Chapter Two

Selene

25 years later, Montana

I jumped at the sound of cracking glass, looking down at my hand to find the glass I was polishing now cutting into my palm.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, earning Eva's attention on the other end of the bar.

"You okay, Selene?" She sat down the keg she had been replacing, walking over to me and taking my hand to inspect. "It's not deep, but you should probably get it cleaned up before you touch any more glasses."

I nodded, wrapping my hand in a towel and heading back to my office. I assured her that I was fine, hating the look of doubt in her eyes before I closed the door behind me.

Slumping into my seat, I opened our first aid kit, carefully cleaning the blood from my hand and making sure no glass remained in the wound. I had been distracted out there. I probably shouldn't even be at work, but I never missed a night, and I would be damned if I gave David the satisfaction of knowing I was hurt.

Of course, I was, but in the five years of running this place, I never missed a shift. That's what it took to build a business, even in a small town like this where everyone knew me since I was a twinkle in my daddy's eyes. I had to show my face. I had to earn their loyalty as a businesswoman, and so far, I had.

I'm sure everyone in town expected me to hide away at my family's ranch. Hide my face from the shame of what David put me through, but Daddy didn't raise me to be weak. And I'd be damned if anyone saw me trip up over a man.

I quickly bandaged my hand and took a deep breath before I returned to the front with Eva. I avoided her eyes, hating to see the worry and pity in her eyes. I hadn't even had to tell her what had happened last night. The whole town knew before the sun rose this morning, no thanks to my mama. She told her sister, who told their cousin, who told her friend, who told her husband, the mayor. All before I even made it out to the ranch, crying on the phone with my dad.

David and I had been together since I was a teenager. He had been the only man I've known. Dad hated how much older than me David was, but I always found that I liked the older men, and he was only four years my senior. He had been a senior in high school my freshman year. Quarterback, prom king, and rodeo star, and out of all the girls in the school, he chose me. Or at least, that's what I had thought.

After what I walked into last night, I realized that I was never special at all. The worst part was knowing my father couldn't fire him, as much as he wanted to. Ranch hands were few and far between, and he was the best of them, so I would be seeing plenty of him even in my own home. That fact only cemented my desire not to appear weak to the town.

"Selene," Eva called out, she was pulling stools from the top of the tables and pushing them under the tops. "Are you sure you are good? There is no shame in staying in. I can manage things here for you."

I shook my head, opening the register and double counting the tender. "No, I'm good, Eva."

She didn't ask me again, moving to the back doors to let the karaoke host in with his equipment. I finished my count and moved on as well, double checking our stock and making sure we were ready before opening the doors for the evening.

Neither of us spoke again; opening time was coming before we knew it. The bar was busier than usual. I was certain most had just come to see if anything exciting would happen. Most of the people in this town were so bored with their lives that they did everything they could to find a real-life reality show to see first-hand. Tonight, that was me.

I kept myself busy, kept my smile on, and greeted everyone I served at the bar. On the outside, you would never know that anything had happened. I even caught a few gossiping together, asking if they were sure I was the one whose boyfriend had strayed. As much as it hurt to hear their overly polite way of saying I had been cheated on, it did make me feel good to know that my mask was convincing.

That was, until David walked in the bar with that damned bleach blonde on his arm. She wore too tight jeans tucked into overly pretty boots. Boots that never saw a day's work on a ranch. Boots she had probably bought just for tonight. What really caught my attention was the flannel shirt she had fashioned into a belly shirt for herself. It was the very shirt I had brought to give David last night. I didn't even remember dropping it when I entered the room. I only remembered seeing them in his bed.

I remembered the way she held him, her legs wrapping around him the moment she saw me enter the room, asking him who I was. But she knew. She wasn't dumb, everyone in this town knew who I was, and who David was to me. She had met him in this very bar for god's sake!

David had gone ghost white when he saw me, attempting to get out of her grasp and cover himself. He sputtered over his words, calling out to me as I ran from the house. My vision blurred with tears and shame. I hadn't even remembered getting home. One minute I was in David's room ready to surprise him, the next I was crying in Daddy's arms, telling him everything that had happened.

Why? Why did David bring her here? Did he hate me this much?

The bar fell hushed. They were looking between me and the new couple. The biddies in the corner began chittering excitedly; the show they all had been waiting for was starting to begin. And everyone was just waiting for what I would do next.

I just stood there. I couldn't believe he would show up here with her. As if he hadn't embarrassed me enough in this town.

The bucket bunny turned her gaze to me, her smile resembling a snake in the grass. She didn't even have the decency to have a rattle to warn of her strike. She was aiming a killing blow at me, but I'd be damned if I went down like this. No, I wouldn't roll over so easily.

I turned away from them, heading to the bar and whispering to Eva that to card the girl and not to give David his discount anymore. If he wanted to drink here, to bring his homewrecker here with him, then he was going to do so at full charge like everyone else. No more friends and family discounts. He wasn't either anymore.

Slowly, the bar began to liven up. People began to realize there wouldn't be much of a showdown between me and the Cali transplant hanging on David's arm. The karaoke continued as many off tuned Toby Keiths and Aretha Franklin's renditions filled the bar with the occasional Usher or Taylor Swift in between.

Every so often I would catch David looking my way, following me through the bar even as his new girlfriend rubbed up against him in search of his attention. I did my best to ignore them both, continuing with my nightly routine of running the bar. I even volunteered to go in the bathroom for the midnight cleaning just so I could stay busy and get out of David's eyeline. I was even able to lock the bathroom door behind me just in case he decided to follow me in and corner me.

It was a welcome break from all the eyes on me. Even with the normal function of the bar continuing, I could still feel most everyone watching me. Waiting. Still hoping that something big will happen. Something they can talk about for weeks, months even. They wanted excitement and as of today they wanted it from me.

I stole a few extra minutes in the bathroom, ignoring the couple of knocks from full-bladdered patrons. They could use the alley for all I cared in that moment, at least until I was ready to face that crowd again.

I looked in the mirror, taking a deep breath as I repeated my personal mantra.

"You are strong. You are powerful. You are invincible. Nothing on this earth can touch you."

It was the only thing my mother taught me in my childhood that I still held onto. The only thing from her witch heritage that I felt good about keeping as my own. As much as she still tried to remind me of what she was, of what I was supposed to be, I rejected it. All of it. Except this mantra.

I felt its affects rushing through my body. I took a last deep breath before finally leaving the bathroom and returning to the bar to help Eva serve up some beers to the Branson boys. They used to be my neighbors, but recently they had sold off their ranch and moved into town. I smiled at them, asking how they were doing with their move.

"As much as I miss the ranch, I'm pretty sure the missus is happy to be next door to her mama," the older of the brothers answered. "You should be meeting the new owner soon. His move in date was yesterday."

I was about to respond when a mixture of excited and appalled gasps filled the bar, stealing everyone's attention back to David and his Malibu Barbie. She was in his lap, practically humping him for all to see. Another flash of what I witnessed last night appeared in my mind, but instead of tears burning my eyes like last night, tonight, I was filled with blinding rage.

All eyes flashed to me excitedly. Watching, waiting to see what I would do next. I could swear I even saw a couple of ladies pulling popcorn from their purses.

Fine, everyone wants to see a show? I'll give them a fucking show.