“Fifteen years,” she whispered.
He nodded, waiting to see if she’d take the bait, if she’d open the door to the past.
Ella took a sip of wine. And then, hallelujah, she did. “What delusions?”
“That I’m happy with my life the way it is. I saw my big brother marrying the woman of his dreams and it awakened something dormant inside me. Something I’d been trying not to see. Given how much I drank, I’d say it was pretty apparent I didn’t handle that revelation well.”
Ella considered that, taking another sip. She was using the wine to give her time to think. He appreciated that need, so he didn’t seek to fill the silence.
“So there’s nothing between you and Roni?”
Maverick studied her face, trying to decide if there was a hint of jealousy in her voice. God, he hoped so. “Not a damn thing. One ill-advised, alcohol-fueled make-out session, followed by months of regret. I haven’t touched a woman since that night because…” He let his words fall away because he was certain she wasn’t ready to hear the rest of that statement. He hadn’t touched another woman since that night because memories of her had played on repeat since then, making it clear she was the only one for him.
He grimaced. “I didn’t know Roni had been lying about our night together, though I can’t say I’m surprised.”
Ella snorted. “She was always pretty tenacious when it came to getting what she wanted. I heard some stories that she started a nasty rumor about the other girl who was going out for captain of the cheer squad in school.”
Maverick sighed. “Yeah, I heard that story too. Roni plays dirty, and despite her weak-ass attempts to gain my attention, I’ve made it abundantly clear—countless times—since Levi’s wedding that I’m not interested.”
Ella nodded slowly, and he was relieved to see that she genuinely seemed to believe him. “I’m surprised she and Jeff didn’t wind up together. They were sort of perfect for each other.”
“Oh, there’s still time. He’s coming off a broken marriageanda broken affair. Jeff is like a monkey. He never lets go of one branch until he’s got a firm grip on another. He was okay after his wife dumped him because he had another woman to run to. But he wasn’t prepared when Ivy dumped him, and now he’s floundering. Pair that with Roni’s determination to snag awedding ring, and the timing might finally be perfect for those two.”
Ella smirked, amused. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed living in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else.”
He grinned. “Seriously? You missed that? Because you realize it’s a blessinganda curse.”
“I guess so. Because it’s a two-way street. You can talk about others, but they’re going to talk about you, too.”
“Yep. Hence that reputation of mine.”
“So there’s no truth in it at all?”
She clearly wanted him to say it was all a lie, but Maverick wouldn’t—couldn’t—do that. “It’s true, Ella. I haven’t been looking for a relationship, just companionship for the occasional night.” She frowned, so he added, “Sometimes it ends in sex. Sometimes it doesn’t. And it’s never followed by a second date or night.”
“So just sex, not love,” she mused, more to herself than him.
“Sex doesn’t have to involve love. These days, for me, it’s about pleasure, release, nothing more.”
Her expression told him she didn’t think that sounded like a good thing, which sparked his curiosity about her past love affairs.
“I can see you don’t agree.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” she replied hastily. “I just don’t have any experience with one-night stands. Sex for me has always been part of a relationship.”
“Are you dating someone now?” It was a bold question, one he assumed he knew the answer to, simply because she’d admitted to Edith and the girls that there wasn’t any reason for her to return to Meridian.
“No. I just got out of a long-term relationship a few months ago.”
“Oh,” he said. “Should I say sorry, or was that your decision?”
Ella toyed with the stem of her wineglass. “I broke it off. I know people aren’t supposed to make any huge life decisions right after a loss, but Silas sort of forced my hand.”
“Silas,” Maverick repeated quietly.
“I actually haven’t dated much,” Ella confessed. “I dated a guy, Joel, my last two years of college, but we both knew the relationship was going to end after graduation. He was determined to work overseas, and I had no interest in moving out of the country. I tried online dating for a while, but I had a knack for attracting the worst guys imaginable. I must have gone on twenty dates over the course of five years, and all of them sucked.”
Maverick gave her a sympathetic grin. “I’ve never tried online dating.”
