Page 106 of The Love Wager

Hallie

“You get it, though, right?”

Hallie nodded and smiled a little too brightly at Alex, forcing her eyes not to roam the establishment in search of Jack. “I do. It makes perfect sense.”

She could hear the rain pouring on the roof. It’d been one of those chilly autumn days where the rain fell in sheets and didn’t stop. Since the second she’d opened her eyes that morning, it’d seemed like the perfect weather for her stupid non-date date night.

Alex picked up his water and took a drink before saying, “It was dumb, honestly.”

“We all have our expectations that we,” she said, her heart pounding in her chest as she saw Jack walk in, “um, expect.”

Alex nodded. “Right? It was a dumb thing to get hung up on.”

“It is what it is,” she said, watching as Jack bellied up to theside of the bar. He was wearing jeans and a thick fisherman sweater, and he sat down on a stool that put him directly in her line of sight, which was a blessing and a curse. He was so attractive, and her lovesick eyes were dying to drink him in, but he was also the world’s biggest distraction.

Especially when he looked over at her and gave her a chin nod.

She looked back at Alex.

“Listen, I’ve got to be honest with you,” she said, not wanting to lead him on. “I really like you. You seem like a great guy. This has nothing to do with you, but I’m really not looking to date anyone right now.”

His eyes narrowed, like he was trying to figure her out, but he didn’t look mad. “Okay, so I’m going to ask you what you asked me at the airport. What’s changed since before?”

“Well,” she said, not sure how to explain it, “let’s just say I kind of fell for someone else. It didn’t work out, but it left me with very strong anti-dating feelings.”

“Got it.” He reached out a hand and set it on top of hers. “Is it your bestie at the bar?”

Her eyes shot up to his. “What?”

He shrugged. “I saw him come in. Actually, I sawyousee him come in.”

“Alex, I am so sorry—”

“Nope.” He smiled and said, “I got a vibe from him both times we met, so I can’t say I’m surprised.”

She swallowed. “There’s nothing going on with us, I promise. And there wasn’t when you and I were dating, either.”

“I know.” He swirled the liquid in his glass and said, “Are you okay, by the way?”

She smiled. He reallywasa nice guy. “I will be. You know how it is—love just sucks.”

“Truer words have never been spoken,” he said, smiling back at her. “We can still have dinner as friends, though, right? I feel like we’ve earned it.”

She lifted her glass of wine and nodded. “Wehaveearned it.”

Jack

“Can I get another water, please?”

Jack slid his empty glass toward the bartender as he tried getting his shit together. After downing a whiskey while watching Hallie smile at Alex, he decided he’d better switch to water before he ended up dying of alcohol poisoning.

But what in the actual fuck?

First of all, how the hell did she look so beautiful and so fucking happy? He’d imagined, like him, she was struggling to move on without their friendship. He’d imagined that she missed him at least a fraction of the amount he was missing her.

But she looked like everything was perfect.

He hadn’t planned a date for that night, because what was the point of dragging some nice person along when all he was interested in was Hallie? But he’d expected her to be with some rando, not Alex.

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