say goodbye properly.
I felt composed when I parked my car in the street and walked up to the one-story house because I’d prepared beforehand by coating my heart with a thick shell to protect from the hurt.
What greeted me when I walked in the door—Henry talking to a pretty blond woman—put a definite crack in my armor. They were standing together in the living room, their heads bowed together as they talked, noticing nobody else in the room. He threw his head back and laughed at something she’d said then murmured something that made her smile.
My hands turned to fists at my sides. He had no right to be that happy when I was so miserable. The urge to throttle him had never been stronger.
I was about to stalk over there and give him a piece of my mind when Beth touched my arm, making me jump.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said then saw where I was looking and gasped. “Shit.”
I fought to control my breathing, reminding myself that I’d vowed to act like an adult for the night. “I need a drink,” I said.
Beth wound her arm through mine and led me to the dining room with the makeshift bar. “He didn’t arrive with her, if that helps,” she said, handing me a shot glass.
I looked back over my shoulder, seething at the sight of Henry talking so casually, carrying on without a care in the world. “It doesn’t make one damn bit of difference. He could still leave with her.”
I took a shot of tequila and chased it down with salt and lime. I knew I needed to just turn around and leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to move to the door. Henry was like a beam of light and I was a weak little moth, unable to stop looking. Thank goodness there were walls and a table and a whole lot of people between us, otherwise this little moth would be going down in flames.
“I thought that was you,” a male voice whispered in my ear, making me freeze. I turned around to find not Henry but Dave Novak. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” he said with a friendly smile.
I took a sip of my Jack and Coke and smiled. “Yeah, I’ve just been doing my own thing.”
“I heard,” he said. “Sorry.”
I shrugged. “It’s not your fault.” He opened his mouth to ask, but I cut him off. “No really, Dave. It wasn’t about the kiss.”
“Happy to hear that,” he said then his eyes got wide. “I mean, not that you guys broke up but…”
“I know what you meant,” I said, glad that we were still friends even after Henry punched him because of me.
We stood around for a few minutes, looking around at the other partygoers and searching for something clever to talk about.
“So,” said, taking a large gulp of his beer. “Are you dating anyone?”
“No,” I said. “Wait, you’re not going to ask me out, are you?”
He barked out a laugh. “Not anymore.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that,” I said, feeling a tiny smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“You and Henry..?”
“Hell no. That’s been over for a long time,” I said much too emphatically. “I’m just not in the dating frame of mind yet.”
“Well then we can be friends, right?” He held out his hand and I shook it.
“Friends is good. You can never have too many friends.”
Dave motioned to my drink with his head. “You need another drink, friend ?”
I drained my glass. “Sure do, amigo .”
I managed to avoid Henry for another half hour. Every time I looked over, he was talking to another person. I was standing in the dining room the entire time hoping he’d notice me and finally come over, but he never did. It was as if I was invisible.
I needed to get out of there so when Dave asked if I wanted to play pool in the garage, I agreed immediately.
We walked out to the garage where Sam’s impressive pool table took up the entire space, and Dave promptly racked up. I chalked a cue stick and broke the rack, sinking two balls in the
I felt composed when I parked my car in the street and walked up to the one-story house because I’d prepared beforehand by coating my heart with a thick shell to protect from the hurt.
What greeted me when I walked in the door—Henry talking to a pretty blond woman—put a definite crack in my armor. They were standing together in the living room, their heads bowed together as they talked, noticing nobody else in the room. He threw his head back and laughed at something she’d said then murmured something that made her smile.
My hands turned to fists at my sides. He had no right to be that happy when I was so miserable. The urge to throttle him had never been stronger.
I was about to stalk over there and give him a piece of my mind when Beth touched my arm, making me jump.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said then saw where I was looking and gasped. “Shit.”
I fought to control my breathing, reminding myself that I’d vowed to act like an adult for the night. “I need a drink,” I said.
Beth wound her arm through mine and led me to the dining room with the makeshift bar. “He didn’t arrive with her, if that helps,” she said, handing me a shot glass.
I looked back over my shoulder, seething at the sight of Henry talking so casually, carrying on without a care in the world. “It doesn’t make one damn bit of difference. He could still leave with her.”
I took a shot of tequila and chased it down with salt and lime. I knew I needed to just turn around and leave, but I couldn’t bring myself to move to the door. Henry was like a beam of light and I was a weak little moth, unable to stop looking. Thank goodness there were walls and a table and a whole lot of people between us, otherwise this little moth would be going down in flames.
“I thought that was you,” a male voice whispered in my ear, making me freeze. I turned around to find not Henry but Dave Novak. “Haven’t seen you in a while,” he said with a friendly smile.
I took a sip of my Jack and Coke and smiled. “Yeah, I’ve just been doing my own thing.”
“I heard,” he said. “Sorry.”
I shrugged. “It’s not your fault.” He opened his mouth to ask, but I cut him off. “No really, Dave. It wasn’t about the kiss.”
“Happy to hear that,” he said then his eyes got wide. “I mean, not that you guys broke up but…”
“I know what you meant,” I said, glad that we were still friends even after Henry punched him because of me.
We stood around for a few minutes, looking around at the other partygoers and searching for something clever to talk about.
“So,” said, taking a large gulp of his beer. “Are you dating anyone?”
“No,” I said. “Wait, you’re not going to ask me out, are you?”
He barked out a laugh. “Not anymore.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that,” I said, feeling a tiny smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“You and Henry..?”
“Hell no. That’s been over for a long time,” I said much too emphatically. “I’m just not in the dating frame of mind yet.”
“Well then we can be friends, right?” He held out his hand and I shook it.
“Friends is good. You can never have too many friends.”
Dave motioned to my drink with his head. “You need another drink, friend ?”
I drained my glass. “Sure do, amigo .”
I managed to avoid Henry for another half hour. Every time I looked over, he was talking to another person. I was standing in the dining room the entire time hoping he’d notice me and finally come over, but he never did. It was as if I was invisible.
I needed to get out of there so when Dave asked if I wanted to play pool in the garage, I agreed immediately.
We walked out to the garage where Sam’s impressive pool table took up the entire space, and Dave promptly racked up. I chalked a cue stick and broke the rack, sinking two balls in the
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