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My heart, already heavy from the day’s events, aches for her and what she’s already lost in her life. “We’re gonna have to fixherbefore she does something stupid.”
Chris nods in agreement. “Especially if Casey stays in town for long.”
“She’s probably going to slash his tires. And I’ll be there with her, so we’re gonna count on you to bail us out.” Even as I say it, a sense of foreboding falls over my shoulders. “Wait,” I spin around, expecting her to be gone. But she is sitting right at the furthest table from the bar. “Phew.”
Chris laughs. “Get over there with her and keep an eye on both of us.” He rolls his eyes, but I hear the honesty in his voice and the nervous tremor.
After ordering another round of drinks to be brought to our table from the gorgeous bartender with bright-purple hair, I smile at Chris. “How bad can it be?”
Bad. It is very, very bad.
“Is that really the guy?” Bria pulls out her phone and takes a picture before sending it to her mom. “That’s not the guy. No way. It can’t be.”
Chris is still sitting at the bar ten minutes into the date, which says something about what is happening. We just don’t know what it says, though.
Chris is tall, built, and extremely good-looking even if he is bald. The man their mom had set him up with? About five foot ten if that, and he looks like he’d be more comfortable in a library than a gym. Which wouldn’t be a problem, except that Chris spends more than two hours a day working out to stay in shape.
Bria’s phone chimes and she grimaces when she reads the response that comes from her mom. “She says it’s him. And to stop spying on Chris.”
“Maybe it’s not going bad,” I muse. “Maybe it’s going great. You never know.”
Chris hasn’t looked our way once since the guy sat down at the bar with him, so that is good.
“He’s wearing a cardigan, Avery,” Bria scoffs, slightly slurred. “Why would Chris like someone with a cardigan?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
Their mom really has no idea what Chris’ type is if she thinks he’ll like a bookworm.
Except, as we watch, blatantly spying on the scene twenty feet away, there is a dramatic shift in the air.
Chris looks down at his hands for a moment, only for the bookworm to place one hand on his chin and lift his face so that they are looking at each other.
“What’s this?” Bria hisses, moving to get up. “We gotta help him.”
“Shh,” I snap. “He’s not hurting him. Look.”
We both watch as the bookworm presses a soft kiss to Chris’ lips from across the bar and immediately start clapping.
“WOO!” I call out with a smile.
Bria cheers. “Get it, Chris!”
The bookworm lets go of Chris’ face, and Chris glares playfully at us. Then they are both up and walking toward us, hand in hand.
“Bria.” Chris says her name as soon as they are standing with us at the table. “You remember Liam, right?”
I gasp, unable to help myself. “The Liam?”
Bria stares open-mouthed at the scene, before she breaks out in a huge smile. “Oh, Mom didgood!”
“Liam O’Neil.” The bookworm holds out his hand for me to shake. “Chris’ first boyfriend.”
“Oh, I know who you are.” I tell him by way of greeting. “I’m Avery James. And when y’all get married, you’re gonna be stuck with me forever. He’s my honorary husband.”
Liam smiles broadly, unable to help himself. “I don’t know about all that. It’s been a long time.”
“Pshaw,” Bria sings out. “You’re stuck with us now. There’s no way Chris is gonna let you go. Not if you’re back in Birch permanently. He still has a picture of you two on his wall.”
