I grip my empty glass, and I think it cracks a little. I’m not totally sure why I’m having this reaction. Maybe because, like Stacy, I think there’s more to the story? I remember the tremble in June’s voice earlier this evening, and my mind starts working through possible scenarios of why June would have called off her wedding. “She ended it the week of the ceremony?”
Logan nods. “Yep. Strangest thing.”
I make a huh noise and focus my attention on the liquor bottles behind the bar, processing one uncomfortable realization after another. She almost married someone else. I could have lost my chance with her forever. I should have come back sooner.
After a few quiet moments, I tap the wooden bar five times with my middle finger—each tap further solidifying the decision I’m making.
Logan's chuckle has me turning my head to look at him. He’s smiling and shaking his head at me like he thinks I’m a complete sucker—a man about to buy a knockoff Rolex from a street vendor, thinking it’s the real thing. “You’re going after that second date, aren’t you?”
I smirk. “I do love a challenge.”
“Especially when it concerns June.”
I pull a twenty out of my pocket and throw it onto the bar to close out our tab. “Especially then.”
As I walk to my car, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. It’s late, so I really don’t even need to look at the caller ID to know who it is. Still, I register the name Noah flashing across my screen and then ignore the call.
Chapter Nine
June
“June, open up!”
I shoot up from my pillow and briefly wonder if that gas station attendant found out about the candy bar I stole when I was eleven and is coming to perform a citizen's arrest.
“No! I’m too tired to go to jail right now,” I yell back.
He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy, though, because he bangs on the door again. “Come on, open up.”
When I finally shake off the last remnants of sleep and remember that it’s been nineteen years since I stole that Snickers, I pick up my phone and scowl at it. Is the entire world against me getting my beauty sleep?
“It’s 6:30 in the morning. It’s too early to deal with you. Go away!” I lie back down and pull the covers up to my chin, making a warm cocoon.
I think I got rid of him, because everything is blissfully quiet. One of our employees is opening the shop today, so I don’t have to get ready until 10:30. I plan on squeezing every bit of sleep out of this morning that I can.
I nuzzle my head back into my fluffy pillow. Good, pillow. I love you, pillow.
“Morning, Sunshine.”
“AH!” I scream and yank the covers all the way up over my head.
There is a man in my house. A MAN IN MY HOUSE!!
And then I hear a familiar chuckle, and it makes my stomach squeeze. No, no, no.
“How did you get in here?!” I screech from under my blanket tent.
I hear footsteps in my room. How dare he come in here!
“I used the key under your unicorn gnome.”
Yeah, I have a unicorn gnome. And although I tell everyone I bought it because my twelve-year-old niece begged me to, I actually just bought it because I thought it was adorable and wanted to look at it every day. One perk of not being married: I can put unicorns wherever I want them.
“Well, put it back and go away! You’re not allowed in my house.”
“I’ve already been in your house, remember? When you told me you want me to kiss you.”
“No. I told you I wished you had kissed me in high school. Big difference, buddy!”