Page 116 of Versions Of Us

Henley and I crack up at this as EJ hangs his head in mock shame.

“Thank god the sales assistant took pity on me and didn’t make me pay for them,” he mutters.

“You mean after she asked for your autograph?” Liv snickers. “You’re lucky she was a fan of your music!”

EJ shrugs. “True.”

In this moment everything feels just how it used to.

Like old times.

Like we’re just a group of friends blowing off steam at our favourite bar, the air thick with nostalgia. Despite knowing that nothing will ever be the same again, especially for Henley, we’ve found a way to fall back into past patterns.

“Wow, dude,” Henley says. “You flashed the saleswoman and your future father-in-law? That’s brutal.”

“Tell me about it,” EJ says. “I think I need another drink.”

“You want me to get another round?” Henley asks as he drains the rest of his beer.

“You gonna take it out of your paycheck this time too?”

“I think I’ll have to.” Henley gives a short half-laugh. “There’s no way Dylan will let me get away with climbing over the bar.”

“Dylan’s a sweetie,” I say. “But he does like to run things by the book.”

“Where’s Mackenzie tonight?” Liv asks.

“She’s in introvert heaven. At home. Watching Netflix,” I reply. We had invited Mackenzie along to have drinks with us, but she’d declined the offer, happy to stay in instead. “Oh, that reminds me,” I say, glancing at my watch. “We promised her we’d bring her home a pizza. We should probably get going. Raincheck on the next round?”

“Yeah. We should go too. I have to be up early for a lesson in the morning and EJ’s going into the studio.” Liv slides her phone and keys from the tabletop and puts them in her pocket and we all make our way to the exit.

Outside, she pulls me into a warm hug. “If you need anything at all, just call, okay?”

“Thank you. I will.” I’m so grateful for my friend. I don’t know where I’d be without her.

We move in separate directions, Liv and EJ crossing the street to their apartment, and Henley and I continuing to the pizza shop down on the corner.

We pick up two pepperoni pizzas at Mackenzie’s request and stroll through the quiet street to my apartment.

Henley’s demeanour is calm, subdued, even more so now that we’re alone. Not unlike that night six months ago at Liv and EJ’s engagement party. I don’t quite know how to interpret it. He hasn’t said a word since we left the pizza shop and I’m beginning to take his silence for sadness.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

He looks down at me, his eyes searching mine. For what, I’m not sure. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

“You’re being awfully quiet.”

“I’m content, I guess.” His shoulders jump in a small shrug as he stops and turns to me. “You have no idea how much I missed the simple things. The things I took for granted. Grabbing a drink with friends. Getting a pizza from the corner shop.” He takes a step forward, leaning into me. His nose grazes my cheek as he whispers, “Kissing you on an empty street.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear, caressing my jaw with his free hand while gripping the pizza boxes in the other. He lingers there long enough for me to drink in his scent, cedar and citrus, and the random tiny freckles spread across his nose.

He cups the back of my neck, placing a tender kiss on my cheek, then his lips hover near mine, savouring the moment. He’s taking his time with me, something he can finally afford to do, but I’m impatient, having waited too long to have him back in my life.

I reach for him, fisting his shirt as I pull him closer, pressing my mouth to his. He kisses me slowly, deeply, with more restraint than he’s ever showed before.

“What was that for?” I ask when he pulls away.

He shrugs again, then with a wink he says, “Because I can. And because you’re mine.”

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