I really didn’t know what to make of her. I’d seen her when Ashley introduced me to Summer, but… she just didn’t look like she belonged here. For one, she looked too young. Like fresh-faced teenager young. She was beautiful, but she wasn’t even wearing makeup and she was underdressed in a weird way, in a hoodie and jeans that covered what appeared to be a cheerleader’s body.
She didn’t smile much, but she was definitely talking to Ash.
And she was definitely beautiful.
Eventually, he tapped her arm and leaned in as if to sayCatch you lateror something like that, and then I watched him and Haz leave the bar.
The girls didn’t go with them.
And for a moment, I just stood here, maybe a little in shock. Wondering if I should go after Ashley… or not.
“Danica.”
I refocused on my sister’s face. She was standing right next to me, studying me.
“Are you staying?” she asked me. “Or are you going…?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Well, I think you should—”
I didn’t wait to hear what she was about to say.
Summer was walking toward me, and I went to meet her in the crowd. She took hold of my arm and squeezed.
“Did he really leave?” I asked her. I was still kind of in shock.
“Don’t let him,” she said to me. “If you care about him—”
“I do.”
“Then don’t let him walk out on you tonight, hon.”
“But… I just saw him leave…”
“He’s gonna try to run away,” she said, her blue eyes filled with compassion as she squeezed my arm again. “Trust me, Danica, he’s gonna try. If you want him… just don’t let him get away with it.”
* * *
Not thirty seconds later, I was chasing a man through the streets of Gastown—and through the rain. Because, of course, it had to rain on me tonight.
In my high heels and skimpy birthday dress.
I felt like I was in some romantic movie. At the end part where the hero or heroine goes running through the rain and into the arms of their true love…
Except that I wasn’t looking for a hug and an epic screen kiss.
I kinda wanted to slap my man upside the head right now.
Then maybe a kiss after that.
I just couldn’t tell if this was a rom-com or a tragedy.
I was a little pissed off. Which was interesting. I didn’t get truly mad very often.
But something about Ashley throwing a tantrum on me in a bar and taking off—at my birthday party, no less—really rubbed me the wrong way. I knew we’d just had our first official fight. But I didn’t expect him to take off the ring and then take off, right in the middle of my party.
And Summer’s words just kept replaying, like the beat of some song I couldn’t get out of my head.
