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“And I’ll see you Monday for teacher prep week. I can’t believe the new school year is already here.”
“Same here. The summer flew by. Have a good weekend,” I replied, getting off the call and heading into the living room. Lyndi was still on the couch where I’d left her, her nose back in her Kindle. “You know, you might have a better chance at getting some sleep if you’d put down the book and try.”
She smirked, letting her reading device fall into her lap. “You might be right. I’m gonna go to bed. Who was on the phone?”
“Stella. She wants me to do a live wedding portrait for Aria and Will.”
Lyndi’s eyes lit up. “Ah, I love those. Have you seen them on TikTok?”
“No, but I’m gonna check it out. I’ve never heard of it.”
“That would be amazing. You should totally do it. Dang it, I know I just took NyQuil and should go to bed, but now I want to stay up and watch those videos with you.”
Shaking my head, I put my phone in the side pocket of my leggings. “No way. You need to get better so you can shoot this weekend, and I need to eat dinner and then obsess over my closet in peace.”
“Uh, why?”
“Because I ran into Zac on the way to the drugstore, and he wants me to meet him at Mickey’s so we can talk.”
Lyndi’s mouth dropped open. “Shut the front door. He did? And you’re going?”
“You’re the one who wanted me to talk to him.”
“I know, but I didn’t think you’d actually listen. Good for you.” She stood from the couch, groaning slightly. “Okay, I’m going to bed for real this time. Have fun later. Try to be open-minded.”
My lips pulled into a tight line. “You know, you’ve been by my side for the last three years hating him with me. Shouldn’t you still be on my side? Shouldn’t you be encouraging me to stay away or something?”
Lyndi gave me a sad smile and looked away, seeming to think carefully about her answer. “It’s funny, I’ve thought a lot about how I’d react if Zac ever showed his face here again and tried to get you to give him another chance. I thought I’d be super mad and protective of you. I thought I’d get all up in his face and tell him to stay away from my sister and say, ‘Shame on you,’ or whatever.”
“But that’s not the case?”
“No, I guess it isn’t. Because at the end of the day, I want you to be happy again. And I’ve never seen you happier than when you were with him. That has to mean something, right?”
Her words cut through me, causing a lump to form in my throat. I jerked my head down the hall of our cute little bungalow. “Go get some sleep. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
* * *
Istepped through the door of Mickey’s pub five minutes early, and I was immediately assaulted with the off-key wailing that could only mean one thing. Karaoke night. Oh,brother. How had I forgotten? Thursday nights at Mickey’s had been karaoke night for as long as I could remember. And since Zac and I had made some funny memories together up on that stage, meeting up with him here added a whole new layer of feelings.
Mickey waved from behind the bar, and I smiled back, heading over and taking a seat. “Hey, Mickey.”
“Hey, Layla. How are you?”
“Good. You?” It was a lie, of course. I wasn’t good. I was practically shaking in my seat. But I didn’t need to get into that.
“I’ll be better when this song ends,” he replied with a smirk. “You want a Mic Ultra?”
I nodded, rubbing my hands along my thighs, the smooth denim beneath them heating with the movement.
Mickey grabbed my beer and placed it on the bar before me, then looked at the empty stool on my right where I’d placed my purse. “You expecting someone else or drinking alone tonight?”
“Expecting someone.”
“Cool, I’ll be back.”
I watched as he moved down the bar to help one of the other patrons, then my gaze traveled around the crowded pub. At least the noise level would keep people from overhearing our conversation. I’d wanted to talk to Zac in public so I’d be less likely to break down and cry. Sure, I was a tough gal. But I was a sensitive artist at heart, after all. Emotions ran high, and the last thing I wanted to do was get all weepy in front of the guy who broke my heart without a backward glance.
The minutes ticked by as I nursed my beer, and even though I made my best effort to relax and let the amateur singers on the corner stage distract me, I kept looking toward the door. Where was he? It was now ten after seven, and Zac had never been one to be late for anything.
