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“Gee, thanks.” I grab it from him but don’t clink glasses and shoot it back instead. I’m not cheers-ing to something like that. It’s been five years. We’re different people. It will be fine.
He chuckles to himself at the fact that I left him hanging with his hand in the air and takes the shot as well.
Once we both have our beers, he nudges my shoulder, and I hear him whisper under his breath, “Here goes nothing,” as we walk toward their table.
Tony snuggles up to Leah as she scoots over to let him in the booth. Ellie and Hannah slide over as well, and just my luck, I get to sit next to Hannah.
We both grin our hellos, and I take a sip of my beer, hoping this doesn’t look as awkward as it feels. By the way the entire table isn’t saying a word, I know it does.
I place my beer down on the table and joke, “Not everyone talk at once now.”
Leah’s first to jump in. “So, Hannah, have you heard that Matthew opened a hitting facility here in town?”
Great. Thanks, Leah. The last thing I wanted was to make it even weirder that both of us are sitting here. Couldn’t you have talked about something—anything—else but the fact that we know nothing about each other’s lives since we left?
Hannah turns to me. “You did? Wow, that’s really cool. I remember you talking about how bad you wished we had one.”
I nod and take another drink of my beer. “Yep. Got the old barn out at East Old Bridge Road and made it work.”
“He more than made it work. The place is crazy cool,” Leah says.
I nod my thanks to her as Tony speaks up. “So, tell us about this album you’re making.”
Hannah glances in my direction like she’s shy to state it in front of me. Of course, I know about it. How could I not? Even though my dad didn’t write any of her songs, he’s still in the industry.
“We actually just got our cover album back.” She reaches in her bag and grabs her phone, opening up to a screen that shows the album cover.
Tony grabs it from her. “You look hot!”
Leah smacks his shoulder as Hannah’s face gets red.
“What? She does.” Tony owns up to his words with no remorse.
Ellie grabs the phone, then hands it back to Hannah. As I glance over her shoulder, she holds it out for me, so I can see it clearer.
Tony is right. She looks amazingly beautiful in the photo, and I have to take another sip of my beer to hide the reaction it causes to my body.
“When do we get to hear some of your songs?” Tony asks.
“The first one is supposed to release on Monday actually.”
The expression she gives as she says those words melts my heart. I can tell she’s very proud, as she should be. Even though her following her dreams ended us, I’m glad she’s doing what she loves.
Cole, Nate, and Trent walk to our table.
“Who would have thought we’d ever be back here, at this place, after all these years?” Cole says.
I glance at Hannah and can easily tell the way her demeanor changes when the guys in her band come talk to us. It makes me wonder if she’s hooked up with any of them—or hell, all of them.
The thought turns my stomach in a way that does not help with the tequila shot and beer, so I shake off it off and scoot over for them to join us. The action only makes me sit closer to Hannah.
When our eyes meet, there’s a moment between the two of us before she moves over, giving me a little more room.
“Band’s all here!” Tony jokes, and Trent hits his shoulder playfully.
Ellie grins almost giddy-like at Nate when she asks, “How’s Nashville?”
Hannah notices her reaction and glances my way, just like we used to do when there were little secrets between us when we were in groups like this. I grin, letting her know I noticed it too.
