Before I can process that bombshell, Belinda appears at my elbow, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
"You dark horse," she says, bumping my shoulder. "You've been holding out on us."
"I haven't been—we're not—" The words tangle in my throat. How do I explain it was fake without making last night sound even worse? Without admitting that Kevin was just being kind, and I dragged him into my mess?
"Oh, don't be embarrassed," Harriette calls from behind the bar, already pouring drinks. "It's sweet."
Sweet. Right. If by sweet she means mortifying, then sure.
I make my way to the back to drop off my bag, trying to ignore the knowing smiles and thumbs-up I get along the way. My face is so hot I'm pretty sure I could fry an egg on it.
Ainsley finds me in the break room, where I'm considering hiding for the rest of my shift.
"Sooo," she says, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a smile playing at her lips. "Apparently you're dating Kevin now."
I groan and drop my head into my hands. "This is a nightmare."
"This is Evergreen Lakes," she corrects. "Population twenty-two hundred, where everyone knows everyone's business before they do. What did you expect?"
"I expected people to forget about it!" I lift my head to look at her. "It was one comment. One panicked, stupid comment."
"That you made in front of a packed bar on Friday night." Ainsley's smile softens into something more sympathetic. "Steph, people have been speculating about you and Kevin for months. Last night was just... confirmation."
"But there's nothing to confirm! We're not together."
"Does Kevin know that?"
The question stops me cold. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She gives me a look. "It means that man played along without a single second of hesitation. It means he's been coming here four nights a week for the past ten months, sitting at the bar and watching you like you're the only person in the room. You know how he feels about you." She pauses, lifting her brow. "And how you feel about him."
"He's protective," I interrupt, refusing to acknowledge the second part. "Because of what happened with Carl. That's all it is."
"If you say so." She doesn't sound convinced. "But you might want to talk to him about it. Because the whole town thinks you're a couple now, and unless you plan to make a public announcement otherwise..."
She trails off, letting the implication hang in the air.
I close my eyes. She's right. Of course she's right. I need to talk to Kevin, apologize again, and figure out how to manage this mess I've created.
"He's here, by the way," Ainsley adds, and my eyes snap open. "Showed up twenty minutes ago with Troy, Ace, and Levi. They're posted up at the bar."
My heart does something complicated in my chest. "He's here?"
"Yep. And he's gotten about as many congratulations as you have." She pauses. "He seems fine with it, for what it's worth."
He seems fine with it.
I don't know what to do with that information, so I shove it aside and grab my apron. "I should get to work."
"Steph." Ainsley's voice stops me at the door. "For what it's worth? I think you two would be good together. When you're ready."
I don't answer. Can't answer. Because there's a part of me—a small, terrified part that I've been trying very hard to ignore—that wonders what it would be like if last night hadn't been a lie.
The bar is even more crowded than when I arrived. I tie on my apron and slip into work mode, taking orders and mixing drinks with practiced efficiency. Muscle memory takes over, which is good because my brain is occupied with trying very hard not to look at the far end of the bar.
Where Kevin is sitting.
I can feel him watching me. It's like a physical touch, that awareness. The same way I've felt it for months now, every time he's here.
