Series: Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 78(@200wpm)___ 62(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 78(@200wpm)___ 62(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
"If it was just me, then fine. I don't care. But Aubrey was with me last night."
“Bree isn’t even interested in dating. They’d never believe it and if they did, hell, they’d probably be happy she was getting some action.”
A flare of disbelief and even a hint of anger run through me. People would run away with that rumor about Bree. They'd never shut up about it. He needs to be more careful with what he says, or–
Or what? One kiss doesn't mean I'm dating Aubrey. I inhale a deep breath and steady myself. It doesn't mean I have any claim on her. I can't shut Steve down right now, or he'll think I've lost my mind.
Blowing up at Steve over an off-handed comment, as much as I hate it, would probably get around town, too, and it would have the same result. People would talk about Aubrey. They'd make all kinds of assumptions about her private life, and nobody needs to be doing that.
Not when she's–
Mine.
It sounds clear in my head. Right. She's mine. I know she's not. I know that whatever was between us last night, it doesn't mean I can speak for her in the light of day.
The best move is to keep things focused on Steve and his wife, because that's what this is about. Not me and Aubrey.
I dry off another glass. "You need to come clean, Steve. That's the only thing there is to do. If you and your wife want privacy, you can ask for it. But I can’t let people think Aubrey and I slept together when we didn’t."
Steve runs his hand over his face and leans back in his barstool. It creaks behind him, and I wonder when the last time it was that he had a full night off. Maybe if he had more time to spend with his wife, they wouldn't be in any kind of situation right now.
"I know, I know. I’m sorry." He pauses with his hand still over his eyes. "Wait...Bree?"
"No, wait." Steve uncovers his eyes and looks me over. He leans closer, his eyes narrowed, and I know he's about a second from figuring out what happened between us. Shit, shit, shit. I never should have said anything. I should have kept her out of it. "Did something else--"
"Steve--"
"Did something else happen last night other than me falling back in love with my ex?"
Steve's eyes are bright, and he pushes his fingers into the bar like a detective on one of those cop shows who's just been handed a major clue. “You and Bree? You and her are a real thing?”
It’s like he just now realized what half the town already knows. I can tell he’s happy for me, even if he thinks his world is going to crumble because this town doesn’t shut up and his marriage is at the mercy of rumors and late nights.
I don't know what to say. I open my mouth to answer him, because he's sitting right there and I can't ignore the question, but I have no idea how to explain what happened last night without making things harder for Aubrey.
Just then, there's a sound up front--the latch on the door clicking into place.
Then the door swings open, and I can't say a thing because she’s standing right in front of us.
AUBREY
I don't know what I expected when I got in my car and drove over here, but it wasn't the awkward silence that falls when I push open the door of the bar and step inside.
Bennet looks at me, his eyes wide, like he's surprised to see me, which is justifiable. And Steve– the man who has owned this bar for as long as I can remember--looks at me with a strange expression I can't pinpoint. The music is off. It's so quiet I can hear my own heartbeat.
"Hi." My voice sounds too loud without all the chatter of other people and the constant music that played last night, along with the game on the TV behind the bar, and my face heats up all over again. This is the tenth time today. "I know you're not open, Steve, but if I could just..."
I motion to Bennet, who's wiping down the glasses behind the bar.
"Of course." Steve waves me over to the barstool next to him, rearranging his face. A little alarm goes off in the back of my mind, but I could be reading too much into it. Also, my heart is going a million miles an hour. "Good to see you, Aubrey."
"Good to see you, too."
This time, there's nobody else. I'm front and center. No distractions, no friends, nothing but the two of us. And no liquid courage. My heart flutters. At the center of that feeling is a warm spark that's pure excitement.
I'm not going to beat around the bush. "Did you hear the rumors?"