Page 40 of I Choose You
Jesus. I couldn’t even make that make sense to myself. There was that tangled-up feeling again.
“Didn’t Maeve tell me that Claire had to go home for a few days not long ago? You must have hated that.”
My neck was uncomfortably warm, my muscles tense. I rubbed a hand along the back of my neck to try to ease some of the tension, keeping my gaze on the floor. Screw it, he would probably find out anyway with Claire and Maeve being friends. “I kind of met her in Connecticut. She needed a date to this wedding. Her mother—a real piece of work, that one—was trying to push her back with her ex. Claire needed backup, and… like I said, I didn’t like being away from her.”
Wyatt let out an obnoxiously loud laugh. “Fuck, brother. You are screwed.” He gripped my shoulder tightly, his broad smile taking up his whole face.
I shot him a death glare, not finding this conversation nearly as amusing as he did.
“You like her. Admit it,” Wyatt said, shaking his head at me. “I get it. You thought that you wouldn’t be able to love again after Kayleigh, but you can. Your heart is still beating, brother. Claire is good for you. She’s pulled you back into the world of the living. I’ve seen it happening. We all have. When you get out of your own way, you’ll see it too.”
“Shut up. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, but my words held no heat. I walked out, flipping him the bird over my shoulder. He followed me outside, ready to keep moving, chuckling like a giddy schoolgirl the whole way.
We worked for a few more hours before it was time to break for lunch.
“Thanks for helping out today. I really appreciate it,” I told Wyatt with a slap to his back.
“No problem. Sorry I couldn’t stay all day. Harpoon’s later?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Wyatt left for his appointment, and I sat on a foldout chair with my lunch bag. I pulled my phone out to find a missed text. I hurried to open it, but my shoulders slumped when I saw it was from Luke and not Claire.
We had been throwing ideas around on what I could get Dad for Christmas. It was less than two weeks away now, and I still hadn’t got him anything yet.
Luke: What about a pair of slippers?
Me: He doesn’t need another pair of slippers. What about an electric bike?
Luke: Ha. Can you see him cruising the streets on an electric bike?
Me: I don’t know, man. I’m trying to think outside the box.
I texted him back and brought up my text chain with Claire. Maybe I’d just reach out and see how her meeting was going. I knew she was nervous about it. She was scheduled to do a two-hour presentation on the progress of the Delano Library project, including budgeting and funding. My fingers hovered over the keys.
I hit Send before placing my phone on the foldout chair next to me and opening my sandwich. The text alert dinged a second later, and I almost knocked my phone to the ground with how quickly I lunged for it.
Me: You killing it in that meeting or what?
Claire: I think I might be
Me: Never doubted you.
Claire: It’s your work they’re impressed with. Not mine.
Me: I didn’t take you for a liar. When did that start?
Claire: GASP… “Never doubted you”? And you call me a liar!
A laugh burst out of me.
Fuck.
I was screwed, wasn’t I?
* * *
My vision took a minute to adjust to the dark interior of Harpoon’s Tavern. I saw Wes sitting at the bar by himself, so I went to join him for a beer while we waited for the others. Ronnie took my order and had the drink poured and in front of me in seconds.
