Page 63 of Keep My Heart
‘How do you know?’
‘I’m on the planning committee. I get a notification every time someone buys a ticket online.’
Lyndsay said she wanted to go to the reunion, but only if she didn’t have to go alone. There’s no way she’d go with Chris. She doesn’t want to get back together with him. She doesn’t even want to see him. That’s why she’s here while he moves out of their apartment.
‘There’s no way she’d get back with him. She’s the one who filed for divorce.’
‘And we both know how much Chris hates to lose. If the divorce was his idea, he’d leave her alone. But if Lyndsay wanted it and he didn’t? He might try to get her back, especially if he heard she was seeing someone else.’
‘But she’s not.’
‘That’s not what people around town are saying.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You and her getting all close at the country bar? People saw you guys together and now that shit’s all over town.’
‘And made its way to Chris?’
‘He still has friends here. You know one of those shitheads told him they saw her with you.’
Part of me is glad Chris knows I was out with Lyndsay. The asshole never acknowledged me in high school. He acted like I was invisible. Now he thinks I’m dating his ex, which will piss him off more than if she were dating someone he didn’t know. But I don’t want him going after Lyndsay because of it.
‘Did he buy a ticket?’ I ask.
‘Not yet, but I’ll let you know if he does. I don’t think he’ll actually show up, especially if he finds out you left town and went back to New York. But you never know. If he really wants Lyndsay back, returning to the good old days is the way to do it.’
‘She’d never go back to him,’ I say, shaking my head.
‘Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m gonna head back in.’
I follow him into the barn and go back to my seat. Nash is on the dance floor with Callie. Bryce is there too, dancing with Jen. Matt’s with Tessa and Mom’s with Dad. They all look ridiculously happy and in love, which I have to admit makes me kind of jealous. I’d like to settle down, get married, have the kind of love they have, but I just can’t find the right girl.
Getting out my phone, I check for any messages from Lyndsay, thinking she might’ve changed her mind about tonight. But I don’t see any texts and no missed calls. Damn, I really screwed this up. I shouldn’t have suggested the fake dating thing. I shouldn’t have kissed her. And I definitely shouldn’t have done what I did to her in her mom’s kitchen earlier today.
What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t. I was so wrapped up in how it felt to kiss her and touch her that I couldn’t stop myself. If we hadn’t gotten out of there, things might’ve gone even farther.
Now she doesn’t trust me, or maybe she doesn’t trust herself. We agreed this wouldn’t turn into anything and it has, or it was starting to. Maybe I should just leave her alone. Go back to my life in New York and try to forget about her. It’s not what I want, but I don’t know what else to do.
What if we truly were just friends? Would it work? Could we be friends without it becoming more?
Before I can talk myself out of it, I text her,Can we be friends?
Several minutes pass before I get a text back.Isn’t that what we are?
It’s a loaded question and not one I can answer over text. It needs to be in person.
I need to talk to you. Can I see you tonight?
When?
Now.
I’d planned to stay at the party longer, but I don’t need to. The dinner is done, the cake’s been served, and Mom opened all her gifts. If I stay here, I’ll just be sitting at this table alone, watching couples in love on the dance floor. I really don’t need to see that.
My mom’s here, Lyndsay texts.
I’ll pick you up. We can go somewhere.
