The two of us walk toward the festivities.
“If her daughter’s already in school, then she’s been here a while, and no one knew?”
Emmett shrugs, stopping at the bar where Jude and Ben are arguing about the softball lineup for our team. Ben’s questioning why Jude keeps fucking around with it.
“I guess she’s been hiding out,” he says, signaling the bartender for two beers.
I hate the fact she’s hiding as if she has something to be ashamed of. She doesn’t. That piece of shit she married does. He’s the one who wrecked her life. I can’t imagine Delaney ever willingly getting involved in something like that.
And now, I’ve got a thousand questions.
Was she pressured into that life?
Was she afraid?
Did that asshole hurt her or her daughter?
A jealous rage simmers inside me.
Emmett nudges my shoulder with a beer, and I realize I’ve missed half the conversation.
“I guess we know who the next victim is,” Ben jokes, and all three of the Noughton brothers click the necks of their bottles together, elbows leaning on the bar, watching me.
“What are you talking about?” I sip my beer, wishing it was something stronger—wishing I could take a few shots and forget the fact that Delaney is back to sharing the same town with me.
“It just seems fitting, no?” Ben says.
He was a senior when we were sophomores. I’m sure he doesn’t really remember how it was between us.
“What does?”
They all raise their eyebrows at me, looking smug and amused.
“That your first love just showed up in town,” Ben says.
“Who said she was my first love?” But the pit in my stomach aches because the lie tastes wrong the second it leaves my mouth.
Everyone assumes Kristie was it for me. The one. The woman who held my heart so tightly that there’s nothing left to give anyone else. But the truth? Delaney had it long before Kristie ever came along.
And even after all this time, I still feel that pull to her. Like every seven years, she comes back into my orbit and wrecks me all over again.
“Delusional,” Jude says with a shake of his head.
“Cynic,” Ben adds.
“Just a straight-up destiny denier. Sad, really.” Emmett tips back his beer.
“You guys don’t know what you’re talking about.” I turn away from them, looking toward the dance floor where Wren twirls around with Nash and Poppy, ribbons spinning from her crown of flowers.
“What about you building your house? Ready to leave the nest yet?” Jude asks.
I roll my eyes. Another topic I don’t have the bandwidth for tonight.
“Leave Danson alone. He’s got a cushy thing going on over there,” Emmett says before sipping his beer, his gaze following mine.
“What’s going on with them?” I ask, nodding toward Nash and Poppy. Anything to shift attention off me.
“Heard Levi Richards won at the rodeo today, which just takes us full circle right back to Delaney.” Ben laughs.
