Jade
Go take a cold shower, Ford.
He doesn’t respond, since he most likely had to go. A stupid grin lifts my lips anyways and I shake my head to myself, trying to ignore the heat that blooms in the pit of my stomach.
Maybe I need to follow my own damn advice…
“Oh my gosh, Jade, don’t turn around,” Ellie whispers, her eyes wide as they dart past me and then back to my face.
My brow furrows and without even trying it, I start to turn my head to look over my shoulder. “What?”
Ellie’s hand darts out and grabs my shoulder, turning me back to face her. “I just said don’t turn around.”
Her voice is barely audible due to the music playing in the bar, although I can hear her with how close she leans toward me. “I think I see Aiden standing over near the pool tables.”
My stomach falls, my eyes widening to match hers. “Aiden, Aiden?”
She bobs her head. “Yeah. Your Aiden.”
“He’s not mine,” I remind her, narrowing my eyes. “We broke up four years ago and have barely spoken since.” I grab my martini from the bar, gripping the stem and bringing it to my lips with haste. The liquor burns my throat as I down the rest of my drink. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Ellie’s eyes shift over to the corner, squinting as she stares back in the corner. “No idea. Looks like he’s here with two other guys.”
I snort. “That’s surprising there’s no women with him.”
“You said Matty’s out of town, so he can’t be here for a game.”
I wrack my brain for a reason and come up empty handed. “No. It’s weird that he’s here.”
“Maybe he’s here for you.”
“Oh my gosh, no,” I laugh, shaking my head. “I would never get back with him.”
Ellie arches a perfectly sculpted brow. “Hmm.” A smirk pulls on her lips. “I can’t imagine why that is.”
I stare at her. “Maybe because he cheated on me, God knows how many times?”
“That’s definitely a reason why not to.” She tilts her head to the side, resting her arm on the back of her seat. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with Matteo Ford though, right?”
Ellie’s smile falters just as I’m about to respond, and her eyes shift to the side again. “Shit, he’s coming this way.”
Panic wells inside me. “What do I do? I don’t want to see him?”
“Too late,” Ellie mumbles as she purses her lips and looks past me. “He saw me and I think he saw you, too.”
Fuck me.
I turn in my seat to face the bar, pushing my empty glass toward the edge of the counter. If I can get the bartender’s attention, I can pay my tab and be on my merry way.
There’s movement to my right. The seat next to me that was empty? Yeah, it’s occupied now.
“Well, if it isn’t Jade Wilson.”
My spine stiffens. I draw my shoulders back and look to my right. “Oh, hey, Aiden.” The last time I spoke to Aiden was a few years ago, six months after we broke up. He called me drunk, begging for me to take him back.
He called me the next day to apologize, claiming he didn’t mean it. I guess at this point, we’ll never know if he did or not.
“How are you?” he asks. Ellie blows out a breath as I turn to face my ex-boyfriend. His hazel eyes rake over my body. “You look good.”
