Page 19 of Curveball

It made me sick. And yet my mind refused to let it go.

Walker had always been tall, built, and good-looking, but this version of him was different. More solid. More confident. His muscles were thicker, more defined, his presence sharper. He wore his success easily now, carried himself with a quiet swagger that came from knowing exactly who he was. He knew how to dress, how to style his sandy-brown hair so it looked effortless, and how to keep the perfect amount of stubble along his strong jawline. And I was sure he knew how to do a lot more behind closed doors now than he ever had in college.

The realization sent an unexpected ache between my thighs.

Seriously, body?

I hadn’t felt that way with Ryan—not even close. Yet the thought of Walker touching another woman was enough to undo me.

I pulled up to Aria’s house just as she opened the door, a full glass of wine already in hand. She shoved it toward me without a word, and I took it gratefully as I followed her inside. Once we were settled on the couch, I filled her in on the night.

“He totally did that on purpose,” she said, taking a sip.

“Right?” I said. “I thought I might be imagining it, but the way he left the bar felt very intentional. Let’s just say he took a very roundabout path from the pool table to the exit.”

I shook my head. What a dick.

“I know Walker’s only gotten hotter since college,” Aria said, “but you’ve got to stop letting him get under your skin. It’s been almost a decade. How was your date with the contractor guy?”

I sighed. “I know. You’re right. We don’t even know each other anymore.” I waved a hand, trying to physically dismiss the thoughts of Walker. “Ryan was great—handsome, sweet, funny. We’re going out again. Especially since I basically bailed on him after seeing Walker leave with that woman.”

I buried my face in my wine glass.

Aria laughed. “I can’t believe you let Walker ruin your night. You being on a date clearly didn’t ruin his.”

Damn it. She had a point.

“I don’t know why it’s still so hard to see him,” I groaned, leaning my head back against the couch. “What is wrong with me, A?”

She reached for my hand. “Because a part of you is probably always going to love him.”

Unfortunately, she was right.

It was mid-morning when Jake stopped by to drop off Hadley. She was only gone for a few days, but no matter the length of time, I always missed her fiercely. I never felt truly whole when she was gone. Hadley came barreling through the front door, a flash of blonde curls, and slammed her little body into mine. I knelt down so she could wrap her arms around my neck as I buried my face into her neck. "Hey, sweet girl! Did you have fun at Daddy's?" Jake and his now-fiancée, Lily, lived about twenty minutes away in Forest Park.

"Yes! I paint wall!" Hadley's green eyes were wide, arms expressive. I shot Jake a look.

He chuckled, running a hand through his tousled honey-brown strands. "Lily wanted to paint Hadley's room, so they worked on it together yesterday."

"Ah! That makes more sense." I placed Hadley back on her feet, and the little Tasmanian devil tore off into the living room to find her toys. I turned my attention back to Jake. "How's the wedding planning going? Coming up soon."

He smiled, his warm brown eyes lighting up. "I think it’s going well? Lily’s been handling it all. I've been pretty slammed at work." Jake was a CPA and owned his own firm.

I nodded. "Well, just let me know the schedule for that day, so I can get Hadley there on time when you need her." Hadley was going to be their flower girl.

Jake propped himself up against the wall in my foyer, arms crossed. "So, I heard Walker’s back in town for a while. Have you seen him?"

Here we go.

Jake was always jealous of Walker. He was a sensitive subject in our relationship and one of the many reasons for the demise of our marriage.

"Yeah, he came back to rehab his elbow, according to Addi. And no, I haven't seen him, you know we don't talk anymore." I had to fight the strong urge not to roll my eyes at the fishing Jake was attempting.

Unsatisfied with my answer, he gave me a tight nod. "Got it. Well, I’d better get going, Lily wants me to see some table designs for the wedding." Jake gave Hadley one last hug and kiss goodbye before I walked him out.

After closing the door, I released a heavy exhale. Jake and I had a great co-parenting relationship, but I always sensed it was likely due to the fact that he had happily moved on, and I hadn't. I suspected that if I were talking to Walker again, or any man for that matter, he would act differently. For now, I decided to keep Ryan to myself.

I made my way into the living room to find Hadley playing with her baby dolls. "Hady-girl, do you want a snack?" Her long blonde curls bounced as she brought her matching green gaze to mine. "Goldfish!?" she asked excitedly.