Page 42 of Before We Were Us

As we slide in our waitress joins us and takes our drink order.

When she delivers our drinks I don’t waste time lifting mine and draining half the cup. “Do me a favor.” I hold up my cup. “Keep these coming. If the glass is low, just get another one coming. Through dinner keep me hydrated.”

“She’s nursing an angry heart,” Taylor explains and the waitress offers an understanding nod.

“Do you know what you’d like for dinner?”

There is this strange thing we do when the three of us go out. We each order a meal and then split them each into threes. Each of us taking a portion allows us all our own little smorgasbord of sorts.

“I’ll take the Alaskan king crab,” Taylor orders.

“Me, I’ll have the half Maine lobster.” Marco closes his menu and passes it to the waitress as she then turns back to me.

“Filet mignon, medium rare, with a side of A-1.” It's always the same, I’m assigned steak so I don’t even have to look at the menu. “Can we also get an order of roasted mushrooms?”

“Of course.” She takes the rest of the menus. “And how will we be doing the check this evening?”

“All on one,” Marco says.

“Besides my drinks, do those separately.”

“Brynn,” both Marco and Taylor say almost simultaneously.

“I’m not making the two of you pay for my drinks when I plan to outdrink the both of you.”

The waitress slips away, probably hoping to avoid the debate taking place at our table.

“We are the ones that planned tonight,” Marco declares.

“Yes.” They both have been hounding me all week, insisting that I need to get out. “I’ve got my drinks.” With that I stand. “Now I need to use the ladies’ room.” I point to my now empty glass. “Will the two of you stop arguing and tell our lovely server that I need a refill?”

With that I turn around and start toward the opposite end of the restaurant. My legs are already feeling a little less steady beneath me. Feeling less wound up than I have for the last week, I practically glide through the place and gently push open the restroom door. Stepping inside I quickly pee and pause at the sink to wash my hands.

As I turn around to leave a familiar woman exits the stall and the two of us almost collide.

“I’m so sorry,” I mumble, taking a step back.

“Oh hi,” the woman says with a smile and then it hits me. His sister, we’d only met once before but they share the same eyes and it pains me to see them.

I’ve done my best to wipe those eyes and his smile from my memory. Every time I’ve closed my eyes I’ve seen them both.

“Brynn.” She tilts her head to the side, and instantly I know that she knows. “How are you?”

“I’m okay.” This is so uncomfortable.

The door opens behind me and I glance back feeling like I’ve been kicked in the stomach all over again.

“Jenna,” Naomi says, moving around me. “This is Brynn.”

“Brynn.” The door closes behind her. “The Brynn?”

They share a look and I run through all the possible ways I can escape this situation. Of course it’s my luck to run into not one but both of Jensen’s sisters.

“Wow you weren’t joking,” the one I now know as Jenna adds, “I love the dress.” Jenna I swear is the female version of Jensen, painfully so.

“Thank you,” I tell her. “It was great meeting you, but I should get back to my friends. We just ordered and I hate to make them wait.”

“Brynn,” Naomi hollers out just as I’m about to push open the door. “I won’t interfere.” Which I am more than positive that’s what she is about to do. “I know he didn’t tell you about Chrissy and he was wrong. But just so you know, it’s not exactly what you're thinking. If I were you I’d have this story created in my mind where he is the villain and he deserves that. But he’s my brother and I love him and I also hate to see him suffering.”

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