That’s when I see Ian over Jordan’s shoulder. His eyes are wild as he pushes toward the group’s center. Toward us. He avoids eye contact with me as he stops directly behind Jordan, tapping him on the shoulder.
And when Jordan turns around, Ian punches him squarely in the jaw.
Chapter 11
PAIGE
· PRESENT DAY ·
“Please, I just want to talk for five minutes.” Ian’s voice is gentle and pleading as he angles his body toward me, giving us a smidgeon of privacy from Zia and Jordan. His crystal-blue eyes pierce mine, and I feel sixteen again, catching his gaze in the middle of a basketball game or over my latest book—or between his sweet kisses.
I shut my eyes and wrestle my racing heart into submission, telling it to behave while I conjure up the image of Ian kissing Olivia or the way I’d held a bag of ice to Jordan’s bruised jaw the night of Homecoming. Ian’s eyes may be a stunning Caribbean blue, and the years might have shone favorably on his physique,but no amount of time could erase the heartache I suffered because of the man in front of me.
I straighten my shoulders and tilt up my chin, channeling my inner Missy. I am Paige Devons. I am fierce. I am strong. And unlike last time, I will walk away from this man unscathed.
Then I open my eyes and take in those baby blues, and my mouth betrays me for Team Ian. “Okay, let’s talk.”
I want to clamp my hands around my traitorous lips.
Jordan looks at me with about as much bafflement as I feel. His eyebrows knit together as he stares at me, and I can’t tell if he’s asking if this is really what I want or if he should return Ian’s long-ago punch with interest.
Zia tugs Jordan’s arm. “We’ll see you at our table.” Her words exude confidence, like she knows it’s only a matter of minutes before Ian charms me into this date.
But I missed an episode ofSunsets and Sabotageto be here, and I am not happy about it. I may have agreed to hear him out, but when it comes to Ian’s ability to reach my heart, consider it in an iron lockbox inside another lockbox.
Despite Jordan’s clear reluctance to leave me alone with Ian, Zia pulls him with her, and they disappear through the ornate golden arch of the Indian restaurant.
I fold my arms across my chest and level my most mature scowl at Ian. The one that says,You may have fooled me in high school, but I’m a grown woman now who knows how to handle scum like you.
“You knew it was me on the phone, didn’t you?” I finally ask. “How did you know I was back in town? Did you ask Zia to set this up? Your phone number had a Hawaiian area code—or is that even your real number?”
Ian throws his hands up. “Paige, I promise—I did not set this up. Zia was telling me that she knew a girl at her work that she thought was my type. And yes, that is my real number. I lived inHawaii after high school. And no, I didn’t know it was you on the phone. Well… initially I didn’t.”
Initially?“Well, you could have clued me in. How was I supposed to know it was you when your number is different and your voice is…”A deep, rich bass? Wildly attractive? Worthy of a Grammy?“Has changed.”
“I was going to tell you,” Ian says, and his handsome face is pure penitence. “But when you told me about ‘Faithfully’ being one of your favorite songs, and hearing your voice light up…” He pauses. “It brought me right back to when we dated, the relationship we had back then.”
I scoff, but a blush steals across my cheeks as I recall all the times I held his hand as we listened to that song in his car, thinking “faithful” was a forever word.
“And I knew if I told you who I was,” he continues, “you’d never want to see me, let alone go on a date with me.”
“What makes you think I want to go on a date with you now?” My tone is sharp. I don’t try to sugarcoat my words. Ian hurt me, and I shouldn’t have to pretend he didn’t.
“Paige,” he says softly. “What I did to you was wrong. And you’re right. You shouldn’t want to go on a date with me.” He swallows, his Adam's apple dipping. “But I feel like I’ve been given a second chance to say something I was too cowardly to say in high school. And if you’ll give me just a moment, I want to explain myself.”
I stop just shy of rolling my eyes. “You don’t have to explain. I think the whole school saw how little our relationship meant to you.”
“No. They saw an impulsive decision that cost me the only girl I’ve ever loved.”
My heart seems to stop beating altogether at the sentiment behind those words. Once upon a time, Ian loved me. And I loved him. We may have been young, but even now, almostseven years later, I know what I felt then was genuine. I also know what it feels like to have my love thrown away like an empty bag of chips.
Ian takes a deep breath. “I was waiting to ask you to Homecoming. I’d ordered those flowers—plumeria, I think they were called. The ones Ji gave you and Missy after she went to Hawaii. The moment you saw them, your eyes lit up, and I could tell they were instantly your new favorite.”
I swallow, swiftly recalling that moment with Ian, Missy, and Ji when Ji returned from spring break. I did love those flowers, so much so that I went home and pressed them between the pages of my journal.
“I wanted to surprise you, so I ordered them. The problem was that they were coming from Hawaii, and shipping took longer than I expected. When they came, I was so happy I could finally ask you to Homecoming with them that I tore the box open on the kitchen counter to make sure they were the real deal. And that’s when my dad came into the kitchen.”
He sighs. “It was the first time I’d seen him sober in days, and he pointed to the box and said, ‘That girl is the best choice you’ve ever made. Don’t mess it up and marry some trash like your mom.’ I was so mad, Paige.” Ian shakes his head, likely thinking about his poor excuse for a dad.
