Page 23 of The Heartbreak List

They go back to work, and I move down the bar to where Indy is staring blankly at the shelves of liquor while the notepad in front of her appears exactly the same as it did five minutes ago. “How is it going so far?”

“Huh?” She takes the pen from between her lips as she focuses on me. Almost like she’s searching for something. Her cheeks grow rosy, and she swallows. “Nothing.”

I chuckle. It doesn’t seem like nothing to me. It seems as though she’d like to see me stripped down to my skin. And I would be happy to oblige. Except I know it’s all in my head. “What were you thinking about that has you in a tizzy?”

“I can’t remember.” She drops her gaze to the notepad. Picking it up, she rips off the top sheet to reveal a fresh page. “I think it might be best if I start from scratch. Perhaps break up the list into themes. Things that are brave, or passionate, or permanent.”

“It must be really juicy if you don’t want to share.” I clean up the workbench behind the barrier in front of her. “Drink?”

“I can’t drink.” Her lips pull down in the corners.

“Non-alcoholic. Trust me?”

“I do, but make it ice water.” She starts to scribble on the paper in front of her. “Permanent? That’s hard. It was supposed to be a tattoo, but—"

“What about brave?” I fill a glass with ice and top it with cold water before sliding it in front of her. Does her fiancé still have her on a no food diet to help with the chemo? I googled the shit out of it. Even read a couple of positive studies on it. But it sounds absolutely fucking miserable. And she’s already so fragile. “Ever considered dancing on a bar?”

“Dancing? On this?” She presses a finger into the glossy wood.

“Yeah, exactly that.” I smirk as I lean over the barrier and steal her notepad and pen so I can writedance at the Line ‘Em Upon the paper. “We do it every Friday night.”

“All of you?” She glances at Lucas, and Heath, and Pez who has come in from the storage room carrying several cases.

“What are we talking about?” Pez dumps the drinks on the floor near the fridges and claps me on the shoulder.

"Dancing on the bar," I say.

He makes a noise in the back of his throat. “Yeah, it’s Friday night tradition. You ever seenMagic Mike?”

“Sure.” Indy nods.

“This guy puts Channing Tatum to shame with his moves.”

Her eyes light up as she drags them over me. "Really?"

“Something like that.” I squeeze the back of my neck as heat floods me.

“What? Are you embarrassed?” Pez raises a brow at me as he wields his bluntness like a weapon to cut me down at the knees.

“No. Shut up.” I can’t look at Indy with Pez talking me up. As if I need a wingman to meet pretty girls.

“He is.” Pez shakes me slightly. “Isn’t that cute? You totally want to dance with him, don’t you?”

“Maybe.” She smiles at him.

“Ignore him.” The tops of my ears burn. “And there’s no pressure to dance with me. Or any of these jackasses.”

Pez raises a brow at me.

“What other things would you want to do?” I concentrate on Indy. On the bucket list. As her friend, that’s what my job is. To make sure she gets to experience the things that she wants. “There’s also karaoke. Rock climbing. Uh…”

“Things in the sky.” Pez nods. “Bungee jumping. Cliff diving. Paragliding.”

“Whoa. Calm down, big fella.” I clap him in the chest when Indy’s eyes turn round. “That might be too much with the chemo.”

“Fuuuuck.” Pez closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he opens them again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s fine. You didn’t know.” Indy tries to spin a positive face, but I’ve shoved her reality in front of her by telling him. Her eyes, ever on the verge of tears, glaze. “It’s a brain tumor. Inoperable. Hence the bucket list.”

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