Page 5 of Tangled up in You

He waves me off. “It’s fine. Thank you for the flowers, though. Your mom said you helped pay for them.”

I nod, but it doesn’t seem like enough. I should have been a better friend. Instead, I was so consumed with my ownproblems, it was easier to just stay with my ex-husband than argue over why I was leaving.

“I haven’t been a very good friend. I should have tried harder to keep in touch. It’s obvious you all did.”

Kent shrugs. “We messaged each other every few months, but it wasn’t consistent or anything. It was a quick ‘how are you,’ and that was it.”

“Still…” I mumble.

“Hey,” Simon squeezes my hand. I was so comfortable, I didn’t realize he was still holding it until now. “We understand why you didn’t keep in contact. We don’t blame you for it. You were trying to make a life for yourself and your husband. Don’t apologize for that.”

My tears fight to come back. I suck in a deep breath to calm myself. “A lot of good that did, but thank you.”

“Our lives haven’t been all that fulfilling either,” Simon admits. “I came back because I felt lost too. I’m tired of spending all my time bouncing around from place to place with no real connections to anyone or anything.”

“Same,” Kent says. “I mean, I had a place, but I hated my job and all I did was work and go to bars on the weekend. It gets old. When my parents told me their plan to sell the house and store, I decided I’d rather be here than in California.”

“We need heavier drinks to ignore our problems,” Oliver mutters.

I nod as our laughter echoes around us. Simon grabs a bottle of tequila off the bar and four shot glasses before returning to the table. He pours us each a drink.

Lifting his glass, he says, “To getting fucked up and pretending we’re not old enough to feel it in the morning.”

Kent, Oliver, and I grab our shots and clink them together. I’ve missed this. There was once a connection between us that I’d never been able to find with anyone else. I’ve had manyfriendships through the years—some lasting longer than others—but they never felt as strong as what I had with them.

Being able to experience that again now is a blessing. And I’m thankful for it.

CHAPTER 3

MELANIE

We down drink after drink, shot after shot. The more I consume, the less I care about the past and my current predicament. All I care about is partying and having fun. The hours pass quickly. We dance and fall back into our younger years of teenage ragers.

More people arrive, filling the house with so much noise I’m surprised no one has called the cops. The older people left before dark, but our generation is living it up tonight.

I couldn’t be more lost in the chaos and fun if I tried. Exhausted, I flop onto the couch in the living room, taking up the entire space. I’m enjoying my buzzed state. I can’t remember feeling this relaxed in a long time.

Oliver comes to join me. He lifts my legs and sits down, laying my thighs across his lap.

“Having fun?” he asks.

“Definitely.” I giggle as Kent scoots in to sit beside Oliver with my feet on his lap. Simon lifts my head to place it on his thighs. I’m now basically lying across all three of them.

“Not quitting, are you?” Simon smiles down at me.

“No.” I giggle. “Just need to rest a moment.”

Kent pats my legs. “We are at your service. I’m glad you decided to come back.”

“Me too,” I admit. “I needed this. I haven’t had fun in a long time.”

“How come?” Simon asks before taking a sip of his beer.

I shrug, my thoughts drifting to my ex. “Stress. It’s hard to relax when you’re constantly walking on eggshells. I never knew what mood he’d be in.”

“Your ex-husband?” Oliver guesses.

I nod, then sigh, glancing at the people partying around us. “At first, it was great. We went out, talked about everything. For many years, it was great. Until it wasn’t. He stopped trying in everything except chasing the high. Pills, drugs, alcohol. It didn’t matter to him as long as I supplied the money for it and our living costs. He quit working, just sat around all day. I was mentally and physically exhausted trying to do everything while he did nothing. And don’t even get me started on the verbal outbursts. Never knew what would set him off.”

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