Page 22 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘I didn’t mean to—’ I reach out to her, but she steps away quickly.

‘No,’ she says, cutting me off in a shaky voice. ‘You’re right. I shouldn’t be. I don’t know how to get over it. Clearly, I’m an idiot. Can you just put my food in the fridge when it gets here?’ She snorts back another cry, wiping her eyes with the corner of the Snuggy as she walks back into River’s room, closing the door behind her.

‘Sure,’ I say a full ten seconds after she’s closed the door. ‘Smooth, Dax,’ I tell myself as I walk back to the couch. Here I thought I was good with women.

6

HOLLYN

Four Days Later…

River sits next to where I’m lying on the couch, pulling my Snuggy from me, revealing a salsa-stained tank top underneath as I stare at the TV.

‘Go take a shower, ya slob. You’re scaring Dax.’

‘What?’ I sit up, glancing across the room at Dax standing in the kitchen as though he’s intentionally avoiding me. ‘I’m scaring you?’

River’s room got too depressing, so I moved into the living room a few days ago. I’ve now taken over the couch, TV, and pretty much the entire apartment. Dax hasn’t been around much, so I figured it was OK. Has he just been avoiding me?

‘Scared is a strong word,’ Dax says. ‘Worried seems more fitting.’

Yesterday, he brought me tacos and tequila and suggested I drink away my feelings. It was the first time we’d really hung out, and considering we both laughed, I thought everything was cool between us.

I glance to the coffee table where the still-open bottle sits. I didn’t even use a glass. Jesus. How did I let this break-up spiral so far out of control? Oh, that’s right. When I realizedVictoriawas the other woman. My so-called friend. I don’t know for sure, but she’s blocked me on social media, which doesn’t scream innocence.

‘I worried you?’ I ask, blowing hair that’s escaped my bun from my face.

‘Damn girl,’ River gawks. ‘Your breath is rank. Whatisthat?’ He covers his nose and mouth with his hand, glancing around the room, his gaze landing on the tequila bottle.

‘Tequila?’ He lifts the bottle. ‘I haven’t drunk tequila since that time it tried to kill me. Where the hell did you get this?’

I glance at Dax, who raises a guilty hand slowly.

‘Sorry,’ he says, an oops-I-did-it-again grin on half his face. ‘In my defense, Mercy suggested it. Obviously, I never should have listened to her. I thought maybe it would take the edge off and cheer Hols up. I didn’t expect our girl here to just pop the top and drink it right from the bottle.’ He cocks his head, but instead of looking mad, he seems impressed.

River glares. ‘No more booze,’ he says sternly.

‘OK,Dad.’

Dax laughs under his breath, stifling it when River shoots him a glare.

‘Get your ass in that bathroom and do something about all this, or I’m calling Mom and telling her you’re here.’ Riv pulls his phone from his pocket, tapping the screen and flashing Mom’s contact photo at me.

‘No!’ I jump from the couch. ‘Not, Mom. OK, I’m over it.’

I can barely deal with myself right now. I’m not ready for Mom yet.

‘Over smelling like a men’s locker room?’

‘OverTristan,’ I correct him.

‘After eight years, you’ve mourned for a week and a half, drank part of a bottle of tequila, and suddenly you’re over him. Somehow, I doubt that. You smell like garbage, woman. Take a shower. Dax and I have reputations to uphold, and you’re dragging us down with your self-loathing bullshit.’

Well, this isn’t at all embarrassing. Having Dax call my brother and rat me out. Jeesh. He could have just told me I smelled like garbage himself.

Twenty minutes later, I’m out of the shower, sitting on the toilet, a towel wrapped around my chest as I slather lotion onto my skin. I can hear the two of them talking in the other room.

‘I think you should tell your parents,’ Dax says.

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