Page 68 of Next in Line
“I respect and believe in love at first sight!” Kate exclaims, her eyes wide and defiant. Miles looks back and forth between us with a nervous frown, his hands still pressed firmly to his ears when Kate adds, “I just don’t respect blind love.”
“And you think blind love is what I have with Sterling?” I shriek back at her. “What is blind love anyway?”
Kate tilts her head and eyes me with so much contempt, I want to punch her. “Blind love is being so hyper-focused on a plan and a future and goals and what you think is a perfect life that you stop using your peripheral vision. And let me tell you, Meg…sometimes the stuff in your periphery is where real life is waiting.”
She turns her head to the side and yanks Miles’s hands off his ears before pulling him in close for a kiss. It’s passionate and spiteful and sweet all at the same time. Normally, Miles and Kate’s affection makes me feel happy for my big brother. But right now, it just hurts.
Suddenly, I feel claustrophobic, and I move to stand from the table. “This is a pub crawl, not sit, am I right? I think we need to keep it moving!”
Miles pulls away from Kate’s lips with a dopey smile on his face. “Pearl Street Pub?” he asks, his brows lifting excitedly.
“Sure…it’s just down around the corner, right?” I ask, pulling my coat on and downing the rest of my wine in one big gulp.
“Let’s do it!” Miles cheers, reaching for Kate’s jacket and helping her put it on.
Kate watches me nervously as I turn on my heel and take off for the door, desperate for some air. Goddamn her. I thought she was on my side, but the shit she’s pulling now is most definitely not Team Maggie!
I wait for everyone to join me outside, and we make our way down the busy sidewalk toward the pub. Kate jogs ahead of Miles and Sam and wraps her arm around mine, causing me to visibly bristle from her touch. I turn to see Miles and Sam a few steps behind before I turn and hiss in Kate’s ear, “Let go of me, traitor.”
“Megan, don’t be mad,” she pleads, struggling to keep up with my fast pace.
“Don’t be mad?” I shriek and want to shove her off the curb. “Of course, I’m mad. What did you think you were doing in there?”
“Being a big sister,” she replies arching her brow at me.
I scoff and roll my eyes. “Big sister, my ass. You’re trying to make a fool of me in front of Sam.”
Her eyes go wide with shock. “That is not what I’m doing, but the real question should be, why do you care what Sam thinks if he’s just fling?”
“He is just casual!” I exclaim and begin walking faster, causing Kate to stumble in her heels. “I don’t need this, Kate. I don’t need you against me too.”
“No one is against you, Meg!” she exclaims, stopping in her tracks and yanking me around to face her just as we arrive in front of Pearl Street Pub. “We are all on your side, and we all want what’s best for you.”
“I know what’s best for me!” I cry and then an unexpected emotion swells in my chest.
Miles reaches us, concern all over his face. “What’s going on?” his deep voice booms.
“Nothing!” I reply and force a smile. “I’m just going to pee my pants.” I lie because lying is something I’m apparently very good at—even to myself. Yanking off my coat, I hand it to Miles, and say, “I’m going downstairs to the restroom. Will you get me another glass of wine?”
He nods woodenly, and before he can tell how truly upset I am, I take off down the creaky wooden steps inside the door and head to the bathrooms that I remember from the last time I was here. I reach the single female restroom, thankful there’s no line, and burst through the door, heading straight for the sink.
I splay my hands out on the basin, dropping my head forward as I pull in big gulps of air. I just need to get my bearings back because it feels like my entire world is spinning. If that was tough sisterly love from Kate, she could just keep that shit to herself.
Suddenly, the bathroom door opens, and I twirl on my heel ready for round two with Kate, but all the air is sucked from my lungs when I see Sam standing in the doorway. He closes the door behind him and flips the lock.
“Sam, what are you doing here?” I ask, pinching the bridge of my nose and trying to pull myself back together.
“What areyoudoing here, Maggie?” he replies. Taking three strides across the small bathroom, he’s standing close enough for me to smell his Irish Spring soap.
“What do you mean? I’m in the women’s bathroom.”
“No, I mean, what the hell are you actually doing here? In Boulder?” His green eyes bore into mine with so much intensity, I can barely meet his gaze.
“I’m trying to be more adventurous and be the girl Sterling wants,” I groan and put my hands on my hips as shame casts all over me. “You were helping me with that, I thought!”
“Stop with the lies then,” he says, moving in closer and caging me against the sink with one hand on either side of me.
“What lies? I’m not lying!” I cry, pressing my hands to his chest for some space that he’s definitely not giving me.
