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“I know. You have to do what’s best for you. For now. It’ll get better with time.”

It’s hard to believe that I’ll ever be comfortable hanging out with Ethan. But it’s true that it would make spending time with my friends a lot easier.

But the thought of Ethan bringing Charlotte with him…

I turn to smile at Avery to stop myself going down a dark rabbit hole.

We run toward each other, throwing our arms around each other and practically tipping over.

“You’re here!” she cries. “I missed you so much. It’s been too much testosterone since you stopped showing up.”

I know they’ve only hung out as a group twice since the separation—it’s not as if she can go out that much with three kids at home—but I squeeze Avery a little tighter anyway because I miss her.

I let go of Avery, and Garrett comes to give me a side hug. Garrett is the tallest one in the group and my face is pushed against his chest. I pat him on the back.

“We missed you,” he says.

Then grumpy Luke—my ex-brother-in-law—grabs me in a bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground.

“If it were up to me, sis, I’d kick Ethan out of the group,” he whispers in my ear as he drops me back to the ground.

My eyes meet Blake’s. He’s sitting on his stool, a crooked smile on his face. Will he stand up and hug me too? The fluttering in my belly grows.

But he just sits there as I approach him.

“Hi,” I say.

“Hey.” He slaps my arm in a firm but gentle motion. “How are you?”

“I’m great.”

And I actually mean it. I feel great.

“Where’s Scarlett?” I ask.

Other than Ethan, she’s the only person missing from the group.

“On her way.”

Blake waves Kayla over, and I’m infinitely relieved to see that it’s not Charlotte working tonight. I didn’t think that Blake would make sure to tell me that Ethan wasn’t coming only to leave out the part about Charlotte waitressing, but I was a little nervous.

“Amelia,” Kayla says, a huge smile on her face. “It’s great to see you. What do you want to drink?”

“I just ordered a couple cases of Pinecrest Beer.” Blake lifts up his beer to show me the label.

He does know me well.

“That would be great.”

Kayla turns around to get my drink and Blake leans into my ear.

Immediately, the nutmeg scent of his cologne, which makes my skin tingle, engulfs me in a warm blanket that I want to lean into. I don’t get it. Bryce, Luke, and Garrett also wore cologne, but it didn’t affect me this way when I hugged them. Besides, this is the way Blake always smells. He’s not big on change, and he’s been wearing the same scent ever since I met him.

“Feel free to have as many as you want tonight,” he says. “Don’t worry about crying. We’re here for you.”

Kayla hands me my beer and a glass. I pick up the bottle and raise it toward Blake.

“I’ll try not to.”