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It’s been ten minutes since I felt her leave. I’m surprised Jones waited this long to come tell me.
“Shocker,” I retort, looking into his eyes to make my point. “That seems to be her thing.”
“Look, I think you two need to talk. It’s been five long years. If that’s not enough time for the two of you to act civil after all that’s happened—”
“I don’t have anything to say to her.”
“So you’re not looking for answers anymore? That’s it. She’s back and you’re giving up all the sudden. Sounds about right. Why risk getting hurt again?”
“Don’t you have customers that need drinks or something?” Pretending to focus on the papers in front of me, next week’s liquor orders, I give him the brush off. The door slams behind him a few seconds later.
Being born only two months apart, Jones and I have always been close. The only rift in our relationship has been Chloe. It’s not his fault, it’s mine. He tried to help, is still trying to help, but I refuse to let him. The truth is, I don’t want help, from anyone. Especially him.
He knows too much about it. He was a part of it. He’s the only other person who knows what we saw that day. The car ride home was one long fight between us. He wanted me to talk about it and I made him promise never to bring her up again.
He hasn’t.
Not once.
Her name hasn’t crossed either of our lips since that day. You would think I let her go, but I can’t even seem to convince myself of that lie. If I had, I would have tried to move on since then. Maybe dated women for longer than one night, if you can call that dating.
Yet, here I am. Single. Focused on work. Keeping an expired, half-empty box of condoms in my nightstand as a constant reminder of what could have been. Of the woman that broke my heart and left me. For another man. For a better life than I could have given her.
The same woman who was standing in my bar ten minutes ago, looking sexy as hell in a tight pair of jeans and cowboy boots. If I hadn’t fallen for her five years ago, the sight of her just now would have done it.
I’m so fucked.
