Page 137 of Rewind It Back

“Take it off.”

My lips part of their own accord because, wow, Ilikethis version of him.

Reaching behind me, I unclasp the hook at the center of my back with trembling fingers as Rio slowly makes his way back over. Standing in front of me, he slips his hands around my waist and places his hands over my shaking ones to stop me.

“Are you nervous?” he asks softly.

I nod. “Are you?”

He nods too.

That makes me smile and it makes me settle. The way he always does.

“You tell me to stop if you want me to stop.” He takes over, slowly unzipping my dress, his eyes trained on my face the whole time. “We’ll take it slow and figure it out together, okay?”

My hands aren’t shaking anymore. My heart is no longer racing.

I watch him slowly slip a strap off my shoulder.

“I’m glad it’s you.”

He breathes a small laugh before pressing his smiling lips to mine. “It’s always been you, Hallie.”

Chapter 31

Rio

“Miller, can I get you another?” Stevie asks, standing from the floor where she’s sitting next to me.

Miller holds up the same Corona she’s been nursing all night. “I’m one and done these days.”

“Says the woman who met her husband while literally double-fisting on a weekday morning.” Kennedy’s head falls back in laughter.

“Yeah, well, your girl has two kids and two businesses now. I can’t afford to wake up hungover.”

Stevie silently takes inventory of Kennedy’s and Indy’s empty drinks before turning to me. “Rio, another glass of wine?”

I check my glass to see how much is left, only to realize I’ve barely had any, regardless that I poured it over an hour ago.

“I think I’m going to be one and done tonight too.”

“Girls’ nights have certainly changed, haven’t they?” Stevie says, heading into Indy’s kitchen to grab another round for everyone but me and Miller.

I can feel Indy watching me from the couch. “Rio, are you all right?”

Nodding quickly, I tell her, “Of course I am.”

Her eyes narrow suspiciously, but thankfully her attention is pulled away when Stevie returns with a new drink for her.

I probably should’ve bailed on hanging out tonight, seeing as I’ve been feeling off for days. But it only happens once in a while that these girls can get together without their kids or the guys, and though I fall into the “guys” category and technically shouldn’t be included in girls’ night, it’s never stopped me from attending before.

After spending all day, every day with a bunch of dudes, I value my time and friendship with these four. Plus, I was hoping that seeing my friends would pull me out of my head.

It hasn’t.

I’ve played like absolute garbage in the two games since we got back from seeing Hallie’s dad. I can’t focus. I can’t stop beating myself up. I barely sleep, and though that’s nothing new, I wake up from the few hours I do get feeling like I got kicked in the stomach when reality sinks in again.

I’ve still seen Hallie almost every day, either at my house when she’s meeting with contractors or when I drive her home at night from the bar. But it feels different.

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