“A Sprite?”
“Yep.”
“Oh-kay.” He glances over his shoulder as he walks toward the bar, brows furrowed as if he expects me to run.If only.
For the next hour, I nurse the same drink, while Cade fills me in on all the guys I used to know. As though no time has passed and me being here is nothing out of the ordinary. Completely oblivious to how uncomfortable I am. Or maybe he’s ignoring it. Pretending he hasn’t noticed my forced smile, or my gaze locked on the table where I’m currently taking my frustrations out on a poor defenseless napkin, tearing it to shreds while I listen.
When the conversation shifts to our douchebag ex-teammate still trying his luck with the cheerleader from our high school, I actually laugh.
Cade grins triumphantly, nodding as though my reaction makes everything right in the world, and I roll my eyes.
“See.” He leans forward, his smile widening. “I knew this was going to be good.”
I return his smile, but what I really want to do is throw a dictionary at his head and tell him to check the definition of “good” because this is anything but that. Though I’ll admit, it’s not as bad as I thought.
“Zane Fitzpatrick?” A voice from my past has my body tensing and my palm clenching around my glass.Fuck. Thought too soon. “Is that really you?”
“Yep.” I wave, barely giving him a second of eye contact.
“What has it been? Five years?”
“Close enough.” I shrug, hoping my curt response is the hint he needs to walk away, but all it does is piss him off.
“Is that how it’s going to be?” He stands tall and leans over the table, his nostrils flared, his angry gaze boring into mine. “Tell me, have you bothered visiting your parents while you’re here? What do you think of the redecoration?”
“Hey now,” Cade warns, his eyes narrow as he glares up at our old friend.
“Do you even know where they live?”
“You don’t have to answer that, Zane. Ignore him.”
“No, fucker. Why shouldn’t he answer? Heleft. He left and never looked back, leaving us all to pick up the pieces. You weren’t the only one hurting, you know?”
I open my mouth to speak despite having no idea what the hell I’m going to say. But it doesn’t matter; he continues on without letting me get in a word. “Why are you back, Zane? Did you think we all missed your stupid TV show? That we didn’t see your cocky face talking up your new life? Bragging about how settled you are now that you’re living in San Francisco? You may have moved on. But this town hasn’t. It wasn’t as easy for us.”
Fuck. Why am I back? WhyamI here?Shoving my chair with a force that sends it crashing to the floor, I jump up and beeline to the exit, ignoring Cade as he calls out after me.
I don’t need this.
I don’twantthis.
I hold my breath until I make it outside, but before I can release it, Cade rushes out after me. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t be here anymore, Cade. I shouldn’t have come back.”
“I get it. I do. He was a fucker. I’m sorry. But let me help. Or at least let me drive you somewhere.”
“You’ve been drinking.”
“So?”
“So?” Throwing my hands in the air, I kick the dirt in frustration. “Are you fucking kidding me, Cade? I’m not letting you drive.”
Cade’s face falls and he sighs. “Okay. That was stupid. But where are you going to go?”
“I’ll hitch a ride back to the hotel.”
“It’s nearly an hour.”
