Page 31 of Perfect Blend

“What are you doing here?”I didn’t need my ex-husband dragging me down from cloud nine. It felt like he was the boss to beat in a video game final level—standing between me and a night with Mikey.

“My dinner finished early, so I came back to catch the show.” Travis looked at me expectantly.

I didn’t give a shit about his dinner. Travis’s whims weren’t my concern any longer.

“You were great up there. It gave me an idea for our performance next year.”

“No,” I said firmly.

Travis frowned. “No, what?”

I was done playing nice for Travis, his family, and everyone else’s benefit. We weren’t a couple, and it was time for me to move on.

I leaned in so there would be no mistaking what I said over the pounding music in the bar. “We’re not doing it together again. We’re not doing anything together again. Travis, we’re divorced andnotfriends. I understand why you want the town and your family to think we are, but it’s unhealthy. I need to move on.”

“Dave…”

“You can’t keep asking me to put you above myself.”

He sucked in a breath. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

I looked him dead in the eyes. “That’s exactly what you’ve been doing. It’s partially on me that I’ve let it happen, but I need distance.” A part of me was still grieving the loss of our marriage and Travis as an important person in my life.

“Why? We could be friends. You get along so great with my family.”

“I know you’re scared to fail, that they’ll look down on you, but you can’t keep using me as your shield.”

He jerked like I’d slapped him.

“You’re in your thirties, for chrissakes. Stop trying to impress them and just live your own life.”

“I-I’m not trying to impress them.”

“If not them, then who? You’re trying to impress someone. The big house you insisted on because your family only lives in that part of town? Getting me to open the coffee shop when I had no financial business doing so, so you could brag that your husband owned the only coffee shop in town. It’s time you stopped relying on other people’s merits and lived off your own.”

Travis winced. “I had no idea you felt this way.”

“I probably should’ve said it a long time ago, but I was busy putting your needs above my own. Not anymore.”

A lot of expressions passed over Travis’s face, and I didn’t expect any of them to look contrite. It had been a long time since I’d seen Travis look so sincere.

“I’m sorry, Dave.”

“Thank you. I need some distance. I think we both do. It’s time we find our own lives in this town that don’t revolve around each other.”

He smiled sadly and nodded. One of the city councilors spotted Travis and pulled him away. Travis gave me one last look before turning on his fake, charming smile and aimed it at the councilor.

I looked away to try and find Mikey because we were overdue for some alone time. It was time I stopped living in my past and focused on what could be my future. Maybewhocould be.

I spotted him talking to a small group of people. En route to join them, I was stopped by people congratulating me for the great show.

Over the next hour, I was caught up in an endless stream of conversations. I tried to catch Mikey’s eye numerous times but couldn’t pull it off. He rushed away after handing me my phone like it was a ticking bomb, saying something about needing to help Mabel. Maybe he was nervous about our flirting and what might happen later. Even as I processed the thought, it didn’t sit right. I hoped we could talk about it. Jeez, it was so freeing towantto talk to him about stuff instead of holding it in until it imploded. Like my marriage.

Once I was able to sneak off, I found Mikey at the bar drinking some water. His posture was tense, shoulders hunched.

“These heels are killing me. I could use that foot spa. How about you?”

I felt Mikey shiver when I pressed against his back.

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