AllFreeNovel
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It was one of the things I’d loved about him when we were together. He was always where he said he’d be when he said he’d be there. He was unfailingly dependable. Reliable. Steadfast. Until he wasn’t. Maybe this was the new Zac. The one I didn’t even know anymore.
Finally, at seven thirty, he rushed through the door. His eyes searched the room in a frantic scan, his posture relaxing when he spotted me. My pulse sped up as he neared, pushing through the crowd until he reached me at the bar. I moved my purse so he could sit.
“Hey, I’m so glad you’re still here,” he said, dropping onto the barstool and blowing out a breath.
“I was actually just about to leave.”
He winced. “I’m sorry. Dinner with Gray ran long, and then he slipped in the shower and bumped his head, so I didn’t want to leave him until I knew he was okay.”
“Is he?” I asked, sitting up straighter in alarm.
“Yeah, he’s fine. But he’s going to have a nasty goose egg in the morning. Poor guy, I felt so bad.”
“Aw.” My heart went out to the boy and his father automatically. “That must have been scary for him.”
“Definitely. He’s pretty new to showering. Last week he told me since he was starting first grade this year he was ‘too old’ for baths.” He used air quotes to emphasizetoo old, his eyes sparkling when I chuckled. “Anyway, yeah, that’s why I was late. I would have texted you to let you know, but I don’t have your number anymore.”
My mouth went dry, and I looked away.Wow. I’d had the same phone number since high school, so I guessed that meant he’d deleted my number. Cool. I flagged Mickey down and pointed to my empty beer bottle, signaling for another one.
He took one out of the fridge and came over, placing it in front of me before nodding at Zac with a measured gaze. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, Mickey, yeah. I just moved back.”
“What’ll it be?”
I pursed my lips and looked down, noting the edge in Mickey’s voice. Zac and I had dated for two years, and even though he’d lived in the barracks in Beaufort at the time, we’d spent a fair amount of time together in Bluffton. He’d gotten to know a lot of people in this town as my boyfriend, and after word got around that he’d suddenly left and taken my heart with him … well, let’s just say they didn’t take kindly to someone hurting one of their own. Small towns had long memories.
“Uh, what do you have on tap?” Zac asked, shifting uncomfortably on his stool.
Mickey rattled off a list and Zac chose one, then Mickey delivered it quickly and left without another word.
Zac turned to me. “Well, that was awkward.”
“Yep.”
“If he hadn’t poured it right in front of me, I might have worried there was spit in here.” He took a swig, wrinkling his nose like it had gone down sideways.
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I looked back over at the stage where a teen girl from one of my classes last year picked up the mic. I’d heard her sing here before and she was good. A smile crept onto my face as the first notes of a Taylor Swift song began to play.
Zac looked over at her, then back at me. “So, school’s about to start. You excited?”
“Yeah, but um, you promised no chitchat.”
“I did. You’re right. So, let’s just get into it, then.”
“Sounds good.”
He took a deep breath, looking unsteady. “Layla, I’m really sorry that I hurt you.”
Okay, off to a good start there. “Thank you.”
“It wasn’t my intention, even though I knew it would happen. But when I told you it was for the best, I meant it.”
At this, I stiffened, my hand tightening on my beer. “How so?”
“Well, back then, we’d talked about the fact that we didn’t want kids. We were in agreement there. I mean, I know we talked about maybe wanting them eventually, but we were both focused on our careers and wanted to travel and be together for a while before we even entertained that notion.”
“Okay.”
