Page 14 of Dear Ripley

She rolled her eyes. “What are you doing? And why are we in a bush?”

I shushed her, peeking out over the edge of the bush.

Alicia was still there.Why?What was she doing here? Edith had been very clear that they were arriving tonight.

Or had she?

She’d been clear thatHarlowwas arriving tonight. I’d just taken that to mean Alicia was arriving then, too. It hadn’t occurred to me that they wouldn’t show up together, though I suppose it should have. They didn’t live in the same place, as far as I knew, and, while I could totally imagine Alicia flying to Harlow first, and helping her move things, meeting at the destination made total sense too. I just had not been thinking total sense.

Though, that was nothing new when it came to Alicia. When had I, even one time, thought anything close to sense around that woman? Even now, she had me hiding in a bush with my best friend.

I blinked, hoping it was a pastry-fueled hallucination. But nope. When I opened my eyes, there she was. With her mom and Joel. Walking down the street like she’d never left, and as though her entire existence wasn’t breaking me apart.

Hadn’t I told myself I was going to handle it better than this? I was pretty sure I had. Over risotto with Morgan a few nights ago, I’d made promises to her and myself that, should Alicia and I run into each other, I was going to handle it like a grown-up.

The kind of grown-up who hid in bushes, apparently.

Morgan muscled in beside me, peeking out of the bush and laughing.

“I’m glad my misery amuses you,” I whispered, annoyed.

“That’s why you pulled me into a bush? Misery?” She scanned the street, doing a double take and pausing. “Wait. Is that… Is that Alicia?”

I groaned. If Morgan could see her too, that meant she was real.

Also, was it even a question?Of courseit was Alicia. Who else looked like that? Even from behind, of course it was her.

I nodded miserably.

“I thought you said she wasn’t arriving until tonight?”

I hung my head. “I thought she wasn’t. Edith came in for flowers, talking about Harlow arriving tonight, and I just… I don’t know, assumed Alicia would be coming with her.”

“Interesting,” Morgan said, sounding far too amused for the situation. “So, now we’re just going to hide in bushes every time you see her?”

“Yes.” I sulked petulantly. I wanted to be better than this. I wanted to be one of those people who had a positive, healthy relationship with their ex. One where they could be in the same room without falling apart. One where they could be in the same town, even. I’d been trying to believe I could be, but I felt how much that had been a lie deep in my soul. I didn’t know how other people did it, but there was no way to exist in the same place as Alicia Burton and feel nonchalant about her.

“She looks good,” Morgan whispered, watching as she strolled down the street, further away from us.

“No, she doesn’t,” I replied instinctively.

Morgan laughed. “Still got it bad, I see.”

“We got divorced, and it’s been eight years. I don’t have anything bad.”

“Sure, sure. That’s why we’re totally not hiding in a bush right now.”

Embarrassment flamed in my stomach. I was too old for this shit.

I thought about getting up, walking out as if I didn’t know Alicia was there—or like I did, but didn’t care—but I couldn’t seem to do it. I couldn’t convince my legs to move, no matter how much I told myself that if I walked slowly, she wouldn’t even see me. She’d pass the store and I’d get there after her, slipping inside before she even knew I still existed.

But I knew she existed. And I knew she was here. And none of it was fair. Because Morgan was right. Shedidlook good. She always had. I hated that about her.

We hadn’t been together because she looked good, but it definitely didn’t hurt. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, both inside and out. If our marriage wasn’t going to work out, she could have at least done me the favor of looking terrible. Or maybe she’d developed a terrible personality? I supposed I still had that hope to hold onto, even if it felt like the longest of long shots. Especially since she was coming back to a place she’d avoided for eight years to support her pregnant friend. I was pretty sure horrible people didn’t do things like that. Dammit.

“Wonder where she got that jacket from?” Morgan asked, still watching from beside me, and still far more amused than I thought my best friend should be in such a situation.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, rolling my eyes, “maybe we should just pop out and ask her.”

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