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“Okay.” I can tell Coop is treading carefully, which I appreciate. “If this is gonna be weird for you—”
“Don’t worry about me. This week is about you and Goldie. I mean that. It was ten years ago, and I imagine Lu—”
“She’s Lu to you?”
I hold the tip of my tongue between my teeth. “Yes. And I imagine she’s moved on—”
“She has. Well, she did. She actually just broke off her engagement.”
My stomach seizes. My head snaps in Coop’s direction. “What?”
“Yeah. He’s a buddy of mine. Or was. Came clean about cheating on her a couple weeks ago. Wound’s still fresh, which might explain the—”
“Puking.” And the extreme tipsiness last night.
“For the love of God, if you say that word one more time—”
“Sorry.” I look back at the ocean, head whirring, heart pounding.
She’s single.
Jesus Christ, Lu Wade literally fell into my arms, single and, if her hanging on to my shirt last night is any indication, in serious need of TLC.
If that’s not a sign from the universe, I don’t know what is.
I put that desire for her to bed after I went to Charlotte to win her back a few years ago. Told myself I needed to find someone new. Lu did, and so would I. I tried. I dated. Swiped left plenty of times. But I ended up comparing the girls to Lu. No one inspired me the way she did. No one gave me that sense of excitement and possibility.
Still, time passed, and I thought I was over her. But maybe I just told myself I was. Maybe this desire’s been simmering in the background all along, and now that Lu’s in the picture again, it’s come roaring back to life.
I can’t ignore it.
“How could someone ever cheat on her?”
Coop’s stare burns a hole in the side of my head. “Did you?”
“Fuck no. I’m guilty of many sins, but cheating ain’t one of ’em. He’s not coming to the wedding, is he?”
Cooper lets out a sigh. “He was invited, but I doubt he’ll show.”
“Good.”
“Trust me, no one wants to punch the guy more than I do.” He looks at me.“I understand if this is all too much for you. I can find someone else to fill in as best man—"
“Absolutely not. I’m okay, really.”
She’s single. She’s hurting. She’s horny.
She’s here.
We’re both here, and we’ve been thrown together once again by an epic twist of fate.
Timing may not be perfect, but second chances don’t come often.
I sure as hell ain’t wasting mine.
eight
Louise
White Knight
“You totally fucked him, didn’t you?”
Goldie crosses her arms and looks at me in the mirror as I wash my hands in the sink. Avoiding her eyes, I stick my hands underneath the dryer.
“I did when I was eighteen.” I have to raise my voice so Goldie can hear me. Seriously, why do these things sound like jet engines?
My friend waits until I’m done. “Why have I never heard about him?”
I think about my answer for a minute. I know it’s been ten years, but it still feels weird talking about my relationship with Riley. Probably because I’ve never really talked about it before.
But again, it’s been ten years. And clearly Riley isn’t sweating his mom losing her job anymore. We’re not kids, and I’m not going to get in trouble if anyone finds out about us. Pa is gone, Granny’s not here, and Mom’s busy pickling herself in white wine and ocean water.
I lower my voice. “I’ve never told anyone about our relationship.”
Goldie’s expression softens. “Why not?”
“He was worried his mom would lose her job. His parents were splitting up and she really needed the money.”
She nods, hand on her stomach. Goldie’s not really showing yet, but I can just make out the tiny beginnings of her bump. “Understandable.”
“You okay?” I glance at her belly.
“Ugh, yeah, just starting to feel bloated. And tired. And my feet hurt. But I want to hear more about you and DR. Was it lust? Was it love? Why’d it end? He’s gorgeous, Louise.”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t notice.”
“Was he as hot back then as he is now? Not gonna lie, when Patrick took himself out of the picture, I wondered if you and DR might hit it off.”
“Goldie, Riley told me he loved me, took my virginity, and then broke up with me over text. I’m not touching that man with a ten-foot pole.”
Even though I may or may not have touched him last night.
Goldie doesn’t need to know that part. It’s not like the hate sex he was talking about is going to happen.
I still cringe thinking about the whole thing, even as a hot rush moves down my thighs.
Why’d he have to look so good?
Why’d he have to smell so good? Like summer and possibility and freedom?
No one ever turned me on the way Riley Dixon did.
Goldie gasps. “He didn’t!”
