“Okay.”
I did a few things on my laptop before I closed it and stood up. “I need to start getting ready.”
“Who are you trying to impress?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t get ready to impress a guy. I do it for myself.”
Of course, Dax was the topic of discussion.
“Just take him back,” Denise said. “Come on, you guys have insane chemistry.”
“And he didn’t do anything that bad,” Kat said. “I get why you were mad for a while, but it’s been over a month and you guys are great together.”
“Girls.” I raised my hand. “The last thing I want to talk about is him, so let’s just discuss something else.”
The girls exchanged a look before sipping their drinks.
Charlie and Matt came to the table with their drinks. Charlie’s gaze immediately went to Denise before he abruptly looked away, like he was really trying not to make his feelings obvious in front of Kat.
“How are things with Nathan?” I asked.
“Good.” She took another drink. “We went to that new Chinese place on Seventh the other night. We’re getting along pretty well.”
“So, fireworks and butterflies?” I asked, hoping she was getting more detached from Charlie.
“I mean, there’s definitely chemistry.” Kat wasn’t as forthcoming as usual, probably because Charlie was standing there, which didn’t bode well for us.
“Still seeing that doctor?” Kat asked Denise.
“Oh no,” Denise said quickly. “He’d asked me out a couple times, and I just caved. He’s nice and everything, but it just wasn’t right.” She turned to Charlie. “What about you?”
Charlie looked like a deer in headlights. “I’m not seeing anyone, like, at all.”
I glared at him.
He drank from his beer and looked away.
Matt glanced past us. “Looks like Nathan and Dax are here.”
“They are?” Kat turned around to check.
My heart dropped into my stomach. I’d decided to go out to stop thinking about my situation with Dax, but instead, we were in the same place. We hadn’t spoken in person since that horrible birthday dinner. He said he didn’t want to be friends, but there was no way for us to never cross paths again since some of our friends were dating.
“Oh yeah,” Kat said.
I didn’t look.
Denise turned to me. “Are you going to climb out the bathroom window?”
I rolled my eyes. “If I want to leave, I’ll` just strut out. I don’t care. But no, I’m not a coward.”
“Ooh, Jeremy is here too.” Matt wiped his lips to make sure nothing was on his face.
There were a million bars, and we had to meet at the same one?
“I’m gonna go say hi.” Kat walked away.
Charlie shifted his gaze to me as he drank from his beer.
Denise stared at me too.
“What?” I asked, offended.
“How are you going to handle this?” Charlie asked.
I shrugged. “It’s his call, really. He’s the one who said he wanted nothing to do with me.”
After talking for a while, Dax and his crew came to join us.
Ugh.
Jeremy and Matt paired off, their arms around each other as they stood close together. Kat moved in near Nathan, either because she was genuinely happy to see him or she was trying to make Charlie jealous, which was pointless.
Dax joined the table—and acted like I didn’t exist.
He stood beside Charlie, and they talked like nothing had happened, like they were still the best of friends.
Denise kept glancing at me. “So, tell me about that article you’re working on.”
I knew she was trying to keep me distracted; that way, I wouldn’t focus on the man who wouldn’t even look at me. “I’ve been writing about…” I blabbed on, but my eyes kept shifting back to him. He had one arm on the table with his fingers wrapped around his beer, and he was in a black tee that made his frame look incredible…like always. His jawline was sprinkled with masculine scruff, and his eyes were bright with excitement, like he really enjoyed his conversation with Charlie…my best friend. And he wore a handsome smile like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Like this wasn’t painful at all.
“Ugh. Oh my god.” Denise’s entire composure changed, her drink moving to the table, her eyes unblinking. Her tone was different from usual, like something truly alarmed her.
“Girl, what is it?”
She stared across the bar at something, looking past Dax. “Oh fuck… It’s him.”
“Who?”
She turned back to me, looking too distressed to give an answer.
I looked to where she was staring.
Kat must have noticed him too because she ditched Nathan and came closer to me. “Carson, Evan is here.”
I didn’t need her to tell me that…because I saw him.
He was with his friends, people who used to be part of my life, people who used to play board games in the living room. They were people whose names had always been in my message box. But then they disappeared once the divorce happened.
I hadn’t seen Evan since I’d picked up my shit and left. We divided our things and never spoke again. It was a clean break. It was a big city, and I stopped going to all the spots we enjoyed to make sure we never bumped into each other. I got a new grocery store, gym, dentist, everything.
To make sure this moment never happened.
Now, I couldn’t stop staring…because he was wearing a wedding ring.
“That motherfucker.” Denise grabbed her drink. “I’m gonna throw this shit in his face.”
“Whoa, hold on.” I grabbed her wrist and brought her back. “You aren’t doing anything.”
The commotion brought the attention of everyone else at the table—including Dax.
Charlie looked over his shoulder, spotted Evan, and turned back to me. “Shit.”
God, this was a nightmare.
“He’s coming this way,” Kat said. “Quick, kiss a hot guy or something.”
“What?” I asked incredulously.
“He’s already married?” Charlie asked. He shook his head, clenched his jaw, and made a fist on the table. “Fucking piece of shit.”
“Best revenge is to show him how much better off you are than he is,” Kat said. “Jackass is married, so you need to make out with someone or something. Use Nathan.”
Nathan immediately looked uncomfortable.
“Okay, let’s just chill out…” I wasn’t going to make out with anyone.
“Then find a hot guy,” Denise said. “You can walk up to any guy you want, and he won’t mind.”
“Dude, he’s coming, and he’s totally going to see you,” Kat said. “Use Charlie.”
Charlie didn’t grimace because he was too pissed off. “How about I just punch him in the face instead?”
I covered my face with my hands. “Everyone, calm the fuck down. I don’t need to make out with anyone.” I dropped my hands and saw him come closer with his crew, smiling and having a good time like I was the last thing on his mind…and he hadn’t thought of me once since I left. He would definitely see me, and I didn’t know what to do. It seemed cowardly to pretend not to see him, but I didn’t know what kind of reaction to give? Should I smile like I was totally fine? Should I glare at him because he was a piece of shit? I didn’t know. We were together for years, so he would read my reactions well, see the pain in my eyes…and would know I was still a wreck while he’d clearly moved on.