Page 4 of Tangled up in You

Furrowing my eyebrows, I ask, “What does that have to do with me?”

“Because you came home too.” Simon scoffs and pulls me into his side. “Kent carved your name into the icing.”

His embrace is much tighter than the one Oliver gave me. Once upon a time, it wouldn’t have made me uncomfortable, but with how much time has passed, it feels strange to be so intimate with him. It’s a reminder that things are not what they used to be, despite what I felt earlier.

Barely touching his back, I give him an awkward half-hug. “That’s sweet, but you didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did,” Kent says. “If I had known sooner, I’d have told the baker to put it in before I picked it up.”

I cringe from the guilt I feel having them be so considerate of me while I was hesitant to come. “Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was returning, but to be fair, I only knew about Oliver being in town.”

“We’re just glad you’re home.” Oliver pats my back.

I fight to keep from shrinking away. I forgot how touchy-feely these three were. It’s going to take a bit to get used to this again.

“Want a drink? We have stuff to make a screwdriver,” Oliver offers.

Oh, thank God.

“Yes,” I breathe.

Alcohol is definitely what I need to help me loosen up. While I’ve swapped over to drinking wine in recent years rather than strong drinks, I’d agree to anything as long as it has alcohol in it.

Oliver walks over to the fridge and pulls out the orange juice.

“Let’s eat.” Simon guides me toward the bar. “I’m starving, and if I don’t get some food in me, I’m going to be drunk far too early.”

I breathe out a sigh of relief as he releases me. We make our plates, and instead of going to the living room where everyone else is, we sit at the kitchen table. Oliver and Kent join us after my mother grabs her food and says goodbye.

I feel bad they’re ignoring their other guests, but it doesn’t seem to faze anyone except me. People come in to collect their food before moseying back to the other room.

“So, how long you staying?” Simon asks with a flirtatious gleam in his green eyes.

I shrug, uncertainty clouding my enthusiasm. “For the unforeseeable future. I have no plans to leave again.”

“Didn’t work out?” Oliver frowns.

I shake my head. It’s no secret I was married and living in the city. Being neighbors, our parents often shared news with each other about our excursions. They weren’t as close as we were. A quick, “Hello, how are you and your kids?”was the gist of their relationship.

Simon squeezes my hand atop the table. “He wasn’t good enough for our girl anyway.”

I laugh. “You never met him.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Kent runs a hand through his tousled sandy-blond hair to get it out of his face and gives me a gentle smile. “No one is good enough for you.”

Oliver and Simon nod in agreement. My chest fills with warmth. I’m a volleyball of emotions today; seeing the guys again contributes to it greatly, but as I drink more liquid courage, it helps me push aside the shame and worry that keeps disrupting my peace.

How have I survived without these three in my corner for so long?

Oliver, Kent, and Simon have always supported me in anything I wanted to do, even if they didn’t like it. My ex wasn’t like that. He argued until he got his way like a spoiled brat.

My earlier concerns about their opinion of me and the life I chose to live seem stupid now. For the first time in a long time, I have a sense of belonging. This is where I’m supposed to be. Back in my hometown with my three best friends.

Tears burn my eyes. “Thanks, guys.” I blink them back, not wanting to be a downer. “What have you three been up to? My mom didn’t tell me much.”

“I was married for about two years,” Oliver says. “As much as we tried to make it work, it was clear pretty early on it wasn’t going to. Honestly, I shouldn’t have gotten married to begin with. I moved back here shortly after the divorce. A year after that, my parents passed.”

“I’m sorry you went through so much. I wanted to come home for the funeral, but I was dealing with some things by then and couldn’t.” I frown.

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