Page 62 of Over the Edge

“Maybe while we’re here, pretending, we can belong to each other for a little while.”

The corners of his lips flirt with a smile. “For a little while."

23

Garrett

“What do you mean the money got sent back. Is the account closed?” I ask Denton, my accountant, as I wait in line at Love is Brewing. They’ve updated their menu to include fall drinks, so people are taking roughly twice as long to decide on their order only to inevitably buy a pumpkin spice latte. It’s good, it just shouldn’t be a decision that takes someone three or more minutes to make.

“No, it was sent back. I checked to see if there were any abnormal explanations, but everything checked out. I was calling to see if the payments need to stop.”

“Try to send it again in a few days,” I instruct. There’s an off chance that Lana sent it back on a whim and will regret returning the money. It’s happened one time before, when I called to check she gave me a long waxing lecture on pride and how she doesn’t need my hand outs. That lasted about forty-eight hours before an inbox full of missed calls saying it was a joke, and I should have sent it again.That I should have known.This time I’m hoping I can skip the calls altogether. “Anything else I need to be aware of?”

The line moves another foot forward but the couple at the counter is starting to point to each menu item, so I still have plenty of time.

“That’s all.”

“Thanks for letting me know about the issue. If anything else happens let me know,” I say, despite hoping there won’t be another call anytime soon.

I don’t like the feeling of having the money back in my possession. It makes things feel unbalanced. Things will never be steady with Lana. Blame and blistering bitterness. Those aren’t emotions that provide a reliable foundation. Money and the deal we’ve made, it’s an attempt at something close to normal. Whatever the fuck that means.

When I reach the front of the line, the frazzled barista looks relieved I know my order. I get a drink for Eve too. Her light was on until two in the morning, and I want to check on her. It’s odd seeing her like this. When I learned she was Lyla she didn’t seem to care. I fix things. It’s what I’m good at. But I’m not sure I can fix this.

I open the chess app on my phone and start a game against a computer as I wait for the drinks at the end of the bar. I sink my concentration into it and find a moment of calm until the barista calls my name, and I slot the drinks into a carrier and head toward the door.

Just as I reach for the door, it pushes inward and I’m face to face with a startled Quinn.

“Oh hey,” she says as she brushes off our near collision and claims a spot at the back of the line.

I eye the door. If only the line hadn’t been slowed down by indecisive pumpkin lovers, I might have been able to skip this interaction all together. “Hey. No Oliver?”

“He’s working. We both can do what we need remotely, but he’s on deadline for the software he’s working on,” Quinn explains as she eyes the drink carrier in my hand.

I nod. “How long are you two staying in town?”

“If Ev asks us to leave, we’ll go.” Her lips tighten into a thin line.

“She won’t,” I say. I know Evelyn, she’d rather suffer in silence than turn away her friends.

“You’re right, but this is me letting you know she has that option.”

“And if she doesn’t ask you to leave?”

“We’re hoping to stick around for her birthday. We’ve celebrated it with her since we met so I guess it’s worth it for tradition's sake,” she explains.

I nod as I take in the information. Her birthday is on the 12th, two weeks away. “I’ll let her know.”

Quinn starts to turn away then shifts her attention back to me, as if remembering to share something. “You know, I’m impressed with how okay you seem to be with all of this. Not every guy would be chill with their girl's ex-fiancé coming into town, even if he was in a new relationship.”

“Ex-fiancé?” The word slips out with all my confusion before I can bottle it up. I knew they were together for years, but not on that level.

She sighs. “Shit. I would have thought she’d have told you. I mean, at least after last night. I should have guessed, though. Oliver was the one who told me about it, I had to wait a month before she even mentioned it,” she says apprehensively. “She’s always had this way of talking to people, making sure you feel seen and heard and then you leave a conversation and realize you barely learned anything new about her. Like she doesn’t think she’s significant enough to matter. I’ve always thought ithad to do with growing up around you guys. You know the fame, secrets, and all that.”

“Knowing doesn’t change anything for me.” Doesn’t change that this isn’t real so either way I have no right to feel jealous. I do, though, the feeling clawing at my chest, demanding to be acknowledged. But I can pretend I don’t at least until I finish this conversation.

“There are things she’ll never share, but I’ve come to terms with it.” An unreadable expression flickers across her face. “You might have to, too.”

Quinn steps forward in line and gives me one last glance. “I guess I’ll see you tonight. Could you have her send us the details when you get the chance? I haven’t heard from her since last night.”

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