Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
CHAPTER 32
TRISTAN
“Oh look, Emily just got here, and Nazarene left this morning. What a coincidence,” Ronan cracked as I ushered Emily in.
“Shut it,” I warned him.
Emily waved. “Nice to see you, too, Ronan.”
“Don’t pay attention to that asshole, Emily,” Atticus shouted from the other side of the kitchen.
The guys and I were having an evening barbecue at the house, so I’d invited her. Atticus had just brought in the meat he’d grilled while Ronan handled the sides, which included corn on the cob, pasta salad, grilled vegetables, and cut-up watermelon. I’d somehow gotten out of cooking, although I’d been tasked with running out to buy everything earlier.
Emily and I hadn’t seen each other in a few days, since the cemetery visit and my awkward announcement that I’d given her a million dollars. Things had ended on a tense note after I told her I’d transferred the money to her mother’s account.
Emily looked adorable in an aqua-colored, sleeveless top and jean shorts. She wore flip-flops that showed off her blue-painted toes. Her hair was up in a ponytail, which I secretly loved because you could see her cute little ears sticking out.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, holding back my natural inclination to hug her.
“Well, you said there’d be ribs. I’ve never been able to turn those down.”
“Actually, I think the magic words might have been ‘Nazarene left this morning’. Am I right?”
“That definitely helped.” She smiled.
She didn’t seem mad at the moment, which brightened my outlook considerably.
“What’s your guy doing tonight?” I asked. “You could’ve brought him.”
She looked down at her feet. “Ethan and I broke up, actually.”
My eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
Ronan snorted from somewhere behind me. I had no idea he was paying attention.
I touched her shoulder. “Let’s go out back and talk.”
“What happened?” I asked when we reached the yard and I’d closed the door behind us.
“You were right. I didn’t feel about him the way he felt about me. I’d known that for some time, and it wasn’t fair to keep things going, as much as I wanted the stability of a relationship in my life. Something about him reminded me of the years I was happiest, back in high school before everything turned sour in my life. Nostalgic. And while I enjoyed his company and felt safe with him, that’s not a reason to be with someone. You have to have a stronger connection. I tried. But I’m done lying to myself.”
I tried not to seem overly pleased. “Fair enough.”
“I take it you’re not surprised.”
“Can’t say I am. I always felt like maybe you rushed into things with him.”
“Sort of like you rushed into things with Nazarene?”
More like ran away from my feelings for you right into something I hoped would distract me. I deflected. “Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t stay with him if he doesn’t make you happy.”
She looked back toward the house. “What’s the occasion for this dinner?”
“There is none, really. Although, we did finish the album today, so we probably won’t be going back to the studio again.”
“That must be a good feeling.”
“Yes and no.”
“Why no?”
“Because now I have this pressure to head back to L.A., and I don’t feel ready to leave Shady Hills. Not in the least.”
Atticus opened the sliding door. “Food’s ready. But no rush if you don’t like it hot.”
“Let’s eat.” I gestured toward the house. “We’ll talk more later.”
The four of us gathered around the rustic, wooden table in the dining room. My stomach growled as the aroma of barbecue wafted through the air. Stacks of ribs were piled high atop a metal tray. There was another plate of chicken breast and flank steak.
“There’s enough food here for ten people.” I laughed.
Atticus served himself. “Are you forgetting how much Ronan eats? I’m always paranoid we’re gonna run out of food.”
I turned to Emily. “What can I get you to drink?”
“We’ll have to check your ID first,” Ronan teased.
She gave him the finger. I loved that.
The sun setting outside was a nice backdrop to what turned into a peaceful meal. Emily laughed at Ronan’s dumb jokes and devoured an impressive amount of ribs.
Atticus looked over at her in delight. “Here I was thinking I needed to make a lot of ribs for Ronan, but it seems Emily’s the one throwing down.”
She licked her fingers and shrugged.
“So, Emily…” Ronan said. “Do you know someone named Lilianne Case?”
“I do, actually. She owns the boutique in town.”
“Yeah. I ran into her in the coffee shop earlier. Didn’t seem fazed by me but really sweet. Put in a good word?”
“You like her?”
“I could get used to this small-town life…for the right person.” He pointed his beer in my direction. “This guy’s getting up there. It’s only a matter of time before we all have to find a Plan B, you know?”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks a lot.”