My phone buzzed in my pocket.
MO:Still your number?
My head whipped up to look at her across the auditorium. She still didn’t glance my way but had moved away from her sisters, standing tall and collected with her phone in hand.
ME:Yes
I watched the three dots bouncing for a minute before her next message appeared. I took that time to change the name in my contacts.
MAUREEN:I need to make an appearance at the reception. You should too. Find a reason to slip away after fifteen minutes. I’ll do the same and meet you at your car. I’m assuming you’re in the parking lot here.
ME:Yeah. I drove.
MAUREEN:What am I looking for? A rental?
ME:Still driving the same black Audi.
MAUREEN:Of course you are.
Chapter six
Maureen
He still drove the fifty-thousand-dollar car. Because that was who he was. William the finance bro. William sitting across from his perfect blond fiancée. William wearing an expensive watch. I guess he called himself Will now, but so what? All I knew was he wasn’t Billy. Billy had never been real.
When I saw him standing in the aisle, I understood what people meant when they talked about having out-of-body experiences. Because from the moment I noticed him, my brain struggled to process that it wasn’t some sort of hideous illusion. Somehow, I’d missed his contribution to the slideshow, likely because I’d been watching Marley’s face the whole time. By the time we were feet apart, it felt as though I’d floated abovemyself. Four years later, and Will had sucked me right back into an unwanted reality, a nightmare where theWillMarley had mentioned a few times as being “James’s super awesome friend from high school” turned out to be theBilly/WilliamI’d spent nearly half a decade trying to forget.
I’d considered not saying anything, giving him the evil eye while fantasizing about throat-punching him. But in the end, I knew we needed to talk. Because it appeared as though he was going to be in my life in the supporting role of my sister’s boyfriend’s good friend.
This past week, I’d insisted Marley keep an open mind about James—she’d been pushing him away hard, not feeling worthy of his love. Now she finally had the happiness she’d dreamed of, and I wasn’t about to taint it by informing her that James’s best pal from high school was a lying douchenozzle.
Thank god I’d never told my sisters about Billy. It would have been too humiliating. The one time I’d allowed myself to catch something resembling real feelings—within a few hours of meeting someone, no less—I’d been burned in the worst way. Better they continued to think of me as an impenetrable man-eater.
I just needed Will to agree to my plan. We’d stay out of each other’s way so no one would pick up on the fact we had history.
Also, we would never, ever speak of our night together. Ever.
The festive decorations and twinkling lights barely registered as I walked from the auditorium into the high school’s breezeway. Nodding to some acquaintances as I entered the reception, I remained focused on the fact I had fifteen minutes to pull myself together before I needed to step out to the parking lot and face him. I stuck out from the crowd in my black dress, but no one seemed to care. My old teachers waved to me and raised cups in my direction. Former classmates introduced me to theirspouses and kids. I managed a few bites of Katy Baumbeck’s cinnamon maple cookies. Tasted like home.
Truthfully, I loved being back in Coleman Creek. I’d been so adamant about getting out and moving to the city, but I might be more like Marley than I’d thought. It wasn’t bad living in Seattle, necessarily. I just wasn’t sure the big city benefits—and there were many, especially for someone working in fashion—outweighed all the things I missed about where I’d grown up.
Running into Will seemed like a Murphy’s Law type of situation in terms of timing.
The career I’d built was at a crossroads. After three years of working my way up, I’d attained the position of lead manager and buyer for Kolya’s. But the high-end market was hypercompetitive, and we weren’t the new, shiny store in town anymore. We’d recently hired an in-house stylist, trying to expand into the personal shopping space, but it wasn’t taking off as much as the owners had hoped. There was a decent chance I’d be looking for a new job next year.
My living situation was also in flux. Bren and Chase had been dating for so long it seemed inevitable they’d move in together soon. I had an inkling my best friend would tell me she wanted to move out when our lease came up for renewal in a few months.
Everything was changing. I was on the precipice of…whatever came next. So, of course, I’d run into my loosest of loose ends. Most regrettable of regrets. Confusingest of confusions. Billy.
Will.
Slipping away from the reception proved easy enough. I still had friends in town. If my sisters noted my absence, they’d assume I was catching up with someone. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Will with James’s family saying goodbye to Marley. Luckily, they headed to a different parking area.
I crept into the darkened hallways of the high school. Once I was sure no one could see or hear me, I attempted to shakeoff my nerves. I took my noisy heeled boots off, pacing in my socks, back and forth across the terrazzo floor. My heart rate and breathing were finally under control, but my mind raced.
I could still picture William that last day I’d seen him. Sitting in the hotel lobby. Horrified by the sight of me. Too cowardly to speak. Until his companion uttered the terrible truth.Fiancée.
Stretching my arms above my head and rolling my neck a few times, I exhaled through my nose. Five more minutes until I needed to go outside.
