Page 72 of When We Meet Again

I do need to talk to both of them, though.

“I’m impressed, Waverly.” Victoria swipes through all my new clothes hanging in my closet. “You managed to purge your librarian look in exchange for a Megan Fox look.” She dramatically spins around, clapping.

“Calling my new wardrobe Megan Fox-esque is a little extreme, but it’s definitely an upgrade.” I smile at the thought of the progress I’ve made. I’ve managed to eat better, workout when I can, and meditate in my free time. Single life both feels and looks good on me. Except to do those things, I don’thaveto be single. With the right boyfriend or girlfriend, we should be able to do those types of things with them by our sides.Love knows no boundaries.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to Roman’s party with me?” Snagging a black dress from a hanger, I toss it on the bed. “I’m not sure why you told him you wouldn’t be there since you’re here with me now.”

“You’re about to have twoveryimportant conversations tonight. I’ll just be a distraction. I don’t want to be a distraction for you, and I don’t want to be acrutchfor you.” Victoria sweeps my new lipstick across her lips and gives an approving smile in the mirror. “And I know I will be.”

I pull a dark pair of nylons up my legs before squeezing into my dress. The square neckline is accentuated by a matching Tiffany’s set I bought myself. The sterling silver bracelets all clasped together with a pearl one. I’m not all for consumerism, but I do feel it’s okay to treat yourself to nice things sometimes.

Victoria stands in front of me, her eyes raking down my body. “He’s going to eat you up.”

“I hope so.” A heat creeps over my face and down to my chest.

She steps in front of me and fixes my hair. “Waverly, promise me you’ll follow what your heart is telling you to do. Not your head.”

“You think I’d get back together with Patrick?” My eyebrows shoot to my forehead, giving her a dubious look.

Victoria releases a light laugh and shakes her head. “I think in your head, getting back together with Patick makes more sense. Technically, you still may be engaged.” Her smile falls. “You’re too kind of a person to be selfish and do what’s best for you. If that relationship taught you anything, it was to start focusing on yourself a little more.”

My face scrunches like something smells bad. “I don’t think that’s what my head’s telling me; besides, I gave him the ring back a long time ago.”

“Good. That’s a start.” Victoria starts hanging up all of the clothes on my bed. The clicking of the hangers in my closet ring in my head loudly like a clock. Like I’m running out of time.

I’m forty, not eighty.

Even if I was eighty, I need to live every day with purpose. Be present in all of those moments. Live life with the one person I can’t imagine my life without. And that person is Roman.

CHAPTER 39

WAVERLY

Fortunate: I fit into a dress that I bought when I was in my early twenties. It’s fits like a glove. Damn!

Unfortunate:Nylons were created to hide our leg hair and veins. They were also created to make us women suffer.

I haven’t steppedfoot in the Huxley house since the funeral. Instead of the eerie, mourning silence that filled the rooms, there is Nocturne in C Sharp playing. Instead of a sea of black, there is a pallet of bright colors adorning men and women of all ages. A far cry from almost two years ago.

Harold and Janine are wearing full smiles, and Janine has Patrick’s arm, as if she’s never letting him go again. Until a set of gray eyes find me and he extracts himself from his mother’s firm grip. He looks good.

“Glad you could make it,” Patrick says, leaning in to kiss my cheek. I straighten the strap of my purse on my shoulder. “Yes! The FOMO is real.”

“FOMO?” His eyebrows pinch.

“Fear of missing out,” I laugh. I probably sound like a dumbass to him. He always refused to learn modern “lingo.”

He nods, shoving his hands in his pockets. I try not to be rude and look around too hard for Roman, but everything in me wants to see the man I haven’t seen in months. The Huxley brother I’m really here to see.

“He’s upstairs. Should be down soon.” I pull my lips between my teeth, trying to fight back my questions. Who’s he up there with? Is he seeing anyone?

“Can we talk somewhere?” Patrick asks before I can say anything.

“I thought we could wait until after the party?” I glance around at all the people, only recognizing a few. “I don’t want to be rude.”

“It won’t take long.” He holds out his hand for me to take. I stare at it. Something that once was my life raft is now so foreign. He waves it, trying again, except I don’t take it. Instead, I lead a path through the crowd and find the back patio empty.

I step out onto the hard wood into the early night sky, glancing at the chair Roman was sitting in almost two years ago. Patrick stops right outside of the door once he closes it, as if he’s afraid to get too close. I’ve been dreading this conversation, but I guess now’s as good a time as any…

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