Page 54 of How to Ruin Your Ex's Wedding
I do and he helps me lower to the floor, bottom first. I tuck my legs to the side and pull my heels off.
“Oh god, that feels good,” I moan, rubbing my insoles with one hand.
We sit there a moment, each lost in our own thoughts.
I’m the first to speak. “I’m sure that Pax will realize that I’m late and come looking, see my car and realize we’re stuck in here.”
“Hunter,” Pax says.
“Hunter, what?”
“Hunter. You’re sure Hunter will realize you’re late.”
“That’s what I said.”
“No, you said Pax.”
I scoff. “No, I didn’t. Why would I say Pax? Especially when you are sitting right here and I’m talking to you.”
He shrugs. “Just telling you what I heard.”
Did I say Pax?
Good lord, get it together, Tabatha.
He laughs after a moment. “Hey, remember that time we snuck into the photo lab supply closet to make out and got stuck?”
“Ohmigod, yes!” I giggle. “I thought for sure Mr. Henderson was going to suspend us when he finally unlocked the door.”
“I thought we were going to die in there and never get out.” Pax chuckles.
“You were very brave,” I tell him.
“Eh. I’m pretty sure I wet my pants in fear and just hid it from you.” He ducks his head as he laughs some more, then looks up at me with a sidelong glance. Big bright eyes, long dark lashes, wide smile. He’s just as handsome as ever. It makes me almost proud to have once been his.
I look away to cover the sudden discomfort I feel. I know that seeing him like this brings up past emotions and memories. But that’s just it—past. Because I definitely do not have feelings for him now. That ship sailed long ago. I clear my throat and collect my hands in my lap, back straight. Thinking about the past does nothing to help our circumstances right now.
I pull up a word game on my phone. I like to play against the computer.
“What are you playing?” Pax asks.
“Scrabble.”
“Let’s play together. Start a new game and we’ll pass it back and forth.”
“Okay, but you know the rules, no more than sixty seconds per turn,” I remind him. That was my rule when we were together and it’s still my rule now. Though now, it’s just self-imposed. I had to institute the rule back then, otherwise Pax would take five minutes per turn and it would take days to finish one game.
“Fine,” he agrees with a sigh.
I start a new game and play my word—unfold. I pass it to him.
He plays and hands it back. His word:hug.
“Is that really the only word you could play?” I ask.
“It’s too much pressure when you put a time limit on it.”
“Okay, but if I don’t put a time limit on it, then you take forever. Besides, it’s more fun with the added pressure. Keeps you on your toes.”
