Page 116 of Accidental Blind Date

“It was,” I say, slowly walking in her direction.

“How did it go?”

“It didn’t happen.”

“What do you mean?”

I stop, tucking my hands in my pockets. “Jenna dropped the case.”

“Oh, my God. Did she say why?” she asks. I want to hug her for still caring. For putting this before her feelings which I know are still hurt. Hell, I want to kiss her. But obviously, I don’t do any of that.

“I guess someone talked her out of her. Someone got through to her about not just my side, but also…yours.”

“I see,” Libby says, sitting down in one of the chairs. “So, you get to keep the girls?”

I nod, choking up. “I get to keep the girls.”

“Good,” she says, the same strangle in her voice. “That’s where they belong.”

“Yeah,” I answer. And then, “Where do you belong?”

Her attention snaps up to me. “What do you mean?”

I take a chance and approach her, stopping right in front of her and crouching down. “Libby…I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. For everything. But most of all that I lied. I was at the Cantina because that’s what I do every year on the anniversary of Tess’s death. I go to her favorite restaurant, and I have a drink or two. Maybe three on a bad year. This was a bad year. And I try to remember the good things. But it’s hard, you know? Because the girls can’t remember and what they do remember is slowly fading. And I saw you and you were beautiful in every way. I heard you nervously talking to the bartender and then…I saw him. And when he left, I just…I couldn’t leave you sitting there.”

“Okay, so, why didn’t you just tell me that? Why did you pretend to be him?”

“Because that would still mean you got stood up. And it would have ruined your night.” Libby’s mouth pops open ready to say the obvious, but I keep going. “I know it was stupid. And it was dishonest, and it was wrong. But I promise you…it had nothing to do with my girls or Jenna or anything else. Andeverything I said about not trying to get laid was true too. I just…I was alone. And you were alone. And neither of us had to be.”

Libby bites her lip, thinking about that. Tears swell in her eyes, and I want more than anything to wipe them away. To pull her in my arms and never let go. But I can’t. I have to let her come to me.

I give a minute, or two, or five. It’s hard to tell when someone is holding your heart in their hands how much time is going by. Finally, her eyes, her emerald, green eyes that look like sea glass right now from all the tears, meet mine.

“Thank you,” she says. “For telling me that. For…a lot of things really. But–”

And there it is. It’s been a long time, but I know a breakup when I hear it. And that but is the catalyst of a classic break up.

“You lied. And you had no intention of ever telling me. And I’ve been lied to a lot in my life, Dax. You know my dad lied about being sick?”

“Fuck,”

“He didn’t want us to worry. And because of that, I never knew to cherish the memories that would become my last with him. And my husband lied too. He lied about loving me. About wanting me. About forever.”

“I’m not him,” I step in.

“No. But you still lied. And I just…I need time to decide how I feel about that. Because as much as I care about you and the girls, I don’t know if I want to go further with someone who started out relationship…with a lie.”

I nod. Because I get it. I hate it, but I get it. I shove myself up from the chair and swallow hard. “So…this is it?”

Libby sighs. “I’m not saying never, Dax. I’m not even saying no. I just…need time.”

I nod again, taking the hint this time. “Alright. Well…thank you. Because of you, my girls are still mine. For that, I’ll owe you forever.”

With that, I walk out. Because I can’t do this anymore. I am going to break, and I don’t want her to see it. I don’t want her to think I am manipulating her. So, I leave. But I don’t go home. Instead, I go to Jenna’s house. The girls run out when they see my car, excited until they see my face.

“Where’s Libby?” Delilah asks.

“She was supposed to be with you,” Poppy adds, looking in the windows. Jenna gives me an apologetic look and it’s obvious she told them Libby, and I were together.