Page 66 of Make My Heart Malt

“Yeah.” I nod. “Text me or something.”

Tony pulls open the front door and slowly closes it behind him. I take a few steps and peer out the peephole as he gets into his car. I turn around and sag against the door. What the hell? Garrett wouldn’t do that, would he? Since this all happened at Porter’s, it’s time to get my ass to work.

When I enter through the door at Porter’s, Lach and Jake are behind the bar.

Lach holds up my phone. “Your mom dropped this off.”

I snatch it from his hands and quickly scan for any messages or phone calls from Garrett. Messages from Lach and Rylee litter my phone, and there is also a missed call from Tony. My heart sinks to the floor. Nothing. Why didn’t he try to call me?

“What happened last night?” I ask Lach as I set my purse on the bar.

“Your Home Run Playboy is just as good at hitting faces as he is baseballs.”

Jake shoots Lach a death glare. “Go make yourself useful over there.” He points at the opposite end of the bar.

“What am I supposed to do?” He shrugs with his hands in the air.

“Figure it out,” Jake deadpans.

Once Lach has retreated to the opposite end of the bar and is no longer a distraction, I ask Jake, “What happened?”

Jake stacks glasses under the bar. “Just like Lach said, Garrett punched Tony. I didn’t hear the conversation, but I witnessed the aftermath.”

“Why would he do that? Not only to Tony, but potentially to his career?”

“I’ve never known Garrett to do something without a solid reason. So, if you want answers, you need to ask him.”

“Thanks, Jake.” I stalk to the employee room and throw my purse into my locker. Grabbing my phone from my back pocket, I pull up Garrett’s number and hit talk.

After a few rings, he answers. “Hey, what’s up, Tates?”

I freeze. His nickname for me catches me off guard but I shake it off. I can't get distracted. “Did you punch Tony?”

A heavy sigh echoes through the phone. “He told you.”

“Yes. He did.” I spin around and lean against the lockers. “But I really think you should’ve been the one to tell me.”

“Why would I tell you? He needed to be the one to tell you. This was all his fault.”

“You punching Tony is his fault? Did he accidentally fall face-first into your fist?” My tone is defensive. “He now has to go on his honeymoon with a black eye.”

“Wait. Did he tell you why I punched him?”

“Yes! I understand we’re all navigating our relationships after not talking for several years. We’re adults, and there’s no need to be jealous.”

He barks out a humorless laugh. “That’s what he told you? He’s such a piece of shit,” he mumbles. “I guarantee you whatever he told you was a lie.”

“But you punched him. That’s not a lie.” I pace back and forth, sidestepping a table and chair in the employee room.

He blows out a deep breath. “Yes. I punched him. Is that what you want to hear?”

I don’t even know what I want to hear at this point. “But why? Things were going back to normal. The way they used to be. When we were all friends. I want our lives to go back to how they were. The three of us. That can’t happen when people are punching other people.”

“You’re delusional if you think things will ever be like how they were. That ship has sailed, exploded into millions of tiny pieces, and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Too much time has passed for any amends to be made. As long as you’re involved, it will never be how it was.”

“So, this is my fault?”

“No. Technically yes. It started because of you, but it’s been simmering for years. You were just the accelerant.Tony’s and my relationship was going to implode either way. It was only a matter of time.” He blows out a deep breath. “So, what? You believe him?”

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