I chuckled. “I am, bossy.”
I hung up and clicked over to my Delta App. After I’d chosen my flight and my seat, I threw a bag together along with some nice clothes, and headed to PDX to see my sister.
On the way, I texted Michael to let him know where I was going, and sent a quick message to my parents.
Me: Going to see Nicole for a few days. I’ll let you know when I’m coming back.
Mom: Okay. Let us know when you get there.
Dad: It’s gonna be okay, son. You boys will work it out.
As I sat at my gate an hour later, I thought about how it had been four days and I hadn’t heard from Preston. I’d thrown myself into applying for internships and cleaning my apartment. Alejandro had told me to text him when I was ready to come back. Preston was his best friend, and I wasn’t sure I could ever go back, because seeing him would hurt too much.
I boarded my flight and buckled in for the two-and-a-half-hour flight. That god the plane had movies to distract me, because the last flight I was on was withhim.
When I rounded exited the terminal to head to baggage claim, I found my sister waiting for me. She walked up and gave me a big hug.
“Hey, Nicole.” I kissed her on the cheek.
“Hey, big brother. Welcome to San Diego.”
CHAPTER30
PRESTON
Sittingat the end of the bar, I threw back my third shot ofFireball, hoping it would numb me from the pain. Alejandro stood in front of me, drinking a bottle of water.
When I finished, he took the whiskey away and replaced the shot glass with a bottle of water. I should have been pissed at him, but I didn’t have the energy right now.
“You finally ready to talk about it? It didn’t take you four days last time.”
I shook my head, spinning the bottle in circles between my fingers. “Not really. There’s nothing to say except that it’s over.”
He waited me out and came to sit on the barstool beside me. When the daytime bartender came by to talk to Alejandro, I listened carefully to their conversation.
“Hey Regan, do you think you could work a double a couple of nights this coming week?”
She smiled. “Sure. When do you need me?”
“Tomorrow night, for sure. Go back and check the schedule. You’ll be working for Nick.”
“No problem, boss.”
When she walked away, he looked over at me. “What happened? Don’t tell me it’s none of my business. You wiped out my bartender for another week, so you owe me an answer.”
I scoffed. “You know what happened. It’s what always happens to me when I think I’ve found someone to love me.”
He didn’t comment right away, but sat there, clearly thinking about his next words. “I’m sorry, man, but that doesn’t sound like Nick. He must have told you about the internship.”
My gaze quickly met his as a frown took over my face. “You knew about it? Why didn’t you tell me? I knew you were holding back on something.”
He leaned forward. “It wasn’t my place to say anything, you asshole. Did you seriously split up because he’s got an opportunity to get a better job? I distinctly remember him telling you his job came first. And you were okay with that.”
“I thought he meant long hours, not potentially thousands of miles.”
He laughed humorlessly, like I was an idiot. “Didn’t you ever talk about anything that would come after the project? He told me and all his co-workers. How could you, of all people, not know that?”
I furrowed my brow. “What the fuck does that mean? Of course, we talked about after he finished. What kind of self-centered asshole do you take me for?”
