Alex
Hey babe. I’m in town. You busy later?
Miss you.
Gia groaned. Why the hell was Alex here in Willowbrook? She hadn’t asked him to come.
It was almost as if the universe was working against her. Having her ex in the same town as her… boyfriend? Whatever it was she and Jake had was too precarious to handle this.
Another chirp of her phone.
Alex
This town is so lame. Only bar in town is a grill. Meet me there tonight? I brought you a present ;)
You’re not good enough for Jake, the snide voice whispered,curling itself around her heart.He’s too good. Too nice. Too everything you’re not.
The voice was right, even if her heart clenched at the thought of betraying Jake, but she couldn’t ignore her past any longer. Fingers numb, she typed out a quick response, praying she wasn’t making a mistake by agreeing to meet up with Alex.
Nothing good could come from this.
For most of the day, Gia avoided her family until they left to go to work. She’d felt a pinch of guilt when she’d told her mom she wasn’t able to help at the restaurant tonight since a friend of hers was in town.
When Gia named her ex-boyfriend, disappointment extinguished the hope that had lit up her mom’s face when she’d asked if the “friend” was Jake. Of course, they knew who Alex was. He was infamous.
She wondered again if her parents knew about her issues with drugs and alcohol, but it seemed like they knew a lot more than they would admit. Did her parents keep tabs on her while she was gone? It seemed unlike them, but why else would her mother react that way with the mention of her ex-boyfriend?
It was obvious they preferred her to be with Jake. Not for the first time, she felt the worm of self-doubt about her decision to meet with Alex chewing on her fragile and newly exposed heart.
It also didn’t help that she’d been ignoring Jake’s messages all day. She could handle only one problem at a time. Once she found out what really brought Alex out here, she could shove him out of town and move on with her life.
Which included what, exactly? Living in Willowbrook, working at The Lotus during the day, and spending time with Jake in the evenings? It didn’t sound so bad, but would she grow restless or resentful for planting roots?
If only there were a crystal ball she could ask, or a magic mirror to look into the future.
The time on her phone showed her she was exactly on time, even as she stood staring at the entrance to Crystal Hollow Grill like it would eat her if she got near it. She found it funny she had made happy memories the last time she was here, but now it was the last place she wanted to be.
The weight in her chest was back. A pit hollowed out her stomach. She was going to be sick. It didn’t help that she’d skipped lunch. The idea of putting anything in her stomach made it churn in protest.
Her breathing exercises did nothing to calm her anxiety.
Let’s just get this over with.
With shoulders pinned back in grim determination, she marched forward, yanking the door open and stepping inside the darkened dining room. She glanced around, offering a small smile in greeting at the bartender, who tipped his head at her before his attention was distracted by the cell phone in his giant hand.
There he is.At the bar, she recognized the back of Alex’s head. Even from where she stood at the entrance, his hair gleamed with the amount of product he had in it. Hunched over his phone, Alex did not notice her when she reached his side.
She cleared her throat loudly, arms crossed against her chest. Finally, Alex glanced up, face scrunched in annoyance, until he realized who had interrupted him. The wide smile that stretched across his boyish face didn’t reach his eyes.
“Babe!” He stood up from his stool, arms wrapping around her shoulders. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Sorry,” she murmured, even though she was right on time.
“Sit.” His gravelly voice irritated her. Did she use to find it cute?
“Um, I can’t really stay that long…”
“You’re not going to spend time with your boyfriend? After I flew across the country to see you? In coach, of all things.” His face screwed up in distaste.
