Page 38 of It Happened Back Then
We almost were. If I had given in the other night, taken that kiss I wanted so badly, would last night have played out differently? But I’m too late. Now I’m acting crazy. This has nothing to do with me, it’s their relationship. It’s been their relationship since I told him to move to Seattle.
But I’m the one who’s been here with him since he moved back to Bluemoon. Hell, I've been here the last twenty years. I knew he uprooted everything he had going on in Seattle to take a chance here. And I know it wasn’t just for a chance at the restaurant.
He chuckles and falls onto the couch next to me, throwing his arm across the top of the couch behind me. “The kitchen was crazy last night and I was exhausted.” He nudges me. “Why are you upset?”
“I don’t like that your girlfriend is in town, and you didn’t tell me,” I snap out.
He laughs but it sounds off. “Is that what this is about?”
“Why didn’t you tell me she was here?”
He pulls back from me. “She just showed up last night at the end of the dinner rush. How did you know she was here?”
“I came to the restaurant and saw her sitting with you.”
“I wish you would have come and talked to me.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out. “She’s here for a few months. We had lunch today.”
“What?” I whip my head to face him. “Why?”
He plays with the hem of my shorts and goosebumps erupt on my skin. He smiles and runs his hand across my leg. “She says she misses me.”
“So she moved to Bluemoon?”
“I don’t want to brag, but I am kind of a big deal.” I punch him and he grabs my hand, laughing. “Stop it, I’m teasing you.”
“Are you glad she’s here?” I ask quietly.
He holds my stare for what feels like forever before saying, “I don’t know.”
And those three words cut me to the core. Why doesn’t he know? He seemed to know what he wanted the other night.
He continues, “I mean, it’s good to see her. We didn’t end things badly, you know? We just wanted different things. I don't hate her. But…”
“But?”
He shrugs with one shoulder. “I just wasn’t expecting to ever see her again.”
“Is that why she was commenting on your Instagram?”
He raises a brow. “Are you stalking my social media?”
Oh god, now I just gave myself up. “Well, an old picture popped up because she commented and—” I trail off as he begins to laugh. “Don't laugh at me!” I exclaim then whisper, “I never liked her, Bennett.”
“You didn’t?” He gasps, teasing me again. “I didn't like your boyfriends either.”
“I didn't have boyfriends. I just dated here and there. Besides, you never even met them.”
He turns to me, playing with my hair. “I met that one guy. The one Meadow set you up with.”
I wave my hand around. “He was annoying. And speaking of annoying, yourgirlfrienddefinitely didn’t seem to fit you at all.”
He speaks softly but with confidence. “You’re right. She wasn’t my type.”
“Then why were you with her? If she was the opposite of what you want?”
He brushes his fingers along the back of my neck, and I shiver. “Because what I wanted wasn’t ready for me.”
His words stir something inside me, but I don’t know if now is the best time to say everything I had planned to say yesterday. It's heavy. It's a lot. But it does need to be said. So, I go for sarcasm instead. “Well, if you need a tall thin blonde now, you should go for it.”
