Page 49 of Beyond Oblivion

“Duh. Follow me to that new wine bar… it’s called…”

“The Hickory Vine one?”

“Yes! They have that cute patio.”

I pulled out my phone to tap out a quick text to Trenton. “He’s stopping by his dad’s, hitting the gym, and then he’ll have to shower, but I’m sure he’ll be along if we’re still there.”

“Perfect! See you there,” she said, winking at me before turning for her car.

A few minutes later, Trenton called.

“You’re meeting Ray? When did you decide this?”

I chuckled. “She ambushed me in the parking lot.” After several seconds of quiet, I spoke again. “Are you there?”

“Yeah! Yeah, was just thinking I need to start walking you to your car like I used to when you worked at The Red. It could’ve been anyone. I don’t like that.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“I just didn’t like the way I felt just then. It’s all good. I’ll try to hurry and catch up to you later.”

“Don’t rush. If you make it, great, if you don’t or you don’t feel like it, I’ll just see you at home.”

“I always feel like being with you, baby doll.”

The nickname he’d given me when we first began hanging out still gave me butterflies. “You are my favorite husband.”

He laughed. “Better be your only husband. See you soon.”

I turned toward downtown, my face stuck in an involuntary grin—the kind that comes when your crush becomes your forever.

The Hickory Vine was one of the newer spots in town, its exterior painted a crisp, modern white with sleek black trim that gave it a fresh, inviting feel. The patio was a charming mix of rustic and chic, draped with strings of Edison bulbs that cast a warm glow as dusk approached. Ferns lined the perimeter, their vibrant green adding a cozy, natural touch.

At the entrance, we were greeted with a friendly smile, the hostess wasting no time as she guided us to a metal table outside. The table’s black finish gleamed under the soft patio lights, and the chairs, though minimalist in design, had just enough padding to make you forget they were meant for style over comfort. It was the kind of place that felt effortless, but it was obvious that every detail had been carefully chosen to make patrons want to linger.

“I haven’t been here yet.” I scanned the patio. “It’s beautiful. How’s Wesley?”

“He prefers Wes, and he’s amazing as always.”

“You prefer Wes.”

She smirked. “So? I’m going to bring him here the next time he can come back with me. He’d love this place. My parents were telling me about it, so I wanted to check it out with you. We never came to places like this when we were roomies.”

I grinned. “We couldn’t afford it.”

“But they were still good times, ya know? I mean, there was drama, but the fun kind.”

“It wasn’t so fun when you were crying yourself to sleep every night over Brazil.”

Her face screwed into disgust. “Why do you insist on reminding me that I was ever in love with that dumpster fire? Did I tell you that when he got engaged, I kept waiting for it to hurt? It just… never did. Not even when I heard they’d ran out and had some weird hillbilly beach wedding just a couple of months later.”

“I didn’t know that you knew. I wasn’t going to tell you.”

“I found out from Lacey.”

I rolled my eyes. “Lacey never misses a chance to stir the pot.”

“They’d barely been together a year when he popped the question. Crazy, huh? Jason Can’t Commit is married.”

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