After moving away from Moose Falls after college with my boyfriend, I thought I had everything figured out. Life was good. I thought the two of us were going to get married. I was head over heels in love until the rug was pulled out from under me. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one he was in love with.
Whenever it comes to relationships? I turn into a bear.
The thought of them makes me do a complete one-eighty. My mom trying to hook me up? I can’t help being standoffish.
When I moved back here, I swore off relationships.
Trees? I like my trees. And my friends.
Relationships?
I don’t do them. I like playing the field. It’s fun. There’s nothing wrong with casual sex. It works for me.
Something I don’t really tell my mom, so I go with reminding her I’m not ready to settle down.
Besides, my schedule is chaotic at best during the holidays. I don’t want to have someone waiting on me when I won’t be home until all hours of the night.
“Look who finally decided to show up,” Brooks says, fingers balancing three drinks as he weaves his way through the crowd when I step inside.
“Some of us had to work today.”
“If I could flip you off, I would.”
I grin back at him. “I know.”
“Forgot all the hard work I did foryoutoday.”
My grin gets bigger. “While I’ve been chopping down trees.”
“Because you won’t let me near the ax.”
“For good reason.”
I love Brooks, mainly because it’s so easy to give him shit. He’s been good for Charlie this last year, and I’ve loved seeing the two of them grow together as a couple.
Not something I want anymore because I’m perfectly happy on my own, but they seem to be doing just fine.
“What’s this big emergency?” I ask, grabbing a beer from Brooks and sliding into the round booth at the back of the bar with Griffin, Theo, and Ollie. Christmas lights are twinkling as holiday songs play from the jukebox.
“Technically, I was not the one that called it an emergency,” Ollie clarifies, adjusting his glasses. Having known him my entire life—our mothers met in the hospital and became best friends—I know this is his nervous tic.
“I, well…” he starts and stops.
I sip on my drink, letting him take all the time he needs to gather his thoughts. I grab a pretzel from the bowl Charlie brought over and pop it into my mouth.
“You’re worrying me,” Griffin says.
“I need a boyfriend.”
Coughing, my pretzel gets lodged in my throat. Charlie pats me on the back as I swig down my drink to try and clear it.
“I’m sorry, what? A boyfriend?”
“Yes.” His cheeks turn cherry red.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him turn this color before.
“Why do you need a boyfriend?” Theo asks.
