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Bitterness settled on his tongue, killing his smile. “Yeah. And a good number from when we were in college. She proceeded to spend another hour dragging me from book to book, pulling me into sweet memory after memory….”
Sally turned to him, placing a gentle hand on his lap. He snagged her fingers and held on.
“She wanted to build up the sweet to hit you with the sour,” Sally remarked, anger at Loni sharpening her voice.
“And it would have worked…if I hadn’t looked up really quickly from one of the pictures to see a calculating gleam in her eyes. She dropped it quickly, adopting this expression of dewy-eyed sadness. But I had seen what she’d been hiding. What you’d seen all along.”
Sally remained silent, though he could tell she wanted to crow and shout, ‘I told you so.’ The warmth of her hand in his gave him the strength he needed to finish. “I called her on it. I asked her what her purpose was in dragging out all those pictures, and she said she only wanted to show how happy we all were when Jake was alive, and how happy she and I had been all those years, even before we’d gotten married. I reminded her that I’d never looked at her as more than a sister back then, and she got heated. Denying it. She was convinced that we had always been meant to be together, that I had just allowed you to blind me to what I had with her, and that I needed to get rid of you so she and I could have our second chance.”
Sally’s expression dropped, and she tried to pull her hands from his. He refused to let go. Then or ever. “And what did you tell her?”
Time for the next step in my plan.
“I told her that we were over for good and that no amount of reminiscing or wishes or guilt trips down memory lane would ever make me get back with her. I told her that she needed to move on because I had. I told her that she needed to let go and find her own happiness like I’d found mine. I told her that unless she could accept you in my life as my woman, I didn’t want to ever see her again. I told her what I’ve been telling you; I’m in this with you, and I’m not going anywhere…except home.”
Shock registered on her face just before disappointment then annoyance followed.
“You’re leaving?” she snapped.
He chuckled at the gorgeous, angry flush blooming on her face. God, he’d missed her. He loved her. And tomorrow night, he’d finally tell her.
“Yes, I’m leaving, but I’ll see you again tomorrow night. Meet me. Happy Jack’s. 9PM.”
Before she could reach out and choke him, he hurried to the door, a grin as big as the sun on his face.
