Page 5 of Aisle Come Back to You

“I invited him to Margarita Monday. I mean, he is the other important part of this friendship trio,” she explains in anannoyingly casual fashion as she reaches for a chip to dip in the salsa, like she hadn’t just tipped my world upside down.

Before I can say anything else, Ford’s familiar timbre rings out as he approaches our table. “If it isn’t Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum,” he teases as I finally brave looking up at him.

Damn! How does he still look this good? He’s somehow grown even more attractive. This isn’t fair. Why couldn’t life have treated him to a dad bod or something? Okay, so maybe he’s not actually a father yet, but a round belly orsomethingto take away from that handsome face of his would be nice.

Instead, many of his boyish attributes have faded with time, giving way to a more mature appearance with a sharp, chiseled jawline that has the perfect amount of well-groomed stubble. His short, dark hair curls in just the right way, adding even more appeal. While I’d guess he recently got out of the shower and let his hair air dry, instead of looking like a mess, it looks effortlessly tousled and perfectly styled.

He still has on his signature pair of black glasses, but instead of looking goofy or dorky, they give him a distinguished sophistication. I’m so not ready for this, especially as his gorgeous dark chestnut eyes fix directly on me. How am I ever going to make it through the night now?

3

Ford

“Which one of usis Tweedle Dee and which one is Tweedle Dum?” Blair asks, her eyes locking with mine, causing me to temporarily freeze and lose track of what I’d just asked. It’s clear I hadn’t thought it through when I’d made that stupid joke, and now, being back in her presence has me feeling completely off-center and out of sorts—something I haven’t felt in a really long time. She’s always had a way of keeping me on my toes, but between our two years of separation and limited contact before that, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to act around her.

It doesn’t help that she looks just as gorgeous as ever. Her eyes, a piercing shade of baby blue, never fail to captivate me, no matter how many times I’ve gazed into them. Then there are her plump, heart-shaped lips that don’t do me any favors either, as I do my best not to look their way. If anything, I train my eyes to look at her hair, which, even after spending the afternoontraveling, looks flawless as it falls in long silky waves over her shoulders.

Ignoring my instincts, my eyes wander as I fully take her in. Blair’s style has always set her apart from everyone here in Evergreen Grove, as if she’s always known she was destined for something bigger—something neither I nor this town could offer her.

From what I can see, she’s wearing jean shorts and a black lacy crop top that accentuates her perfect curves, teasing just the right amount of skin, with a blue and orange flannel worn over it. She’s absolutely stunning, and it takes all my self-control not to gawk, or worse, openly confess just how damn much I’ve missed her.

I get why she never texted me back after the night of my wedding, but that doesn’t make the loss of contact hurt any less. We grew up together, and she was most definitely my person. While I’m happy she and Ronnie stayed close, it sucks that all my knowledge of her life now comes via secondhand gossip from our mutual friend.

“Well?” Ronnie asks, tilting her head as she presses for my answer. “Which one are we?” she prods, pursing her lips, loving the fact that I’ve clearly backed myself into a corner with this one.

“How about we all pretend I didn’t start off with a stupid joke and you let me off the hook?” I beg with a hopeful smile.

“I don’t know, Blair. What do you think? Do we let him off the hook this time?” Ronnie asks, as both of our gazes shift toward our blonde counterpart.

“I think I may be willing to let it go.This time,” she sighs. “Plus, we all know I’m Tweedle Dee, and Ronnie is Tweedle Dum.”

Ronnie scoffs. “You wish. I’m totally Tweedle Dee, right Ford?” she presses, as they once again put me on blast and inthe middle. As familiar as it is to be in this position between the two of them, so much has changed since then, making any sort of answer feel practically impossible.

I just have to hope it isn’t obvious how nervous I am as beads of sweat begin to form on my forehead. “How about you’re both Tweedle Dee and I’m the Tweedle Dum?” I offer, figuring the name is pretty fitting right about now.

“I suppose we shall accept your offering, now take a seat before you have a heart attack,” Ronnie teases as she thankfully shuffles further into the booth so I can slip in next to her.

Once upon a time, I would’ve eagerly chosen to sit next to Blair, hoping for any accidental contact, but things have definitely changed, and not for the better.

“So, what’ve I missed? Besides the two of you starting the fun without me,” I muse, taking in the fact that they are both seemingly ready for margarita number two. At least it doesn’t look like I’ve missed dinner, as the table only holds their drinks and the complimentary chips and salsa.

“Not much,” Ronnie casually shares as she reaches for a chip and coats it in salsa. “Although, Blair did mention that she and Max are on yet another break,” she adds, before stuffing the bite into her mouth.

“Oh,” I say, an odd mix of guilt and happiness swirling inside me at the news. I’ve never liked Max, especially since he was the one who got her to leave Evergreen Grove in the first place. “I’m sorry,” I offer, looking toward Blair as I do my best to convey genuine sympathy, even if it’s all forced and completely fake. While he might have changed since I first met him, my gut instinct has always been that she deserves someone far better. Nobody merits being with a cheating asshole, especially not someone as special as Blair.

“I’m sure we’ll get back together when I get home. We always figure it out, so no need to feel bad.” She shrugs, brushing mywords off as she lifts her glass and slides her lips around the straw. I hate myself for noticing just how perfectly full they are, as well as the dangerously wicked thoughts about where I’d like to have those lips go next. While I’ve only felt them against my own once, my body somehow seems to remember just how amazing that kiss was and how soft and pillowy they were, aching to experience it all over again. Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest choice to sit directly across from her, as I now have a completely unobstructed view of her unmatched beauty.

“Well, we definitely didn’t get that far into the conversation,” Ronnie half scoffs, shooting Blair a penetrating stare.

“It’s not like it should be a big surprise. Plus, I never hinted at anything different.” She shrugs, purposely avoiding not only my face, but Ronnie’s as well, as she stares down at her practically empty glass and swirls her straw in it.

“I’m not looking to ruin dinner or your first night back by explaining why I think getting back with him is a bad idea, and I hope you know I’ll always support you in whatever you decide, but you have to know my opinion on the matter. You deserve so much better than what Max offers you, which we all know isn’t much, so I have to imagine the bar isn’t set very high.”

Blair’s jaw clenches and her lips fall into a straight line. God, what is wrong with me? Why can’t I stop staring at her damn lips?

“Well, we can’t all have a Pete now, can we?” Blair shoots back, in what I’m assuming is supposed to be a playful manner, but misses the mark, especially as Ronnie’s shoulders slump.

“I promise I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m sorry. Can we start over and change the subject please,” Ronnie pleads, pouting her lips.

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