Page 84 of The Birthday List (Maysen Jar 1)

“We just—we wouldn’t have made it. I think deep down, you know that’s true.”

“Do I?” She looked into the restaurant and sniffled. “And what about her? Do you think you two will make it? Or are you going to do to her what you did to me? Make her fall in love with you and not even try to fall back.”

“Aly,” I whispered. “I did try.” I’d tried for two damn years to say I love you, but it just hadn’t been there.

Her chin quivered as she swiped at another tear. “Sorry. I just didn’t expect to see you tonight. And with her. It was a shock.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She looked up to me with wet, pleading eyes as she leaned closer. “I really miss you.” Her hand lifted between us, but before she could touch my chest, I took a step back.

“I can’t touch you now?” Anger flashed in her teary eyes.

“No.” The only woman whose hand belonged over my heart was inside.

With a murderous scowl, Aly spun on her heel and rushed to her car, then raced out of the parking lot.

“Fuck,” I muttered, rubbing my jaw.

In time, I hoped Aly would find the guy for her. That she’d find the guy who’d give her his heart. It just wasn’t me.

Through the restaurant’s windows, I saw that Poppy had come back out to the counter. She was trying not to spy, but her eyes kept straying out front, searching for Aly. I hustled back inside and went right to the counter.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Ex-girlfriend, I’m guessing?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Aly and I dated for a couple of years but broke up earlier this summer.”

“Was it serious?”

“For her,” I admitted. “We lived together for a while, but . . . it wasn’t right. I finally ended it, but not before she got hurt.” Not before she’d told me she’d loved me countless times and I hadn’t said it back.

I tapped the newspaper we’d been looking at when Aly had come in. “Do you want to call either of these?”

“I’m not crazy about them. I think I’ll just sit tight for a while.”

“Okay. Let me know what I can do to help.”

“Actually, there is something.” She was unsuccessfully fighting a smile. “I went to three grocery stores earlier and bought each of them out of green Jell-O. Every single pan and pot and bowl I could find is currently in my walk-in filled with Jell-O.”

I wasn’t taking the bait. “Good for you.”

Poppy had been trying to talk me into doing the Jell-O pool thing with her for the last couple of weeks, but I fucking hated Jell-O. The texture made me gag. The taste was awful. The idea of rolling around in a pool full of it? Not a chance in hell unless she was drowning in it and I had to drag her out.

I’d promised to help her with Jamie’s list, but this was one of the two things where I’d drawn a line. I wasn’t going to let her pull a damn fire alarm, and I wasn’t getting in a pool of green Jell-O.

“Please?” Poppy gave me her best puppy-dog eyes.

Damn it. It was just Jell-O. I could probably make the sacrifice. If it made her happy, I could probably do it. If I kept my eyes closed and just got in real fast.

I was about to cave when she muttered, “Fine. I’ll do it myself. Tonight, I guess. The Jell-O is made and I might as well get it over with.”

“Did you get the pool?”

“No, not yet. I was

going to duck out early and let Helen close so I could buy one.”