Page 93 of The Hearts We've Broken
I love you and Liv and Nico but I think I need to do this.
Natalie
Do what’s best for you
You didn’t plan to stay, so this feels like par for the course, you know?
Right…
The original plan was always to get my feet set and recover from the betrayal that got me here in the first place. I had a small detour, and now I was back on track to achieve my goals.
I snuck into the back office when I got to Rudy’s for my shift, needing to catch my breath and compose myself a little before going out onto the floor.
I’d only worked a few shifts since we’d come back from Goldfinch, and they were all opening shifts instead of a mid-shift or closing. I knew Mikey and the other guys wouldn’t come in during the early afternoon, and opening hours were slow enough that I didn’t have to deal with many people. Today was my first closing shift since the Bucking Horse Sale.
When I finally stepped behind the bar, only Nico was working.
“Where’d Liv go?” I asked as I tied my apron around my waist.
“She left early. Some kind of family emergency.”
“Oh. I hope everything’s okay.”
“I’m sure it will be. It didn’t sound super urgent, but Liv would run herself into the ground worrying if she didn’t go. She’s…really caring. You know, like if there’s a problem or you’re sad, she always knows how to make people feel better.” His eyes glazed over a bit as he talked about her.
I nodded in understanding.
“And if you try to lie to her and say everything’s fine, she’ll comfort you anyway and somehow figure out the problem. It’s like it’s second nature to her.” He lowered his voice, so quiet I could barely hear. “It’s sweet and kind of adorable, actually. Anyway, how are you holding up?” His question and the abrupt change of subject caught me a bit by surprise. Not to mention nearly every conversation I’d had with Nico in the past four months had been lighthearted.
I played coy, curious about where this was going. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, it sounds like you’ve gone through two pretty nasty breakups in less than six months. One breakup is heavy shit, let alone two. Just want to make sure you’re okay, you know, since Liv isn’t here to do it.”
“Aww!” I cooed teasingly. “That’s so sweet of you. I’m fine, though.”
It wasn’t a complete lie, but Nico still gave me a suspicious look.
“Seriously, I’m good. I don’t have the time or the mental capacity to be sad anymore. If anything, this was areminder of what my priorities need to be. I have a job interview for a position in Minnesota.”
Nico perked up. “Really? That’s awesome, Junie!”
“Don’t call me that.” I playfully rolled my eyes. “It is, though. I’m actually really excited. Nervous out of my mind, but excited.” Changing the subject, I lowered my voice some. “So, can we rewind for a second? What’s the deal with you and Liv? I’ve always known you guys were close, but it seemed like you were even closer when I got back from Houston.”
It seemed like they thought they were being sneaky, but I noticed the way Nico protected her against the reporter that one day and the way he’d look at her from across the bar during a shift. Not to mention the way he was just talking about her.
“Huh?” He pretended to be confused, but I didn’t miss the glint of longing in his eyes.
“Don’t play dumb with me.”
“She doesn’t see me like that.”
I raised a brow. “But you do?”
Shrugging, he mumbled, “She’s cool. But I don’t know. What would you do in this situation?”
“You’re really askingmefor relationship advice?” I cackled. “You sure I’m the best person for that?”
“I don’t know. I never thought that bull rider guy would ever stay with someone for that long. From what I’d seen and heard, he keeps things very casual.”
