She looked at him like she was pretending she hadn’t noticed he was there. “Ethan. Hi.”
“Are you here alone?”
She paused. Then the bartender set two drinks down in front of her—a beer and a whiskey sour. Maggie’s drink.
He looked back at Polly. “Where is she?”
“So you’re telling me,Ethan stood in that little apartment looking at you like he wanted to fuck you?—”
“I didnotsay that,” Maggie spluttered from the passenger seat.
“And you suggestedfriends?” Polly continued, like Maggie hadn’t spoken.
“Of course I suggested friends. Things between us are complicated and he’s taken.”
“According to town gossip, he went on a couple dates with her. I haven’t heard anything about them going on a date since you got back to town.”
Her heart kicked at her ribs. “But?—”
“Don’t you bring up those condoms again.”
Maggie’s lips slammed together, because that was exactly what she’d been about to say.
“Just because Nel bought condoms does not mean she bought them for her and Ethan,” Polly finished.
Maggie sucked in a long breath as Polly pulled into the parking lot. “What are you saying I should have done? Kissed him? Confessed my undying love and admitted that breaking up with him before letting him explain was the worst decision I’ve ever made but also that he should have answered my texts and calls that night?”
Polly put the car into park and turned, giving Maggie her full attention. “I’m saying, you need to forgive yourself, ask him what happened that night, and live the life you want.”
Maggie’s next breath came out as a stutter.
Polly touched her leg, her voice softening. “You spent over a decade living with a woman who did everything in her power to make you feel awful about yourself. And that night, the fight between you two was bad. Should you have broken up with Ethan and cut him out of your life? No. Should you have asked him about the unanswered texts and phone calls and the woman at the bar? Absolutely. But Lilith made you feel undeserving of love, so inyourmind, you were doing Ethan a favor.”
“Ethan was the best thing in my life. And I didn’t even let him explain. I just cut him out.”
“I know.” Polly leaned forward. “But he’s back. And you’re back. You’ve healed from a decade of living under your evil aunt. And Ethan doesn’t hate you. All of that has to be for a reason.”
She nodded quickly. “I’m sorry. Tonight’s supposed to be about drinking and celebrating five years of Bloom while ignoring how jobless I am.”
“You’re not jobless.”
Maggie laughed as she climbed out. “I did one shift in Bloom. That does not make me employed.”
Polly linked her arm through Maggie’s as they headed to the bar. “You’re on the payroll. You’re employed, baby. And to celebrate, we’ll have a drink and maybe even send Ethan a flirty text, because I guarantee the second he saw you back in town, he forgot all about?—”
Polly stopped mid-sentence as they stepped into Trap. Because there at the bar were Ethan and Nel. And not only were they close, their conversation looked intimate. Nel had her hand on his shoulder and her mouth close to his. Ethan touched her wrist.
Polly tugged Maggie toward the back of the bar before she could witness any more.
That hurt. It had no right hurting, but it did.
They stopped at a table.
“I need a drink,” Maggie breathed.
“Me too. I’ll get them. I’ll, uh, go to the opposite end of the bar so he doesn’t see me. I’ll be back.”
“Thanks.” She really was thankful, because there was no way she wanted to go to the bar and see more of Ethan and Nel.
