Page 58 of Love You Still

“Well, tell Beckett thanks, but no thanks, because we don’t need to be in Magnolia until tomorrow.”

“And I told you I don’t need a babysitter. I’m perfectly capable of handling Finn Buckley on my own.” I chuckle before taking another healthy pull from my glass. “Thanks for the invite, but I’m just going to eat my burger and head to Magnolia. There’s no sense in wasting another day if we don’t have to.”

“All right. If you change your mind, you know where to find me,” Connor says.

“Thanks,” I reply half-heartedly before hanging up the phone.

I know he means well, but the last thing I want to do right now is hang out with my best friend and his family. I’m so happy that he finally found love again with Audrey, but I don’t need their happiness shoved down my throat. I have no idea when or if Selina is going to come back, let alone whether she wants to be with me. The night Selina and I spent together a few weeks ago could easily have been a one-time thing for her, although I made it clear that I wanted something more.

“You look like a guy who has a lot on his mind.” The barstool to my left scrapes against the floor as the owner of the voice sits down.

“You could say that,” I reply, taking another sip of my beer as Beckett places my burger in front of me.

“Thanks,” I say before picking up my burger and taking a healthy bite as Beckett takes my neighbor’s order and writes it down.

“So, you and Selina, huh?” Beckett asks, and I nod, not wanting to have this conversation right now. I came here to forget about my problems, not to be reminded of them. “How’s she doing? I haven’t seen her around since she moved back home.”

“She’s doing well. She just headed back to the city for a big audition. She’s hoping to get back in with the company she was in before her injury.” I take another big bite of my burger.

“Good to hear. I remember you always were sweet on her when y’all were younger. Are things working out a little differently this time around?”

“Who knows…” My voice trails off.

Thankfully, a rowdy group of people comes barreling into the bar and grabs his attention.

“Well, when you see her, tell her to stop by and grab a drink on the house,” Beckett tells me.

“Will do, but I don’t know how much longer she plans on being in town,” I mumble around the large bite of food in my mouth, then wash it down with another gulp of beer.

After a few moments, my neighbor breaks the silence. “There are only two reasons someone would sit in the bar during the middle of the day.”

“And what are those?”

“Getting off a graveyard shift or a broken heart. Which one is it?” he responds as Beckett places his drink in front of him. He nods his head in thanks before continuing. “You look more like someone with a broken heart.”

“What makes you think that?” I bite back, grinding my teeth together to stop from shouting. If I wanted to have a social hour and discuss my feelings, I would have gone to hang out at Connor’s house with everyone.

“Body language. The moment he mentioned her name, your whole demeanor changed.”

Beckett sets my new beer in front of me.

“You seem a little tense.”

“Just got a lot on my mind.” I shove the last bite of my burger into my mouth and drop some cash onto the bar. “Thanks for lunch.” I give them both a half-assed salute and turn to the door but pause when I hear the stranger’s voice.

“If you love her, tell her.”

“I told her I loved her, but she left anyway.” My voice scratches against my throat from all the emotions clogging it.

“What did she say?”

I shake my head, unable to form the words. My heart feels like it’s been ripped out of my chest a second time. “She didn’t say anything.” I sigh before heading back to the bar and reclaiming my seat. “She and I have a past, a very painful one at that. I’ve spent the last sixteen years regretting the day I let her walk out of my life. This time, I laid it all on the line, letting her know exactly how I felt, but she still left me.”

“Okay, so what are you going to do about it?” he asks, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a small squeeze.

“I don’t think there’s anything else I can do at this point. I told her how much she meant to me and that I was all in. What else is there?”

“Actions speak louder than words.” The stranger takes a sip of his beer, his eyes locking on mine as shame fills me.

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