Georgia ordered us a round and I took a drink as soon as the waitress handed me my glass. Reid was doing exactly what I’d asked him to do. We were strangers now. He could do whatever—or whoever—he wanted and so could I.
I avoided looking over at the pool tables for the majority of the night, but every now and then I’d sneak a glance. I’d expected the booze to help me forget, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect. Why couldn’t he have just gotten fat or went bald? Why did he have to get better looking? Or better yet, why couldn’t he have just stayed away from me and pretended I didn’t exist like he had for the last seven years?
“What is he doing here?” Georgia suddenly asked, disdain laced in her voice.
“Yeah,” I agreed. What was Reid doing here? He could have left after our conversation. He didn’t need to stay in the bar and rub in my face that he could have whoever he wanted. That he could totally be a stranger. “What is he doing here? He could have went anywhere else.”
“Nora?” Beau’s voice let me know that Georgia was not talking about Reid. She was talking about the fact that my boyfriend had once again interrupted my night out with my sister.
“Oh, hey Beau,” I said, painting on a smile and standing to greet him. It was perfect timing, really. I was getting a little too caught up in the fact that my ex was groping a girl he barely knew. “I missed you.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. Much to Georgia’s dismay, Beau showing up was exactly what I needed.
“You too,” he said before pressing his lips to mine. I held our kiss for a few seconds longer than normal, and I could still feel Reid’s eyes locked on me. I’d told him I’d moved on and I wanted to make sure he could see for himself. “You really missed me.” Beau laughed when he broke our kiss and slid into the booth where I had been sitting.
“Why are you here?” Georgia asked.
“Don’t worry about it.” Beau rolled his eyes and she returned an equally sarcastic glare. The two of them seemed to have mastered the exchange of dirty looks. I ignored my sister and Beau’s general dislike of one another. I had other things to focus on at the moment.
“You want a drink?” I asked, gaining Beau’s attention. “I’ll grab it.”
“Okay,” he answered.
“Be right back.” I smiled, as I pulled some money from my back pocket and walked over to the bar. I caught a reflection of myself in the mirror and I straightened my posture. I could do this. I could not let Reid being here affect me. I’d said I wanted to keep living the life I’d built for myself and I was going to do it.
I ordered Beau a beer and while I waited, I looked back at him and my sister, now involved in a deep conversation that I was sure included the lines “you always do this” and “this night was for me and my sister.” One day Georgia would like Beau, I just knew it. I’d make her see that he wasn’t the same guy he was back then. He was the guy that wanted me. Who was interested in a life with me. Which was a whole lot more than I could say for Reid.
“Beau fucking Gregurich,” his voice said into my ear. A shiver ran across the back of my neck from the heat of his whisper and the proximity of him to my body. “Tell me you’re not seriously with him.”
“I can’t do that,” I answered, looking to my left and straight into Reid’s eyes. The usually inviting chocolate brown of his stare appeared dark and ominous. He could be as mad as he wanted about my choice in who I dated. He had zero say in the matter. “I am seriously with him. Have been for a while now.”
“You really know how to kick a guy when he’s down, Bennett.”
“I could say the same about you,” I replied. “For a guy that was just missing me so much, you’ve rebounded quickly.” I rolled my eyes at the self-congratulatory smirk he gave me. “Tally Westbrook? She’s a real peach,” I jabbed. “I’m pretty sure she’s already made her way through everyone in town, might as well add the tourist to the list.”
“Tourist? This is my hometown too,” he reminded. “And who the fuck cares about Tally? You jealous?” he asked. I shook my head.