Page 5 of Summertime Friends

A hand comes to my back, patting it a few times when I realize I’m choking on my saliva. I haven’t even laid my eyes on him, and all the oxygen has been sucked out of me.

“Are you okay?” Brandon rushes over to me.

“Yeah—I’m—I’m fine,” I squeak out.

Brandon gives me a once over, then glares up at the man standing behind me, whose hand is still on my back. He shifts his focus between me and Liam.

Delayed, my body shudders under Liam’s touch as I register the sensation of it. It’s the carefulness but familiarity that has me unsteady.

Liam’s hand drops from my back.

“Emme, who is this?” Brandon asks me.

“I’m Liam Hayes.” He reaches out his hand to Brandon. “An old—friendof hers.”

Friend. Huh.Do not roll your eyes, Emerson.

Brandon shakes Liam’s hand as he takes up residence next to me. I can’t help but notice and fixate on the way Liam said friend as if it was foreign.

“Oh. She’s never mentioned you. When did you two know each other? Were you pretty close?” Brandon lies.

I gulp, grabbing both of their attention.

“Years ago,” I say.

“Met when she was traveling in Europe,” Liam says at the same time.

“Your trip with Nat?” One of Brandon’s brows raises as he asks.

“Yup.”

The three of us stand there, staring at each other. I can tell by the statue that Brandon becomes; he’s putting together the pieces of who Liam is to me. I told Brandon briefly one night about a guy I had a summer fling with after he interrogated me with questions about the people I’ve been with.

Fling, huh.

I nervously reach up my hand, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Liam’s eyes catch my ring.

“You’re engaged?” He’s shocked.

My eyes shift to where my hand is lingering on the side of my face. My ring is sitting right in my peripheral vision. I flick my gaze back to Liam and then to Brandon.

He steps closer, looping an arm around my waist and pulling me in for a kiss.

Liam’s shoulders tense as he watches us.

“Have been for a year,” Brandon says.

“Wow. Congratulations—I’spose,” Liam says. The shock on his face is gone, and his demeanor turns sad. The sparkle of his blue eyes dull as I watch the disappointment flare in them when he glances at my ring again.

I drop my hand, shoving it into the pocket of my jeans. Trying to hide away the reminder to each of us that this could have been us in a different lifetime.

“These are our coffees.” I move to the pickup counter. Brandon steps around me, grabbing both of ours. He doesn’t say anything as he makes his way toward the exit.

Turning back to Liam, I peer at him. His appearance is the same, but older. He’s exactly the way I remember him.

“I’m sorry?” My voice is unusually meek. I don’t recognize it.

I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. I don’t know if it’s because I’m engaged now or because of how we ended all those years ago.

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