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“Or how we’d cover Chad in shredded cheese whenever he’d pass out drunk.”
Okay, this one makes me laugh. “And sour cream.”
“That’s right!” she exclaims, her eyes widening. “I forgot about that, but you’re right. The cheese always stuck.”
“I miss pissing Chad off on a regular basis.”
“I miss how much fun we had,” she says, and even though there’s a sadness in her voice, her eyes are practically sparkling as she says it.
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “I know what you mean.”
56
Claire
Ending the call with Garret unscathed, I take in my surroundings again. The front patio of The Patch is packed, but it doesn’t take long for me to spot a very loud Chad sitting at a nearby table. He’s open-mouth laughing at who knows what when he spots me, too.
“Claire!” He waves his hands eagerly to get my attention even though I was already looking at him.
Well, at least he still looks happy to see me. Putting on my best smile, I head over to the table where he sits with Em and Ethan who both wave as I walk up.
“Well, look who finally decided to show,” Ethan says.
“I’m sorry.” I take a seat and set my bag down on the bench next to me. “I didn’t know if you guys would still be here. Where’s Aiden?”
Em and Ethan exchange a glance that makes me think they’re having a silent conversation. Then Ethan stands up from the table and says, “Hey Chad, let’s get a drink.”
Staring down at his still full mimosa, Chad says, “But I have a dri—” Before he can finish the last word, it’s obvious Em kicks him under the table. He glares at her before getting to his feet. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go get another drink.”
The two guys leave Em and me sitting across from each other. “What was that about?” I ask, eyeing her curiously.
Waving her hand dismissively, she says, “Chad’s just been getting on my nerves all morning. I need a break.”
Sure.
Nodding, I shift in my seat and try again. “So, uh...is Aiden here?”
Lowering her voice, she says, “Yeah, he’s talking to Sam over in the corner. They dated for a while when he lived here, and she wanted to talk to him when she found out he was in town.”
Oh.
Looking over to the corner she referenced, I immediately spot Aiden with a beautiful tan brunette. Sam is nothing like I pictured. Her long ponytail sticks out of her baseball cap, and as gorgeous as she is, she still manages to make it look like she woke up that way.
Em watches me carefully, so I try not to let my eyes linger. “Honestly, I didn’t think you were coming here. Aiden was pissed when he showed up, so I figured you turned him down or something.”
“Turned him down?” I guess she doesn’t know how many times he’s been the one to leave me wanting more.
“Listen,” Em says, “I don’t know much because—well, because it’s Aiden we’re talking about—but I can see that he’s different with you. I think he likes you. I’ve known Sam for forever, but I don’t think they were right together.”
“You don’t?”
Em shakes her head. “Don’t get me wrong, I thought they’d make it while they were together. But then they broke up, and even though they both say it was amicable, Aiden left. No one moves across the country after an amicable breakup, and if the breakup was bad enough to send him packing, there was probably something wrong with their relationship that the rest of us couldn’t see. It took me a while to come to that conclusion,” she says with a sad smile. “I was pretty hurt when he left us high and dry, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I’m sure he did the best he could given the circumstances—whatever they may be.”
“Yeah,” I say as I consider her words. My breakup with Garret comes to mind, and how wrong I was about him from the start. I knew he had flaws, but everyone has flaws. It wasn’t until after we broke up that I could see the paper-thin foundation our relationship was built on. “I can relate.”
“Exactly.” She pours a mimosa from the pitcher on the table and hands it to me. “Cheers to ending things with the wrong people.”
Clinking glasses with her, I take a sip and feel better about the whole situation. I’m still smiling until I look over at Aiden again and see him laughing at something Sam must have said, and it sends the sip of mimosa to my stomach with the weight of a rock.
