Violet glances back over her shoulder at their table. “He’s beautiful. I mean look at him. The man could give Liam Hemsworth a run for his money.”
“And he’s wearing a wedding band on his ring finger,” I note, raising an eyebrow in judgment.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t look.” Violet shrugs with a grin. “But fine, how about the guy he’s with then? The one on his right. No wedding band there.” She nudges me again.
I humor her, glancing over my shoulder at the profile of a serious-looking guy at the table, my eyes wandering from his dark brown hair to a jawline that could cut glass. I look up again to find a pair of killer green eyes looking straight at me and I realize it’s the guy I just walked into. A wave of embarrassment rushes over me and I snap my head back toward the bar.
Perfect. As if this night wasn’t already a complete disaster, a customer just caught me lusting over him like a total stalker.
“Ooh,” Violet teases as a blush creeps up my cheeks. “You think he’s cute! Come on, admit it.”
“He’s a good-looking guy. So are plenty of guys in Reed Point,” I say, trying to play it cool. “It doesn’t mean I want to sleep with them.”
“A ‘good-looking guy?' Do you need a pair of glasses? He’s gorgeous. Who wouldn’t want one night with a guy that looks like that? He looks all broody and serious too. That’s so hot. I wonder who he is.”
I fight the temptation to look back in his direction. “I have 20/20 vision. And I don’t do hook-ups.”
It’s true. It doesn’t matter how attractive the guy might be, I am not into random one-night stands. Birdie is my number one priority and I’m not looking to make our lives any more complicated. She’s been through enough as it is.
“It wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun, Ev,” Violet muses. “No strings, no commitments. Not every guy needs to be the one you’re gonna marry. Sometimes you need to get under a man to get over the one you’re trying to forget.”
“Who said I was trying to forget someone?” I haven’t talked about my past to Violet or anyone else in Reed Point. I’m determined to make a fresh start here, and I don’t want any baggage getting in the way of that.
Violet raises her eyebrows at me, looking like she’s not buying it. “Whatever. You’re missing out, girl. Also, I think he likes what he sees. He’s looking at you like he’d like to rail you over a table.”
“Vi!” I hiss. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She picks up her tray and turns back towards the crowded room but then stops and flashes a mischievous smile over her shoulder at me. “I bet that man could fuck you six ways to Sunday if you showed him a little interest, Ev. You deserve a hot night with a good-looking guy. I say go for it.”
I scrunch up my nose in response, but she’s already making her way to a waiting table.
I pick up my own tray and get back to work, deciding to ignore everything Violet just said. Easier said than done. Her advice plays like a loop in my mind for the rest of my shift.
Three long hours later, I’m lying in bed in my pajamas eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The apartment is blissfully quiet, with just the faint sound of rain hitting my bedroom window. Birdie is asleep in her little bedroom and Franny returned to her apartment when I got home a little after 11 p.m.
My feet ache from the shift at the restaurant, and I relax into the pillows behind me, happy the night is over. I grab my phone from the bedside table to send a quick text to Willa. It has been weeks since we last talked. She hasn’t been far from my mind, but I’ve been so busy getting settled into the apartment, starting a new job, and finding a new school for Birdie.
Everly: I miss you. Is everything okay?
I stare at the screen, frowning, worrying about Willa and feeling sad at the distance I’ve put between us. She is the only person I said goodbye to before I left town. She’s the only person who really understands why I had to make this move—how badly I need some space and time to try to forget him and everything he had put me through. Willa saw firsthand everything I lost being married to Birdie’s dad, the way my joy and self-worth and confidence slowly disappeared along the way. This move and everything that led up to it has been difficult, harder than anything I’ve ever gone through, but I know it was a move I had to make.
A text pops up on my screen and I quickly swipe the message to life.
Willa: I miss you too. And I’m fine but I thought you should know I ran into Miranda. She was asking questions, threatening attorneys, waving her millions around like I give a shit.
The mention of my former mother-in-law has my heart racing. Miranda is as close to narcissistic as they come. She thinks she knows everything, and that her money can buy her whatever she wants. She never thought I was good enough for her son, who had a million-dollar trust fund before he even exited her womb. I could never live up to her expectations, and she made that painfully obvious in every one of our conversations. As far as she was concerned, her son could do no wrong. It didn’t matter how much of an egotistical ass he was being, she would back him up.
Grant and I came from two very different backgrounds—my parents were blue-collar; his parents had a billion-dollar iron company. Some wealthy people use their money for good, but Grant’s parents use it as a weapon. Everything they do comes with strings.
Everly: What did she say?
Willa: She wants to know when you’re coming home. She wants to see Birdie.
I roll my eyes. Miranda didn’t have much time for Birdie when we lived 10 minutes away, so I know that her sudden interest in her granddaughter has little to do with Birdie and everything to do with the fact that she no longer has any control over us.
Everly: What did you tell her?
Willa: I told her I didn’t know but I’m positive she didn’t buy it.