Page 9 of Sometimes You Fall

She’s wearing dark denim that is practically painted onto her wide hips and thick thighs. Her waist dips in just enough to hint at an hourglass figure under her red top, and she’s wearing wedges that make her appear taller than she is.

There’s something eerily familiar about her, and for a moment, I convince myself I’ve just had too much whiskey. I stare down into my glass, listen to the music playing throughout the bar, then swirl the amber liquid around, and toss back the rest of my drink before catching her walk back out from the hall.

And that’s when my stomach drops.

“Scottie?”

Her eyes swivel around the room before landing on mine. And then her lips spread so wide as mine mimic the same movement. “Oh. My. God.”

“Holy shit.”

Biting her lip, she strides over to me as I take in the entirety of her. Damn, Scottie Daniels is all grown up, a fucking woman now—a woman I haven’t seen in almost seventeen years.

“What are the freaking chances?” she asks as she stands right before me, the shock on her face just as pronounced as my own.

I rise from my stool to pull her into a hug, inhaling her still familiar scent while wondering if this is all just a fucking dream. “Scottie Daniels,” I murmur in her ear as I inhale a little too deeply.

She clears her throat and then breaks our embrace. “Ha. I haven’t been Scottie Daniels in a long time, Grady Reynolds. But you?” She places her hands on the sides of my face. “Holy shit, it’s really you.”

My eyes can’t stop taking her in, from those familiar green eyes to the freckles on her nose that are barely concealed by her makeup, to those full lips painted a deep rose shade that brings out the color in her cheeks. Her hair is just as wild as I remember, yet somehow also tamer, and her smile just as addicting. Standing here in front of her now is like taking a ride in the DeLorean—it feels like I’m back in high school staring at the girl who always made me wonder,what if?

“So what do I call you then?”

“That might take a while to explain,” she says, rolling her eyes and peering over at the group of women she left earlier.

I follow her line of sight. “Do you need to get back to your friends?”

“Not really. Those are my mom’s friends. She dragged me along tonight and told me I needed to have some fun, so here I am.”

“The girl I knew used to saythe same thing to me.”

The corner of her mouth lifts, but it’s a sad smile. “I haven’t been that girl in a long time, Grady.”

Studying her face, I say, “What happened, Scottie? One day we were texting, and the next, your number was disconnected.”

She sighs. “It’s ancient history.”

“Well, I’ve got all night to travel back in time with you.”

She shakes her head at me, clearly debating whether she should stay or just treat this as a coincidental passing. But then a familiar spark of determination lights up her eyes, and she says, “I’m gonna need a drink to get through that story, if that’s the case.”

I signal to the bartender. “Then let’s make that happen.”

Chapter two

Grady

Scottie takes a large drink of her vodka cranberry, keeping her eyes locked on the bar in front of her.

“Easy there, tiger.”

“Trust me. This conversation will go a lot faster with a little liquid courage.”

I huff out a laugh and take a sip of my drink, still reeling from how quickly the evening turned around. Being back in Scottie’s presence is like taking a breath after being underwater for hours. I know it’s impossible to hold your breath that long, but now that she’s sitting in front of me, I feel alive again, like a weight was just lifted from my chest.

And fuck. She’s even more gorgeous than I remember.

“Start talking, Scottie,” I say, trying to remain patient, but my mind is spinning. I need something from her so the pieces of the puzzle that comprised our friendship can start to make fucking sense. Losing contact with her fucking stung, but I don’t think I realized just how much it affected me until now. I’m simultaneously elated and angry seeing her tonight, and the last thing I want is for our reunion to gosour. But damn it, I have questions and she’s the one with all the answers.

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