Page 11 of Clumsy in Love

Her phone rang, and she answered.

“Hey,” Alex said. “Whatcha doin’?”

It was an innocent question, but Holly knew the depth of it. Alex was the kind of friend who could say everything without saying anything.

“Sittin’ on a bench in Central Park eating a pretzel. You?”

“A park already?” Alex laughed. “Is the city not all it’s cracked up to be?”

Holly saw the irony. “Just needed a quick break. There’s so much going on here. It’s hard to think.”

“Think about?”

“You know how I said Rick might have done me a huge favor? Well, I’m certain he did.” Once she said it out loud, she knew it was true. “I’m trying to figure out what it says about me that I was this close to marrying him, and wondering how I can ever trust my own judgment again.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Alex said. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not yet. I’m still workin’ through stuff. Plus, we should do it with the rest of the crew. With wine. There will definitely need to be wine involved.”

“Sounds good. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Tess and I drove Dina to the airport today and left her in the parking garage, level three. Keys are under the mat.”

“Thank you. That’ll save me a cab ride home.”

“Dinner on Tuesday? Can’t wait to hear the whole bar story.”

“Yep. It’s a date.”

“Call if you need bail money.” Alex chuckled, then sobered. “Seriously, though. Try to stay out of trouble.”

Holly hung up, threw her pretzel trash away, and headed off again. Walking was therapeutic. It helped her sort thoughts and clear her mind.

She would miss Rick. It would be an adjustment not having him around all the time. They hadn’t technically moved in together, but other than that, had been inseparable. She’d known him since kindergarten, and his lifelong friendship would be missed. Maybe one day they could go back to being friends, but not yet.

She’d meant what she said to Faith. A break from men would give her the opportunity to get to know herself and figure things out. Learn who she really was, what she had to offer in a relationship, and what she wanted in a partner.

Over the last couple of years, she’d been let down repeatedly—first by her dad, then her mom, and now her ex. Each betrayal stung a little more than the previous and had done a real number on her confidence. It would take some time to trust herself or anyone else again. Her judgment could also use a reboot. All that would be easier single.

The sunlight was fading, and the park had cleared somewhat. Turning in a small circle, Holly realized she wasn’t sure which way led out. When she pulled out her phone to get directions, there was no signal.

Normally, she could use the sun to tell direction, but there were too many trees. A touch of panic set in, but she squelched it.Think, Bennett. The park ran mostly north and south, so if she walked east or west, she would hit a street soon enough and be able to grab a cab. Her hotel was on the east side of the island, so that was the logical way to go.

She started walking toward what she would swear was east. Thirty minutes later, it was darker still, and she hadn’t come across any streets. In fact, she seemed even deeper into the trees than before. This time, when she tried her phone, it was dead. Probably from searching for a signal for the last half hour.

The walkway lamps came on and offered some light. She’d seen multiple directional signs during the day, but nothing lately. And she hadn’t encountered another person for quite some time either. It was Sunday, so she understood why people would call it a night early. But considering the millions in the city, andno onewas here? She took that as a bad sign.

What would she do if she were lost at home? She stopped and calmly assessed the situation. Clearly, she’d been mistaken about the direction. While she thought she was headed east, she’d obviously gone north or south. Most likely north, otherwise she’d be back where she started. Facing the direction she’d been walking—which she now assumed to be north—she made a quarter turn to the right. There. East. Confident, she set off again.

It wasn’t terribly late—maybe ten o’clock—but it was fully dark, with only sporadic park lamps to light the path. After another twenty minutes, she still hadn’t hit the park’s edge. It was time to concede she was good and lost. Frustrated, and getting scared, she headed back the way she came, thinking she’d just retrace her steps to the south entrance.

Not ten minutes later, she heard a noise that made her freeze. Men’s voices. Coming toward her. Instinctively, she ducked behind a bush and held her breath. Could be nothing, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Little birdie told me you a rat,” one voice said.

“What? No way, man. I ain’t got no death wish.”

The men had stopped and were now only a couple of feet away from where she hid. She prayed they wouldn’t see her.

“Romeo claims you got ties with that cop I whacked a couple of years ago. Said you sniffin’ around tryin’ to bust me.”

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