Loving Valentine: A Novella

“Hey, Cupid,” I gave her a coaxing smile.

A bunch of emotions flashed across her face. None of them positive. Fuck. “What are you doing here?”

“Saw you here, thought I’d say hi.” I looked at her friend Mindy and the guy I recognized from their shop’s Instagram account. It was Mindy’s boyfriend, Xander. Christ, I sounded like a stalker. I shouldn’t know these things. “Hey, Mindy.” I held out my hand to Xander. “Nice to meet you, I’m Micah.”

Xander peered at me warily through his thick black-framed glasses but shook my hand. “Hey. Xander.”

“Uh… dude, you’re in my seat.”

Glancing up, my stomach dropped. A tall, wiry, good-looking guy was frowning down at me. He had a tray of drinks in his hands.

This was a double date.

Valentine was on a date.

And this guy was exactly her type.

No, I reminded myself. You are her type.

I would not repeatedly make the same mistake.

Feigning ignorance, I grinned and shimmied closer to Valentine, forcing her along the bench toward the wall. “Plenty of room for three.” There was no way I was letting him sit beside her.

I was pretty sure I heard Mindy cover a snort of laughter with her hand.

“I’m Micah,” I said as the indie guy reluctantly slid in beside me and began passing out the drinks he’d bought.

“Uh… Ville.”

I grinned at the thought. “Ville and Val? Really?”

“What are you doing?” Valentine hissed under her breath at me.

I ignored her. “How long have you two known each other.”

“First date,” Ville flicked a wary look at me and then Val.

Excellent. Definitely wasn’t going to feel bad then about messing this up for him.

I turned to Valentine, looked into her huge dark eyes, and I realized in that moment that I couldn’t waste another eleven years of my life. If I didn’t say something now, even if it was humiliating and she rejected me, I would end up without her. And if I said what needed to be said and I still ended up without her, then at least I could say I actually goddamn tried.

“I broke up with Elizabeth.”

Valentine gaped at me. “What?”

“You were right. Not about why I was with her or that a woman needs to look or be a certain way before she interests me,” I glared at her for those unfair comments, “But that sometimes she could be a not very nice person. And I didn’t want to be with someone like that.”

Valentine stiffened beside me. “Good for you.”

“You were wrong about everything else.”

Her eyes flashed angrily. “I don’t think so.”

“Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”

“Did you or did you not call me a screw up and then cut me out of your life when I married Louis?”

“Wait, you were married?” Ville peered around me to ask.

Mindy put her palm up to his face, her gaze fixed on us. “Shush it, Valo.”

“What? It’s Ville.”

“Ssshh.” She cut him a pleading look and turned back to me, leaning in. “Continue.”

I tried not to laugh as I turned back to Valentine. She’d transferred her glower to her best friend. “I was the screw up. I was jealous and pissed, and rather than manning up and admitting how I really felt, I let you go. But you should know I have never regretted anything more in my life. And God, Cupid, I have missed the hell out of you.”

Angry tears filled her eyes. “You can’t do this to me.”

“Hey, look, I’m clearly in the middle of something here,” Ville said loudly, pushing away from the table. “I’m just gonna go.”

“No!” Valentine turned to me, expression furious. “You go.”

“I can’t do that.”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“Yeah, okay, see you.” Ville stalked off, pushing through the crowded bar.

That was fine with me.

Triumphant, I turned to Val.

She looked ready to kill me.

I could deal with that.

“Don’t look so smug. And let me out of here.” She pushed at my chest. “Seriously… I’m feeling claustrophobic.”

Sensing her genuine panic, I winced and slid back out of the booth to let her out. “Cupid—”

“Don’t call me that!” She shoved past me, her face crumpling just before she rushed away.

I moved to follow her but suddenly Mindy was in my face, holding me off. Xander turned out to be at least two inches taller than me, and he stood at Mindy’s back like her bodyguard.

I wasn’t getting past them without having to go through him.

Great. I didn’t think beating up Val’s friend would endear her to me.

“I didn’t mean to…” I ran a hand through my hair in exasperation. “I didn’t come here to upset her.”

“Why did you come here?” Mindy didn’t look accusatory. In fact, her entire attitude tonight made me think I could have an ally here.

“Because our wires have been crossed for more than a goddamn decade. And I came here to clear the air. To be honest. Didn’t quite work out.”