I hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing down. I wasn’t sure, couldn’t be sure, but the thought of walking away now felt just as wrong as letting things slip back to the way they used to be.
“I’m willing,” I answered at last, drawing out each word. My voice was somehow steady despite the flurry of emotions constantly coursing through my body. “I’m just not sure where it’ll lead.”
Brenden reached out, his fingers brushing mine again. “Neither am I. But I think it’ll be worth finding out.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. God, how I wanted to believe him. It would be easy. Maybe the easiest thing ever.
It sounded like a stupid holiday movie.Girl struggles to find job in the city. Girl goes home for Christmas. Girl falls in love with her high-school sweetheart, who has become a maturer version of his previous self with all the good looks still.
Why did I want to turn him down?
Because … because clearly, I was insane.
“Okay,” I finally said, looking down at my hand, still held in his. “Let’s see where it goes.”
He grinned, the familiar spark in his eyes lighting up once more. “Good. Awesome. Good. I’ll see you at the holiday party at the Huttons’ tomorrow?”
I glanced up at the snow falling gently around us. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”
“I can’t wait.”
There could be a chance for something more again. Right?
I wanted to believe that.
That would be good. Easy. I had always liked Brenden. Ishouldlike him more than I liked Josh. Back in high school, I’d even entertained the thought of us growing up and getting married and everything, like anyone else might’ve with their semi-serious boyfriend, before we ended up moving in separate directions for college.
But if he was coming to the city for work? It almost seemed like it was meant to be.
That was what this kind of thing was one of those meant to be signs, wasn’t it?
I just … needed to see if I could make my heart stop beating so hard in my chest and lips stop tingling whenever I thought of Josh.
twenty-six
“Please don’t bemad at me.” Gina clutched the throw blanket up to her chin like it was some kind of emotional armor.
Her eyes were wide with unabashed glee, but I could see it—the subtle flicker of nerves behind her grin. She actually thought I might yell at her for once in her chaos-stirring, charmed life. I should. I wanted to.
I’d had the whole walk home to prepare an argument, line up all the reasons why tonight was a mistake. Why she was out of line, why I couldn’t handle this right now, why she should have never done this to me.
But instead, I just let out a breath and dropped my purse by the door of her bedroom.
“I’m not mad at you.”
“You’re not?” Her voice lifted with disbelief. “Really? Because after you left with him I had a good feeling that you totally were.”
I shook my head, watching her as she lit up with the thrill of being right.
“You’re not. You really aren’t! Oh my God, come here and sit down and tell me everything. How did it go? What did he say? You have to tell me if he said something swoony. He stillseems like the hopeless romantic type that wrote you cheesy love poetry.”
I raised an eyebrow but let her tug me down to sit beside her on the bed and smooth part of her blanket over my lap. “Gina?—”
“I heard rumors, okay?” she interrupted, eyes gleaming. “Like, actual, real-life gossip. That Brenden still talked about you. At alumni events. Like, wistful reminiscing. So, obviously, I did a little digging, and turns out, he wanted to see you. It felt … kind of fated, honestly.”
“A second-chance romance?” I asked dryly, plucking at the edge of the blanket.
She grinned. “Exactly. Like, no messy breakup. No cheating. Just dumb high-school timing. You two were sweet together.”
