Page 666 of Not Over You

Liv: :) Ok

* * *

Thankfully, Amber was too preoccupied talking to the waitress to pay attention to me. I probably had the stupidest grin on my face and didn’t want to have to make up a lie to explain it. I knew she wouldn’t want me to meet Liv, but I was a grown ass man and didn’t need her permission. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Right?

As we finished up our meal, Amber reminded, “Don’t forget about dinner with my parents tomorrow night.”

Shit. With everything going on, I’d forgotten. We had dinner once a month on Sundays with Amber’s parents. “Good thing you reminded me. I completely forgot. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

Mainly Liv.

After I paid our tab, I walked Amber to her car. She looked up at me and batted her eyes as she put her arms around my neck. “Have fun tonight.”

I placed my hands on her hips, pulling her close to me. “You too.”

She tiptoed up to kiss me. My grip on her hips tightened as she slipped her tongue inside my mouth and pressed her soft body against me. I may have had conflicted feelings about her and Liv, but I was still a man.

When she pulled back, she bit down on her bottom lip. “Maybe you can come over tonight after you finish playing cards.”

My cock thought that was a good idea, but I felt I needed to sort my feelings out before I slept with Amber again. It wasn’t fair to her if I was thinking about someone else. “Maybe. I’ll text you when we finish to see if you’re still up.”

She gave me a sexy pout. “Okay. I’ll be waiting.”

I gave her another quick peck, then headed toward my truck. I texted Tommy to let him know I’d be late to the game, then drove out of the parking lot toward Liv’s hotel.

LIV

After Lincoln dropped me off at my hotel, I went through a whirlwind of feelings as I processed the day. Everything from Lincoln kissing me to finally meeting Piper was tremendously taxing on my emotions.

I thought Lincoln would have been over me and not want anything to do with me. But that kiss and everything he said told me otherwise.

So I spent the rest of the day trying to make sense of it all. The kiss stirred up emotions I thought had been long buried, and seeing him with our daughter uncovered new and more intense ones.

When I left Beaufort all those years ago, I tossed away the idea that Lincoln and I could ever be together again. Especially with how we parted ways. He was understandably upset, as was I, but I’d had it in my head that the only way to overcome the depression suffocating me was to leave and never look back. I thought I had to distance myself from the place I’d been completely broken.

* * *

I loaded the last of my stuff into my old Corolla. Lincoln was leaning against the driver’s side door with his arms crossed and face set in a scowl.

I shut the trunk and came around to meet him. I couldn’t keep eye contact with him as I spoke. “That’s everything. I should get going. I need to get settled in before orientation tomorrow.”

The tension between us was awkward, strung so tight that I knew it would snap at any moment. We’d never had any awkward silences or intense arguments before my pregnancy, so I didn’t know how to act.

“Don’t do this, Liv. We can work things out.”

My eyes stung as I glanced down, unable to look at him. I was unable to stare at the face that was almost as familiar as my own, the face I loved more than any other in the world. “We’ve talked about this. I can’t stay here anymore. Not when everything reminds me of her.” My voice broke on the last word, strained with emotion.

“Please, Liv.” Lincoln reached for me, but I stepped back, knowing his touch would break what little resolve I had. He didn’t know it at the time, but he deserved better than me, and I wouldn’t destroy his life more than I already had.

I shook my head as my vision blurred. “I can’t, Lincoln. Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

His eyes watered, filling with tears, and my heart crumbled. Lincoln rarely cried and to be the cause of his pain tore me up inside. Just another reason why he needed to move on. I didn’t want to hurt him anymore.

I took a step forward. “I’m sorry, Linc. I—”

“Don’t,” he gritted out between clenched teeth as he stormed past me.

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