved another bill toward a dancer.

"I'm having a blast," I muttered. I didn't even attempt to make my lie believable.

"Could've fooled me," Jason smirked. "You're sitting there like you're at a lecture."

"Leave him," Rocky cut in, tossing another bill toward the stage. "Tommy's probably planning his next charity donation or some shit. Too good for this life now."

"Fuck off," I muttered, shaking my head.

Billy finally chimed in, his voice dry. "I believe the term is maturing, Rocky. Some of us outgrow this sort of… entertainment."

Rocky snorted. "Says the guy who hasn't blinked once since we got here."

Billy adjusted his glasses, unbothered. "It's called observation. You should try it sometime."

I should've just stayed home.

I ignored them, my thoughts drifting again. I could still see Kimberly on the bleachers earlier this week, her legs crossed, those big brown eyes following her boys on the field. Trini was next to her, sipping on some iced coffee, the two of them laughing about something I probably didn't want to know.

A woman came up behind me, rubbing her hands down my chest. I smiled politely and untangled her from me. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be here.

But no, Jason had insisted. Said I needed to "blow off some steam." What he really meant was that he needed an excuse to drink whiskey and throw cash at women in thigh-high boots.

"So," Jason started, leaning forward now. "Who was that brunette with Kimberly at practice the other day? Cute, kinda serious-looking."

I blinked, dragging myself out of my thoughts. Trini? Why the hell was he asking about Trini? "That's Trini," I said flatly. "She works at the hospital."

Jason's eyes lit up like I'd just handed him a winning lottery ticket. "Trini, huh? You gotta hook me up with her."

I scoffed. "No fucking way."

Jason leaned in, clearly intrigued. "Why not? She single? I'm a catch."

"If you mean catch some kind of disease," I smirk.

He throws his head back and laughs, "Fuck you. I'm excellent company."

"Yeah, maybe for someone desperate enough to overlook your douchebag tendencies," I shot back, shaking my head. "Trini's too good for you. She's not into guys like you."

Jason laughed, but it wasn't the kind of laugh that said he was deterred. No, it was the kind that said challenge accepted. "We'll see about that," he said, grinning as he leaned back. "Everyone's got their type."

"Tommy, you've been sitting here sulking since we got here." Rocky gestured to the room with his cigar. "This is supposed to be a night out, not a funeral."

"Yeah, man," Jason chimed in. "You're ruining the vibe. We didn't call in reinforcements just to watch you mope."

"Reinforcements," I muttered, swirling my scotch.

"Us." Rocky gestured between himself and Billy. "Jason called us, said you've been acting like a lovesick puppy and needed an intervention."

Jason grinned. "What can I say? I'm a problem solver."

I glared at him. "You're an asshole, that's what you are."

Rocky chuckled, shaking his head. "You've been traveling too long. You're starting to sound soft. Where's the guy who used to outdrink us all and still get up at 5 a.m. to kick our asses in the gym?"

"Dead," I said flatly. "He died somewhere between Kat and realizing this kind of shit isn't fun anymore."

Jason snorted. "Yeah, sure. It's not that this isn't fun anymore—it's that Kimberly Hart has taken up permanent real estate in your head."

I stiffened at the mention of her name, my scowl deepening.

"Oh, this just got interesting." Rocky leaned forward, his grin widening. "Who the hell is Kimberly?"

Billy raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "And why haven't we heard about her before now?"

"Because there's nothing to hear," I said sharply, finishing my drink in one gulp.

Jason burst out laughing, slapping the table. "Bullshit! There's plenty to hear. Tommy just doesn't want to admit he's got it bad for her."

"Fuck off, Jason."

Rocky and Billy exchanged a look before Rocky smirked. "Oh, this is gonna be good. Spill it, Scott. What's the story?"

Jason's grin was wicked, his eyes already glinting with mischief. He lived for this shit. "Picture this," he began, holding his whiskey like he was about to deliver a TED Talk on my humiliation. "Single mom, three kids, works with Tommy at the hospital. They had a fling months ago at one of those bougie healthcare conventions he lectures at—"

"It wasn't a fling," I cut in, my voice sharp enough to slice through his bullshit.

Jason ignored me completely, holding up a hand like I wasn't even there. "So they bang it out. Hard."

"We didn't bang!" I barked, my temper flaring, but of course, I was completely ignored.

"And," Jason continued, raising his glass like he was making a goddamn toast, "she loves every fucking second of it."

I was going to kill him. Right here in this goddamn strip club. I could feel my blood pressure rising. "I swear to God, Jason—"

"So she dumps his ass—probably tells him she's had better. I mean, he probably didn't even do the job right, you know?"

The table erupted in laughter. My hand curled into a tight fist, and I stared at Jason, debating how much damage one punch could do.

Jason was fully in performance mode now, speaking with exaggerated hand gestures like a drunk Shakespearean actor. "So anyway, fast forward a bit—she shows back up in his life. This time, though, she's got three little attachments. And by some pure fucking coincidence, she signs her kids up for our baseball league."

"No," Rocky howled, banging his hand on the table. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Oh, it gets better," Jason promised, his grin stretching wider. "She's got two angry kids who basically want to murder Tommy anytime he even breathes near her, and then there's the little one, who's like one baseball practice away from calling him Dad."

The table roared with laughter again, and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.

Jason was loving every second of it, leaning forward now like he was delivering the punchline of a joke. "So, Tommy—being Tommy—starts yelling at her kids during practice because, God forbid, they don't take his drills seriously. And guess what? They give him attitude. Like, full-on teenage eye rolls and muttering under their breath. Tommy and Kimberly get into this huge shouting match in the middle of practice—"

Rocky wiped tears from his eyes, his laughter echoing through the room. "Oh my God, this is fucking gold. Tommy Oliver, brought to his knees by a single mom and her kids. This is too good to be true."

"Careful, Rocky," I warned, my tone sharp enough to wipe the grin off most people's faces.

But the damage was done. Jason, Rocky, and even Billy—fucking Billy—were all grinning like they'd just won the lottery. Meanwhile, I was sitting there stewing, the heat of their jokes and the weight of the truth behind them pressing down on me like a goddamn anvil.

Because as much as I wanted to argue, to tell them they were wrong, I couldn't. Kimberly Hart was in my head, under my skin, and no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, there was no getting her out.

Rocky just grinned wider, his cigar dangling between his fingers. "What? I'm just saying—it's karma, man. How many women have you ghosted? Now you're all hung up on someone who can't even give you the time of day because she's too busy raising her three kids?"

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

Billy, ever the quiet observer, finally chimed in. "This Kimberly," he said, his tone calm but curious, "she sounds… intriguing."

"She's not," I snapped.

Jason laughed, slapping the table again. "Oh, she's more than intriguing. She's got our boy here completely fucking twisted. Can't stop thinking about her, can't stop talking about her—"

"I don't talk about her," I interrupted.

Billy raised an eyebrow, sipping his drink. "You're talking about her now."

"Because you're talking about her," I shot back, my frustration bubbling over.

Rocky chuckled, shaking his head. "Man, I haven't even been here a day, and this is already the best trip I've had in months. Tommy, you're a goddamn soap opera."

"Glad my misery is so entertaining for you," I muttered, finishing off my scotch.

Jason leaned closer, his tone shifting slightly, though the smirk never left his face. "Come on, man. What's really stopping you? You clearly like her. She's got a messy situation—so what? You're Tommy fucking Oliver. You don't back down from a challenge."

"She's not a fucking challenge," I growled.

"Then what is she?" Rocky asked, genuinely curious now.

I paused, the words catching in my throat. She was… everything I didn't think I wanted. Complicated. Guarded. Stubborn as hell. And completely under my skin.

"She's… different," I said finally, my voice quieter.

Jason raised an eyebrow, his grin softening just slightly. "Different, huh? You mean she's got standards."

"Fuck you," I muttered, but even I couldn't deny the truth in his words.

Rocky laughed again, shaking his head. "This is too good. Tommy Oliver, finally caught in his own trap."

Billy, ever the voice of reason, adjusted his glasses and gave me a thoughtful look. "You know, you're not wrong to hesitate. A situation like hers… it's a lot to take on. But you should ask yourself this—if you walk away now, will you regret it later?"

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but before I could respond, Jason leaned back with a grin. "Don't worry, boys. Our Tommy here will figure it out. Eventually. Right now, he just needs another drink—and maybe a lap dance to clear his head."

"Fuck off, Jason," I said, but this time, there was the faintest hint of a smirk on my lips.

"Maybe she doesn't want you because you're coming off as desperate," Rocky takes a drag of his cigar.

Jason laughed so hard he nearly spilled his drink. "He's right, you know. You've officially become the guy you used to avoid being."

Billy, ever the analytical one, adjusted his glasses. "So, essentially, you're behaving like Katherine."

That hit a nerve.

"I'm nothing like Kat," I snapped.

"Aren't you, though?" Billy asked, his tone maddeningly calm. "She's been calling us nonstop trying to get to you, and here you are, obsessing over someone who, by all accounts, is unavailable."

Rocky laughed so hard he choked on his drink. "Oh my God, he's right. You're Katherine."

"Fuck you," I growled, pointing at him.

Jason grinned. "Hey, if the shoe fits…"

"Let me get this straight," Rocky said, still laughing. "Kat's blowing up our phones to get to you, and you're sitting here pining over a woman who doesn't even have time to look your way? This is fucking priceless."

"Can we not?" I ground out, running a hand through my hair.

"Why not?" Jason leaned back, his grin smug. "This is the most fun we've had all night."

Billy nodded, sipping his drink. "It's quite fascinating, really. The parallels are uncanny."

I glared at him. "You're supposed to be the reasonable one."

"And I am," Billy replied. "But even I can't ignore the irony."

Rocky shook his head, still grinning. "Man, I've missed this. Tommy, you're a goddamn train wreck, and I love it."

"Glad my life is so entertaining for you," I muttered, signaling the waitress for another scotch.

Jason leaned forward again, his tone suddenly more serious. "All jokes aside, what's your plan, Tommy? You just gonna sit around and hope she notices you? Or are you actually gonna do something about it?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "It's not that simple."

"Why not?" Rocky asked.

"Because she's got kids," I said, my voice quieter now. "And an ex who fucked her up. She doesn't need more complications in her life."

Billy studied me for a moment before speaking. "And yet, here you are, complicating things for yourself."

I didn't have a response to that.

"Look," Jason said, his voice softer now. "We're just giving you shit because we care. But seriously, man, you've got to figure out what you want. Either go after her or let it go. Sitting here stewing about it isn't helping anyone."

Rocky nodded, for once looking serious. "He's right. And for what it's worth, I think you've got a shot. Just don't fuck it up."

I sighed, leaning back in my chair as the waitress set another drink in front of me. Maybe they were right. Maybe it was time to stop overthinking and just… do something.

But the idea of putting myself out there, of risking everything for Kimberly, scared the hell out of me. And that wasn't something I was ready to admit—not to them, and definitely not to myself.

Author note: hey guys! So I had to cut this chapter because it was going to be way too long. I just couldn't stop lol. I've had most of this chapter written for months and I'm so glad to finally be able to get it out. As always just let me know what you guys thing! See you guys soon