Page 20 of Spring Fling

“But Angela… We had some good times.”

“Good times? Yes. Great times?” I shake my head. “We both know we were just killing time together. Until something—or someone—better came along.”

When he looks like he’s going to protest, I hold up my hand to stop him. “You know I’m right.”

He stares at me a moment longer, and then shoves his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slump. “No, you’re right.”

“Just because this woman you were with last night wasn’t ‘the one’ it doesn’t mean I am either.”

“And this guy is?”

“Maybe.” I lift a shoulder. “It depends.” Mostly on whether or not he’s willing to overlook the lie—and it was a lie, not a fib—I told the moment we met. “But, I’d rather risk finding out whether it’s real with him then keep on living a lie with you. I think we both deserve that.”

Kevin doesn’t look entirely convinced. But at least he doesn’t trie to deny it again. “If you’re sure?—”

“I am. I’m positive.”

“Then, I guess I shouldn’t be going.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

With another parting glance as if to see if I’ll change my mind, Kevin mopes as he walks through the door. I close it behind him, sliding the lock into place.

“I thought he’d never leave.” Releasing a shaky laugh, I turn to give a sheepish explanation to Wade.

Except, he isn’t there. Wade is gone.

* * *

“You’re never going to believe what happened,” I blurt out as I burst through the doors of the restaurant from the night before and find Heidi polishing glasses behind the bar. “When I tell you it’s a shit show…”

I give a short humorless laugh. “Shit show hardly seems to cover it. But it’s a disaster.”

“Let me guess.” Heidi sets the glass and towel down and leans against the bar. “You and the hunky mountain man spent the night together. And it was incredible.”

“Mind-blowingly incredible.”

“Of course it was. I never had a doubt it could be anything else.” She taps a finger on her chin. “Let’s see, after your mind-blowingly incredible night, you never got around to telling him the truth. And before you could even decide whether or not you should, he got a text from the real Tonya and fucking Kevin showed up at your hotel room.”

My jaw falls slack. “That’s almost exactly what happened.”

“Almost exactly. Hmm.” She tilts her head to the side and studies me. “Oh, I see. You wanted to tell him. You just didn’t know how. Because you went and caught feelings for the guy who was supposed to be your one-night stand.”

“Seriously, are you a psychic or something? Or were you spying on us all night?”

“Nope. Neither of those things. Scout’s honor.” She holds up three fingers in salute. “I was just guessing about that last part. You fell for him.”

“Head over heels fell for him.”

“And you wanted to tell him the truth?”

“Of course I did.” My bottom lip quivers. “I just…”

A tear slips down my cheek. I wipe it away with my hand furiously. “How do you tell a man you’ve only known for one night that you can see a future with him? Especially when you only met him because you were pretending to be someone else. Because you wanted to make yourself feel better after your ego was bruised after being stood up by a guy who isn’t even worthy of the title ‘man.’”

A deep ache blooms in my chest. I press a palm against my heart and rub it absently, as if that will somehow help.

“Wade is the most incredible man—no, human—I’ve ever met.” I take a shallow breath and swallow past a lump in my throat. “He’s been through so much already. I wanted to tell him the truth—I should have told him the truth. But I was being a selfish jerk.”

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