Page 64 of Beauty Of Her

Hold on, wait! What the fuck was I even saying? There was no us. It was just me and Libby seeing each other after years. A part of me wondered how she felt seeing me here a few feet away from her. Did she want to come closer?

"Libby," I whispered her name, testing it on my lips after all these years. The sound of it rolled off my tongue like a bittersweet melody. "It's been so long." I swallowed. “How are you?”

“Hey, Brett.” Libby’s honey-coated voice filled the air, and she took a step closer. “It’s been almost six years, I think.” A nervous laugh escaped her curved lips. Always so sweet. And I broke her, or so I thought, but she seemed okay. “I was in the area and asked your mom if I could stop by.” She motioned to Mom, who wore a proud grin. “Would you like to get lunch? Catch up?”

I turned to my mother, wondering what I should do. It was just lunch. It wasn’t like I was betraying Julia. I was simply catching up with someone from my past. My eyes met Libby’s emerald orbs. “Sure, that would be great. I’m just finishing up something here. How about I meet you out in the front in five minutes?”

I watched Libby's eyes light up with a smile, her face sparkling with excitement and nostalgia. "Sounds perfect," she replied, her voice filled with a hint of anticipation. With that, she left the room, leaving me alone with Mom.

As I stared at the closed door, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt tugging at my conscience. Seriously, was I betraying Julia by agreeing to meet up with Libby? Did I know how to be a good boyfriend to anyone?

“Mom, did you do this?” I pointed to the door with my thumb.

“Nonsense. I didn’t do anything. You know Libby and I speak occasionally. She was the closest person I had to a daughter.” She paused. “I might have suggested to Libby to stop by today, but that was it. What happened just now was all you.”

“And what did just happen?” My stomach lurched, and my heart twisted.

“I think you’re going to find out.” Mom’s eyes grew warm. “Honey, don’t overthink this. It’s only lunch.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m doing something wrong?” My chest began to ache.

“It’s just lunch, Brett. Sometimes, one moment is all it takes to realize what’s right.” Mom hugged me slightly and kissed my cheek before leaving the room.

I reorganized my desk, putting away papers just to buy time, and soon, my feet carried me to the front of Stelvio’s, where Libby stood waiting for me. Just like she always had. We exchanged easy smiles as we walked to my car side by side. At one point, I swore Libby’s fingers brushed against mine, but I jerked my hand away.

We reached my car, and I squinted into the sun, opening my door. While Libby climbed into the passenger seat, the instant her figure dropped out of sight and into my car, another person appeared from across the lot, standing and staring at me from the row of shopping carts.

Fuck, Amelia.

“Mom? Hello, Earth to Mom?” Zoe said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

“Don’t snap your fingers,” snapped Amelia. “That’s rude.”

“You’re not my mom.” Zoe shot a wicked scowl at Amelia, who remained unaffected.

“Just leave Mom alone,” Sara mumbled into her plain bowl of pasta.

“Girls, just stop. I’m fine,” I said, clanking my fork against my uneaten pasta bowl. But I was so not fine. Not after Amelia came over and told me who she saw in the Stelvio’s parking lot: Brett and some chick getting into his car. My heart fought my brain, trying to convince it that Brett wouldn’t betray me like this. But this was harder than I anticipated, and all I wanted to do was throw up.

Everyone sat around the kitchen table, but no one enjoyed their meal. After my sour mood at work and Peter canceled taking the girls to dinner because he had a last-minute thing that meant a date, I scurried and declared it a bottomless pasta night.

Oh, and on top of this new discovery? Brett hadn’t called or spoken to me since the last supper with his mother at the gala, where I also learned all about Libby. What a terrible twenty-four hours. Seriously, fuck.

“Girls, isn’t this so delicious?” Amelia said, tossing an abundance of grated parmesan cheese onto the dry pasta.

I might have suggested this impromptu pasta night for damage control because Peter bailed on our daughters last minute, but I also forgot to buy sauce. All we had in the house was olive oil, and while I could have called Brett, asking him to bring us sauce to save our meal, he hadn’t spoken to me, and I was still pissed at him from the dinner.

“You don’t have to say that, Amelia.” I kept my eyes glued to my plate and sighed, pushing my pasta around the bowl with a fork.

"Mom, are you okay?" Zoe asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.

"Yeah, Mom, you seem really off,” Sara added.

“It was a tough day at work.” Amelia’s weak attempt to save me failed.

I mustered a weak smile. "I'm just tired, girls.”

“Did something happen between you and Brett?” Zoe asked, her eyes wide with cautious curiosity.

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