Page 25 of My Almost Ex

Goddamn, Cora.“I fucking hate you.”

Toby laughs. “See why I’d lock her in a closet?”

I shake my head as Cora places her hand on my shoulder. “We all know how much you hate the unexpected, and where this will end up, I don’t think anyone can predict. She could regain the memory of why she left and decide that it was the right thing to do. Or she might never regain the memory of why she left you. You might just fall in love with her all over again. She might be a completely different Lucy than we know. But stop the act and get it going, because the longer you try to act like you don’t care, the longer until it’s over.”

It’s not that Cora doesn’t have a point. She should’ve continued her schooling to get her doctorate in psychology.

“What do you expect me to do?” I ask.

“She remembers you, she remembers me, and although she might not want to, she’ll probably remember Toby.” She gives me a wink.

“I’m a memorable guy,” he says.

“It’s a great start. Maybe you take her to the cabin. Walk her to where you got married. Show her memories of her life here with you.”

My jaw clenches when I think about how I’ll be inflicting pain on myself if I do that.

“She shouldn’t be at the inn. She should be sleeping at the house. She should be surrounded with memories of the two of you.”

“Fuck, Cora.” I push my hand through my hair.

Her shoulders rise in a cocky shrug. “Just say I’m right.”

“Am I really going to do this?” I say more to myself than her.

“I promise you this. If this ends badly, I’ll gladly serve you a beer at noon next time.” She smiles wide and slaps me on the back.

I look at Toby, and he’s looking at her as though she hung his fucking moon. Damn them and their happiness. Their perfect family.

She won’t have to serve me a beer because if this goes bad, I’ll be bent over my brothers’ bar with an empty bottle of whiskey in my hand.

---