Page 39 of Aisle Come Back to You

“I don’t know. Pete is also a pretty big mama’s boy, and I have to say, it’s probably one of my least favorite things about him,” Ronnie admits as she reaches for another jar to work on.

“My least favorite thing is that he’s a giant ass,” Blair bluntly states as she grabs the jar that Ronnie had just been working on and attaches a small card to it that reads “Spread the Love”.

With bated breath, I anticipate Ronnie’s annoyed response, but fortunately, she doesn’t appear to take it too personally. Instead, she reaches toward Blair and lightly smacks the blonde on the arm.

“Blair!”

“Hey,” she begins, holding up her hands. “I’m just speaking the truth and saying what no one else will.”

“He’s not always an ass,” Ronnie tries to defend. “Right, Ford?” she asks, looking over my way.

I hesitate as my eyes move between the two women, who clearly want me to take their side. “He’s not alwaysnotan ass,” I give in, feeling the need to have Blair’s back here. If she’s going to be honest and go there, then I need to as well.

“Okay, so maybe he can be an ass sometimes, but I promise he has his good qualities, too.”

“Honestly, Ron? I’d love to see that side of him. I really would, especially since an amazing guy is exactly what you deserve, but every time I try to give him a chance, he only shows the opposite of what you’ve been claiming him to be.”

Ronnie reaches out and places a hand on Blair’s arm. “I appreciate you looking out for me. That means everything and I truly wouldn’t expect anything less,” she says before looking up at me, too. “From either of you. But seriously, neither of you need to worry. He’s great and I love him, and that’s what matters here. Okay?” she asks, in a tone that not only shows how serious she is, but also indicates that she’s done with this conversation and doesn’t want to discuss it any further.

“Okay,” I say, while Blair nods her head too.

“Just —” Blair starts before pausing as she seems to process her thoughts. “Just know that if you ever change your mind or if you ever need to talk about him or anything, for that matter, you know you can always talk to us—always.”

Ronnie scoffs. “Of course I know that. You two are my people, and even after I get married, I’m always going to need my two best friends.”

“Same.” Blair smiles, her gaze briefly connecting with Ronnie’s before settling on me, conveying a subtle tinge of sorrow that, unfortunately, I understand all too well.

After I got married, she distanced herself from me, and although it was undeniably painful, I get why she found it necessary. If anything, distance was likely what I also needed while I tried to make my marriage work with Jenny. However, if there’s anything that this last week has shown me, it’s that I need Blair in my life, and it finally seems like we might both be on the same page about that.

20

Blair

I’ve officially been backin Evergreen Grove for exactly one week, and that can only mean one thing—Margarita Monday! However, I’m overcome by an odd sense of excitement and sadness as I walk into SalsaLeedo Sal’s. When I first arrived in town, I’d been stressed and counting down the days until I could fly home to Los Angeles. With the first week having flown by so quickly and only one week left before I have to say goodbye to Ronnie, Miles, and Ford all over again, I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of melancholy.

From my earliest memories, I’d always imagined what it would be like to escape this small town, so when it actually happened, it felt like a dream come true. Yes, it had been hard to leave Miles, Ronnie, and Ford, but it also felt needed. Distance seemed like the key to not only escaping my unfortunate reputation, but also my feelings for Ford.

The joke’sclearlyon me, since even with him choosing to get hitched to someone else, my feelings have refused to fade away.Even to this day, he still feels like the one person in my life that I can’t function or live without.

Ugh, why did he have to go and ruin everything by kissing me? It would’ve been so much easier to leave all over again if I didn’t have to remember the electrifying sensation of his lips pressed against mine. Then again, if history repeats itself, this will just be another one of those teasing one-offs where I thinkthis is finally itbefore it gets taken away from me and my world comes crashing down all over again.

A little dramatic? Probably. But that’s exactly how it felt to eighteen-year-old me ten years ago. So much so that I took a crazy offer from a complete stranger and his band to follow them around on tour.

One would think I’ve matured since then, but between the lingering glances and the electric sensation coursing through my body at even the slightest contact with Ford while we helped Ronnie with her wedding favors, all those vulnerable feelings came rushing back. The simple act of him passing me a jar, our fingers grazing for nothing more than a split second, sent a surge of tingling heat down my spine.

Then again, maybe this is nothing more than my body’s physical reaction to not getting laid in far too long. Whenever Max and I got back together, things were always hot and heavy for the first few weeks, as we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. While we may struggle in many aspects of our relationship, sex is not one of them. But as we each got busy, and he decided he’d rather go out, party, drink, and get high instead of spending quality time with me, it became way too easy to fall out of sync with each other, which is exactly what happened in the last few weeks leading up to our most recent break-up.

While weddings are often seen as prime opportunities for romantic encounters, the lack of suitable candidates in Ronnie’swedding party dampens any hopes of finding a worthy hookup partner.

Then again, while Ford and I haven’t brought up the topic of those flirtatious texts on Saturday night, my thoughts have often circled back to them. Sure, it’d be nice to fuck him and get it out of my system, but part of me knows that being with Ford could never be like that. Given our history and shared feelings, I think we’ve both always known that if something were to happen, it’d be life-changing, and I’m guessing neither of us is truly ready for something that big happening right now.

Not only am I still trying to live my dream life away from Evergreen Grove, but he’s going through a divorce. It’s way too complicated, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself, especially as the temptation to be near him only intensifies.

Walking into Sal’s, I’m once again greeted by that same nostalgic scent of warm tortillas and tangy salsa. I’ve heard that it’s never a good sign when you can smell the food so strongly when you enter a restaurant, but given how amazing Sal’s is and the staple it is in the community, there’s no way I could agree with that statement.

It’s no surprise to see that Ronnie and Ford have already arrived and are both snacking on the chips and salsa as I approach. Unlike last time, though, when Ronnie and I arrived first and it had been Ford who’d been forced to choose who to sit next to, it’s now my turn to make that choice.

Back in the day, I’d been faced with the same question many times about who to sit next to, especially given my chronic lateness, but today, there’s an extra layer to all this that has me feeling oddly conflicted, almost as if this is some kind of test that I haven’t studied for. While maybe it’s not some life-changing decision, it does feel like what I decide will ultimately change the course of my life.God, I really am dramatic today.

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