And her kiss.
Hell, that kiss sparked more than joy. It sparked something I thought died with my wife.
Which is why I need to forget about it. Pretend it never happened.
Because it wasn’t just one of the best kisses of my life.
It was the most dangerous, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ROWAN
A cheer ripsthrough the crowded bar as someone belts out the chorus to “Livin’ on a Prayer”, most of them too drunk to care about pitch.
The large room is dim and sticky in that charming, well-loved way, neon beer signs buzzing against the walls. The air smells like spilled whiskey, citrus cleaner, and whatever’s been frying in the kitchen.
After dinner, I’d been looking forward to curling up in bed. But when Dylan invited me to join her, Claire, and Joshua at a local bar for karaoke night, I knew I had to take the opportunity.
Despite everything I’ve done this year — sleeping in my van under desert stars, waking up in new states with no plan — I’ve never been to a karaoke bar.
So I said yes.
I also wasn’t ready to go home yet.
Even with my own space, I can feel Hayden whenever I’m there, so I opted for a distraction.
And karaoke has definitely been an amazing distraction.
I haven’t thought about that kiss once since I got here. It’s hard to think about it when listening to a wide range of locals sing. Some people have been quite good. But others… Well, they don’t seem to care how bad they sound. They’re having fun. And that’s all that matters.
“The show’s on the stage. Not on those TVs,” Claire says, nudging Dylan, who quickly tears her gaze away from the various screens hanging over the bar.
“I’m watching the show,” she argues.
“Right,” Joshua draws out with a playful roll of his eyes. “We know you better than that.”
I steal a glance toward the bar, all three screens broadcasting the same hockey game. “Are you a hockey fan?”
“You could say that,” Claire answers for Dylan. “Or a fan of a certain hockey player.” She waggles her brows, bringing her drink to her lips.
“It’s nothing.” Dylan turns her attention to me. “Archer Ward grew up next door to us. He and Finn were close since they both played hockey together. That’s all.” She looks straight ahead, her expression distant.
I get the feeling there’s a lot more to the story than she’s telling me.
And based on her friends’ expressions, there definitely is. But I don’t know Dylan well enough to press.So I return my attention to the stage just as the song ends, the entire bar cheering as if they just witnessed one of the biggest names in music perform instead of a local singing off-key.
“Next up is Joshua!” the MC announces.
We all clap as Joshua stands, mock-bowing.
“You better have chosen something good,” he calls to Claire, wagging a finger.
Apparently, they have a rule whenever they come to karaoke together. You don’t choose your own song. Someone else does. They told me I didn’t have to play their game if I didn’t want to. But who knows when I’ll have the chance to do something like this again?
I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that life is short.
So I not only agreed to sing, but allowed Joshua to pick a song for me.
