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“Is this a Liv Love Fest? I want in!” Rosie cries, squeezing me tight.
“Holy…crap!” I squeak. “I’m only moving to a bar two blocks away. Y’all are acting like I’m moving to Australia.”
“Why the hell can you say y’all and I can’t?” Tyler demands.
“I’m American.” I shrug. “You’re British. Don’t be thinking you can come over here and start talking like one of us.” I grin.
The look in his eyes says that I’m going to pay for that.
I’m pretty sure the look in mine says that I’m going to enjoy every damn second of it.
The clock ticks to seven p.m., signaling the end of my final shift at the Stag, and I hug Rosie tight. We go through a round of, “I’ll miss you. I’ll miss you, too. Come see me, okay? Don’t forget me. We’ll meet for a drink.”
I’m almost certain we’ll never see each other again or get that drink. That’s the thing with moving on—you take almost nothing with you when you go. The only things you do take are the things that really matter. And more often than not, that doesn’t include people.
Tyler takes my hand and leads me from the bar with Tessa on my heels. We walk for a block in silence before coming to a small wine bar. Tyler’s phone rings just before we enter, and he waves for us to go in.
“What do you drink?” Tessa asks, leaning against the bar. Almost every guy in the place stares at her, but she’s oblivious.
“If it’s wine, I’ll drink it,” I answer honestly.
She beams and turns to the barman.
I wonder if she’s jaded by her husband cheating on her. I wonder if it’s destroyed her in any way… If she’s sworn off love or relationships. She doesn’t seem like it. She seems perfectly happy, like it wasn’t just weeks ago that she was calling Tyler to tell her what she’d seen.
What if I were her? What if it were Tyler cheating on me?
Oh, god.
I feel sick.
That wouldn’t happen. I know it wouldn’t.
I hope it wouldn’t.
Holy shit.
I’m actually going to vomit.
“Liv? Are you okay?” Tessa’s sharp accent brings me back to now.
I grab a glass and take a big mouthful of wine. “I am now.”
Note to self: never imagine that again.
I follow her to a table by the window. My heart pangs as I remember how Day and I used to do this all the time—once or twice a week at least. I almost feel like I’m cheating on her by sitting here with Tessa.
Holy heck. Fuck the glass. I need the bottle of wine.
“Are you okay?” Tessa asks.
“Fine.” I smile. “Fine. I guess I was wondering… Shit, this is awkward.”
Tessa laughs.
“You seem happier than I’d thought you’d be,” I blurt out.
Well, that’s one way to put it.
