Page 57 of Rock On

“You still love him, huh?” Mina’s soft voice made me jump but I turned to give her a wry smile.

“Unfortunately.”

“He loves you too, you know.”

I laughed. “Oh, I’m willing to bet he doesn’t.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know much, but I know a man in love when I see one, and that boy has it bad for you.”

I looked over at him and couldn’t help but sigh at the picture he made sitting there surrounded by people twice his age. Yet he was completely at ease, telling a story that had the group hanging on his every word.

“I used to look at him like that,” I said softly.

“You still do,” she whispered. “You just try to do it when he’s not looking.”

“I wish I didn’t do it at all,” I admitted. “I’m trying so fucking hard to get over him.”

She arched her perfectly drawn-on eyebrows. “How’s that working out for you so far?”

I made a face at her. “You’re not helping.”

She laughed and slid her arm through my elbow. “Come on. Let’s play bingo and I’ll tell you a story about unrequited love.”

“That sounds depressing,” I protested, even as I let her drag me to a table across from the one where Tommy was sitting.

He caught my eye as I sat down and gave me a quick wink before turning back to his story.

And like a dumbass, my heart fluttered with excitement.

The night we’d met, our eyes had locked across a crowded dance floor, and he’d winked. Winking had become our thing and having him do it now reminded me once again of how much fun we’d had together. And how hard it had been to leave him.

I didn’t know if there was even an iota of truth to what Mina thought, but if there was, I had to fight for it. Because I couldn’t lie to myself and pretend I didn’t want him to love me again.

“You gotta play a little hard to get,” Mina whispered, nudging me with her elbow. “You’re practically simpering over him.”

“Simpering?” I repeated the word and burst out laughing. “How old are you again?”

“Hey, don’t make fun of old people.” She wagged her finger at me. “You’ll be my age before you know it.”

“Regardless, Tommy and I were together a long time. I don’t even know how to play hard to get with him.”

She rolled her eyes. “You could start by not staring.”

“I’m not staring!” I protested.

“Are too.”

Instead of answering, I grabbed a couple of bingo cards from the middle of the table and reached for a handful of chips that would be used to mark our spots on the cards.

“Did you save a seat for me?” Harriett dropped down in the seat next to mine with a grin.

“Sure did.” Mina nodded.

“What are we staring at?” Harriett followed my gaze before I could avert it. “Oh. Tommy. He’s hot as fuck.” She looked at me. “Why are you divorced? Did he cheat?”

“No. It’s a long story.”

“We have time.”