“Yeah.In high school, we kind of liked each other.Now this was our freshman year… but then one night at my grandma Dori’s birthday party, Kenzie slipped on ice, and Lance caught her.”
She frowns.“You lost the girl.”
I laugh because I didn’t lose the girl.I might have thought that at the time, but I was wrong.“I lost.”
“Where were you?”
I shrug.“Not there.Probably causing trouble somewhere.”
“Probably.”She smiles across the table at me.“Eat.”She uses her fork to point at my plate, so I appease her and fork off some pancakes.
After I chew and swallow, I continue, eager to get this next part over with.“They dated all through high school, and I was good with it.Honestly.Sure, everyone thought I was dying of a slow heartbreak, but I was fine.”
She eyes me as though she’s not sure about that.
I shake my head with a smile.“Anyway, for some reason, Lance and Kenzie decided that they wanted to split up for college and do one of thoseif you return to me, it was meant to bebullshit things.”
“Uh-oh.”She takes a big bite of bagel smeared with cream cheese.
“Then Kenzie and I both ended up at Ole Miss.”
“No!”Her eyes widen and she halts with the bagel halfway to her mouth.“You didn’t.”
My shoulders fall.“I did.”
The bagel drops down to her plate.
“I didn’t sleep with her.”
Her head rolls back.“I was going to kick your ass for Lance.”
I chuckle.“He’s married with a kid now.Plus, just so you know, my cousin is… Lance Whitmore.”
Her head cocks to the side.“Is this one of their hotels?”
I shake my head.“Don’t feel too sorry for the guy.He’s rich as fuck and happily married now.”
“Some might say the same of you.”She arches an eyebrow, and I laugh.“All right, continue.”
“One drunken night, I ran into Kenzie at a frat party.She was crying, saying how much she missed him.I walked her home.”
“You didn’t, Easton…”
I nod, still ashamed by my actions.“I’m not sure if it was just that we were both homesick or the tequila we drank, but I know we kissed, but we were clothed when we woke up.”
“One sliver of good.”
“Anyway, Lance eventually forgave me because hello, I’m awesome.”
She rolls her eyes.“I’m sure that’s the reason.”
“Want to know the worst part?”
“Of course.”
“After the kiss, she called me Lance.”
She takes her fork and pretends to stab herself with it.
