“Hey!” I called. “Give that back.”
She turned off the phone and tucked it into her pocket. “Nope. Not until we’re home. I won’t have Ellis ruining our night with his obsessive bullshit.”
“This was a horrible idea,” I muttered.
“Why? Because you finally realize that your feelings for Lincoln aren’t gone like you’ve been trying to make yourself believe?” Lennox said, resting her head in her hand.
“I’m with Ellis, though. I can’t be doing that shit to him when I’m with someone else.”
“You don’t have to be,” Cleo said. “You could end it here and now with a simple text message.” She glanced at Lennox. “I bet she’d give you your phone back for that.”
I cocked my head to the side. “I won’t break up with him over a text message. This isn’t high school. I’m almost thirty. And do you really have room to talk?” I snapped, regretting my words the moment I said them. My sister’s marriage was none of my business, and I had no right to butt in where I didn’t belong. “Shit, I’m sorry, Cleo. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Cleo looked down at her lap before clearing her throat. “You did, and you’re not wrong. I’m not the person you should be taking relationship advice from.” She sniffled, leaning over to place her hand over mine. “But believe me when I tell you it comes from personal experience. I don’t want you to wake up in years next to a man you don’t know if you’ve ever loved, trapped in a marriage neither of you want. Just think about it.” I opened my mouth, but she pushed through. “Now, I think I’ll run to the bathroom before it’s ruined by the stench of stale cigarettes and bad decisions.”
Lennox and I watched her walk away, my stomach churning like it always did when I felt guilty. I hung my head in my hands. “Fuck, I’m an asshole.”
Lennox ran her hand over my back. “You are, but you aren’t wrong.”
I turned to the side. “I’m not?”
She shook her head. “No, but neither is she.”
“I know,” I sighed.
I knew it with every fiber of being that Ellis and I weren’t going to last, but he was the last excuse I had not to go all in with Lincoln. After that, we’d have nothing stopping us from crossing that line and picking up where we left off. Frankly, I was terrified of getting my heart broken because I wouldn’t survive if Lincoln walked away.
“Where’d Cleo go?” Bishop asked, setting down two buckets of cold beer in the middle of the table. Lincoln followed, slipping what looked like a whiskey soda in front of me with a wink.
“Bathroom,” I said, bringing the glass to my lips. “She’ll be right back.”
Bishop nodded, taking the seat across from Lennox, while Lincoln stood at the end of the table near me. He kept his eyes on the crowd, ensuring no one came too close. The boys chatted about the ranch, going down the rabbit hole of hay cutting with other ranch hands who’d stopped by our table.
By the time Cleo came back, her eyes were red-rimmed. I hated myself in that moment, hated that I’d made her cry in a dingy bar bathroom. There was nothing I could do to excuse my behavior, but when she met my gaze, I mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
Cleo shook her head, reaching across the table to clink her drink against mine. “Love you,” she said.
“Love you, too.” I forced a smile.
“Love you mostest!” Lennox called, leaning between us and doing a little cheer. “I win.” I rolled my eyes, shoving her lightly. She caught herself on the table and stuck her tongue out. “Let’s fucking toast to a great night!”
“Go on then. I already know you’re dying to say it, so go ahead.”
“What’s she talking about?” Lincoln asked, bringing the glass to his lips.
Bishop shook his head, but wore a smile. “Just watch this shit.”
Lennox grabbed her beer, staring each of us in the eye as she cleared her throat. “Fuck the leather, fuck the lace. Cheers to the ones who sit on our face!” And then she slammed her bottle on the table before taking a sip.
“That’s sure as fuck something I could toast to,” Lincoln said, following suit with a chuckle.
“Oh my god, you’re the worst,” Cleo groaned, but she was smiling.
“No, I’m the best,” Lennox said. “It’s the reason you keep me around. I’m funny, smart, and pretty as hell.”
“And annoying to boot,” Bishop mumbled.
Lennox leaned over the table and smirked. “Is that why you can’t stop staring at me?”
