Page 108 of Any Second Now
“I’m sure it didn’t happen that way.”
I’m sure of no such thing. I think that woman was just fucking around with Lachlan all summer for entertainment, but she was never going to accept him in her snobby academic life. Maybe hewas her trophy, but when it came down to it, she couldn’t swallow that he was an athlete without a college degree. Maybe her colleagues shunned her. Maybe a hundred reasons.
My eyes scan the tables to look for the one we all sat at together those weeks ago. That was before anything happened with Raleigh. Before I had a clue how hard I was falling for her.
Fuck! I’m not falling for her.
“Hey, is that Raleigh?” Lachlan says, pointing to the far corner.
“Huh?”
My eyes follow his finger.
Raleigh is sitting at the table. My heart does a little leap, until I see who’s sitting across from her.
Her ex-husband.
“Who the fuck is that dude?” Lachlan rolls his neck. “Want me to fight him?”
Right. I chose not to tell Lachlan all the dirty details, so he has no idea that I know exactly who the man is.
I don’t answer Lachlan, but I watch Raleigh and her ex. They are leaning close together, talking intently. She’s got her fingers wrapped around a glass of wine, and he has a pint glass of amber liquid. I can’t tell if they’re arguing, but they are far too close together for my comfort.
“Atter? Wanna go fight?”
I shake my head.
Wasn’t she supposed to be home? Video calling with her mom and my sister? Wait—she wouldn’t be video calling with Lucy and January in the evening anyway, since they are seven hours ahead in England.
I’m such a sucker.
She lied to me. Her plan was to go out with her ex-husband instead of with me, and then cover it up with a lie about talking to my own sister. A lie that I could easily uncover.
Fuck this.
I want to go in and rage at them. I want to see what she has to say to me when I walk up to their table. I want to punch that asshole in the face for having the absolute fucking nerve to show up here in Fort Collins uninvited and try to get Raleigh to take him back.
She doesn’t want him. She’s told him that.
She’s toldmethat.
But what if that’s not the whole truth? Would he really show up at her RV across the country six months post-divorce if he didn’t think there was a real chance of her taking him back?
As I watch, she shakes her head and he reaches over and touches her forearm. She glances down at the contact with a furrowed brow, but doesn’t pull away. I can read his lips:please, Raleigh. She sighs and shuts her eyes.
“Look at Barrett.” Lachlan elbows me and nods behind us, where Barrett is getting into a hired car with both women. He lifts a hand at us with a smirk before disappearing into the vehicle. “That should be us, dude. Fuck relationships. Fuck women who only want to mess with our tender hearts.”
I snort and watch the car pull away with Barrett and the two women.
Back in the restaurant, Raleigh’s ex stands and weaves his way to the back of the restaurant.
I could go pop in and talk to her now before he gets back. Find out what’s going on. Be a mature adult.
But as I watch, she pulls out her phone and starts typing.
Maybe she’s messaging me.
I look at my phone, but nothing pops up. Then I do something I know I shouldn’t.
