Page 31 of The Other Plan

I glanced down the bar to catch Carter staring at me before he quickly looked away.

“He is? Are you sure?”

“Jenna, I’m a guy, and guys aren’t always the best at picking up on subtle signals, but even I can see how into you he is from like a mile away. I’m telling you this guy hasn’t gotten over you.”

“And it doesn’t look like you’ve gotten over him,” Matt said. “Maybe Evan is right. Break up with each other tonight and go give it a chance. What do you have to lose?”

“My heart. My sanity. My dignity. I could go on.”

“And what if it works out?” Matt said, tossing the words I’d used against him last year right back at me.

I sucked my lip between my teeth as I peeked down the bar at Carter again. Just like last time, he was staring straight at me. This time, instead of looking away, he lifted his Bayside coffee in cheers.

“Ugh. I need to pee. When I get back, we’re going to figure this out. But Evan, you’re my boyfriend, and I forbid you from leaving me. You’re not dumping me. Got it?”

With a huff, he lifted his hands. “Okay, Annie Wilkes. Sheesh.”

I gave him a stern stare before working my way through the crowd to the bathroom. I couldn’t help but take one last peek over at Carter before turning the corner. Just like before, his eyes remained fixed on me.

My stomach flipped when our eyes connected, just like it used to. Maybe they were right. Maybe I did need to pull up my big girl panties and give this a chance. But the memories of how badly it hurt to lose him the first time came crashing back into me, and I shook my head and ducked around the corner.

I was a planner. Organized. Predictable. I wasn’t a risk-taker. I didn’t leap out of planes, bungee jump, ski down the black diamond, or do any other potentially devastating things in my life. And I certainly wasn’t going to take the biggest risk of all... a risk with my heart.

No. No way. I wasn’t going to risk devastation like that again.

CHAPTER TEN

CARTER

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Jenna disappeared around the corner, and I groaned at the way my insides ached from being so close to her and not being able to take her in my arms like I used to. And seeing that guy with his arm around her shoulder?

Pure. Fucking. Torture.

And the worst part was, I actually liked the guy. He was great. In fact, in any other circumstance, I think he and I would be buds. It was just more salt in the wound her reappearance had torn open. It never healed completely, but it didn’t cause me complete agony every minute of every day anymore. Or at least it didn’t until she walked back into my life and ripped that sucker wide open again.

Just a few more days. A few more torturous, agonizing days with her before I could hop on a plane and run back to New York. Back to my nice apartment, my friends, and my career. I’d bury myself so deep in work that I’d forget her name before the end of the month. Or at least I’d damn well try.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t tell me that was Jenna,” Eric said, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.

“Yeah. Pretty crazy, huh?”

“You must have been freaking out when you saw her at the party. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I took a sip of my Bayside coffee and puckered when the insanely strong liquor hit my tongue. “It was your wedding welcome dinner, man. You had guests to entertain. The last thing you needed was to get dragged into my Jenna drama... again. God knows you went to hell and back with me the last time.”

“And I’ll go to hell and back with you again. If you need to talk, I’m here.”

I smiled at him and patted his shoulder. “I’m supposed to be here for you. I’m the best man.”

His gaze lifted over my shoulder, and I glanced back to follow it. Jenna’s sister stood behind me with Jenna’s boyfriend at her side.

“Hi, Carter. I’m Jo. We met at the party.”

I smiled at her. “Oh, I remember. I think you wanted to stab my eyes out with your olive skewers.”

Jo chuckled and sucked the air through her teeth. “In my defense, at the time, I thought you were the guy who cheated on my sister and broke her heart forever.”