Page 52 of If Love Had A Manual

Oh God, Wes, put us all out of our misery and say goodbye or kiss her senseless.

But then she adds, “We should meet for coffee someday. Catch up. I’d love to hear how Rosie’s doing… and the shop? Have you done any more work on the house?”

My eye twitches.

Well, that was rude.

What if Wes and I weretogethertogether? Lyndsey doesn’t know. She just breezed right over me like I don’t exist.

Then again, we’re not together. So technically, I shouldn’t be irritated by this.

And yet, I absolutely am.

My brain fires up, ready to prepare its first fake argument with Lyndsey, complete with exaggeratedeye-rolls and dramatic retorts that will never actually be spoken out loud.

I’m a badass bitch in my head.

I risk a glance at Wes, but Rosie wallops me on the head with the ladle as if she can sense I’m being nosy.

“Hey,” I whisper-hiss at her. “Maybe now would be the time for you to speak up, little miss.”

I swear she just stuck her tongue out at me. I’d better add manners to the list of things to teach her.

Lyndsey is still standing there, waiting, hope flickering in her expression like a candle about to go out.

I hold my breath.

Wes exhales.

We’re all dying the same slow death.

“I’m real busy,” he finally says.

Oof.

Lyndsey nods, and it’s so final that even my heart breaks a little.

She knows. She knows that whatever she was holding onto—whatever moment she thought might still exist between them—doesn’t anymore.

With a shaky breath, she turns and walks away.

Wes is still clenching his jaw when he turns back around to me and Rosie.

The awkwardness reaches new levels of suffocating.

He clears his throat. “You can say it.”

I blink up at him, trying to act innocent and like I wasn’t just listening to every word. “Say what?”

“That was weird.”

Thank God.

“That was weird. And Wes?”

“Yes, Lena?”

“I have so many questions.”

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