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“I do think it’s kinda weird she let us all think Ella is Baker’s daughter.” He cupped his glass. With no beer bottle label to peel, he seemed unsure what to do with himself.
“She dropped that bomb first. I was willing to overlook it.” I took a sip of my whiskey, but it didn’t help the turbulence in my brain. “What a chump, huh?”
Holt clapped a hand on my shoulder. “You felt something for her. That’s not your fault.”
“Trish made me stupid-blind.”
“Maybe now you can understand Mom a little better.” He stared into his glass.
“The fuck I can,” I said, my voice rising. “In fact, I don’t see how she lives with herself. I’m going crazy thinking I might have destroyed a home.”
“If angel face was really happy, she wouldn’t have been with you.” He kept his tone even, which irritated me. How could he make excuses for Trish or our mother?
“That’s not true. We have no idea what motivated her. Maybe she just wanted to see if she still had it.”
“What about the other night? Dinner with all her friends? And the food truck? Where was her husband that day you helped her out? Were they all in on it? Parading her in front of you as if she was actually available?”
“I don’t know.” And I didn’t want to.
“Shouldn’t he be around?”
“Hell, yeah. But he’s not my problem.”
“Figuring out how to get over her is,” Holt said, sliding the last shot he hadn’t taken with me across the table.
“I’m over it,” I lied.
“That’s why we’re here getting loaded in the middle of the day.”
I glared at him, finally feeling a buzz. “Are you on my side or not?”
“Of course, I am. But maybe you don’t have the whole picture.”
“What else is there to know? She’smarried. I can’t have her.” No matter how many times I said it out loud, it didn’t get any easier. The hurt only intensified.
“At least you aren’t in too deep.” Holt didn’t sound convinced. “If we keep up this pace, we won’t be of any use by the time a rebound would arrive.”
I couldn’t think about anyone else. It would be a betrayal to Trish. I turned my head until my chin was above my shoulder. I couldn’t think like that. I owed her nothing. Yet I wondered if another woman would ever catch my attention. Not the way she did. Of that, I was certain.
“I’ll just take my solace in the liquid form.”
Holt shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He drained his glass. “That shit about fucking someone else to get over another woman is a crock anyway.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Yeah. Too much.” He pushed up out of his seat. “I’m going to get another round and order us some food.”
I cradled my near empty glass in my hands. This wasn’t helping either. Being with Holt was better than being on my own, though.
My phone chimed with a text from Patrick.
Lunch?
I’m at Pat’s.
Now?
Yep.
