AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I was wondering,” Allison said, turning back to him, “if I could speak to you alone for a moment or two?”
He wanted to say no, but he noticed her eyes were shiny and it looked like she might cry. Had something happened to someone in her family?
“Of course,” he said, gesturing to the only empty booth left in the pub, in the back corner. Allison sat first, grabbing the side that faced the doorway, which left Landon at a disadvantage. He now had his back to not only the front door, but the stairs that led to the Collins Dorm. Short of constantly turning around, he had no way to know when Sunnie arrived home.
Sighing, he sat as well, but before he could ask what was wrong, Darcy—who’d just started waiting tables at the pub a few months earlier—was standing there. She said hello to Allison, asked if she wanted anything to drink, then shot Landon a not-so-subtle what the hell look.
Finn had filled his kid sister in on Sunnie and Landon’s newfound relationship—skipping over the sex part, even though it was clear that was all Darcy was interested in hearing about—shortly after lunchtime.
Landon had carried his full pint over with him from the bar, so he waited…and just barely resisted muttering a curse when Allison ordered a glass of wine and then asked to see a food menu. The last thing he wanted to do right now was have a drink and dinner with his ex-girlfriend. He and Allison had parted on good terms, and while he wouldn’t mind catching up with her someday—preferably with Sunnie there—tonight wasn’t the night for that.
“How have you been?” she asked.
“Fine. And you?”
“I’ve been…” She paused, and he caught just a glimpse of the sadness he’d spotted earlier before she pasted on a smile and said, “Good. Busy with auditions.”
“Any parts coming your way?”
She shook her head. “It’s a very competitive atmosphere. Between waiting tables, taking acting classes, and auditions, I’m lucky if I get six hours of sleep every night.”
“You knew it would take some time. I’m sure you’re right there on the cusp of something big.”
Allison nodded, clearly not agreeing. “I’m thinking about moving back to Baltimore.”
Landon wasn’t sure how to respond to that. If she’d told him the same thing a year ago, he would have been thrilled, excited, ready to jump right back in where they’d left off. Mercifully, that hadn’t happened, because he couldn’t begin to imagine wanting that life over this one. Even with Sunnie still fighting her feelings for him.
“Allison. It’s only been a year or so. Are you sure you’ve given it—”
“I started dating someone right after I moved to New York.”
Her abrupt right turn caught him off guard. “Okay.”
“He was an actor too. We’d go to auditions together and around Thanksgiving, we moved in together.”
Landon thought back to Thanksgiving. He’d eaten lunch with his mom and stepdad, then headed to the Collins Dorm later that night for a Tom-Hanks-giving marathon. He had still been nursing a broken heart, down in the dumps and missing Allison. Sunnie and Finn knew, of course, and had come up with the movie marathon as a way of keeping him distracted.
Obviously, Allison had rebounded a hell of a lot faster than he had.
“Why are you telling me this, Allison?” he asked, wondering where this conversation was going and hoping she’d get to the point soon. He really wanted to return to the bar to keep an eye out for Sunnie.
“The first time he hit me was Christmas day.”
Landon’s stomach dropped. “What?”
Allison forced a smile that didn’t fool him, lifted one shoulder—feigning a casualness that didn’t work, then said, “Not all guys are nice.”
“Allison.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand as she swiped away a tear with the other. “I’m sorry.”
* * *
Sunnie wasn’t two steps in the pub when she was surrounded by Finn, Darcy and Miguel.
“What’s up, guys?” she asked, trying to look around them for Landon, the task impossible, thanks to the wall they’d built.
“Not much. How are things with you?” Darcy asked, her voice way too cheery.
Sunnie instantly went on the alert.
