Page 44 of Champagne & Handcuffs

We walked up the stairs, and I stared at her hips as they swayed going up the stairs. The music started to diminish slightly, and when I cleared the final stair, it became clear why there was an easy way up here. We’d walked into an oasis. Even under the moonlight, I could tell it was green and lush with flowers everywhere. There was a fountain in the center, and I swore I heard birds chirping.

“Oh my God,” Cat gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” I agreed though I wasn’t talking about the greenery. I was staring at Cat, not believing that they two of us were alone.

She walked along a stone pathway to the water fountain and flowers that surrounded it. I had no clue what they were, but they weren’t prettier than Cat. “How is this possible?”

I shook my head. “I have no idea.” I mean really. Who has shit growing on their roof? Why not make the entire backyard paradise?

“Whatever the reason is, I want to do the same to my house. A place to escape.”

We walked to a bench next to the fountain and sat down. “So what do you want to talk about?” she asked bluntly.

I swallowed. There was so much I wanted to talk about, but how could I tell her anything without her running away again? “How have you been?”

Cat snorted. “You brought me up here to ask how I’ve been?”

No.“Isn’t that what old friends ask when they haven’t seen each other in eleven years?”

“Friends. Right.”

“What do you want me to ask, Kitty Cat?”

She turned her head, looking away from me. “Just … Just tell me why.”

“Why?”

Cat turned back to me. “Yeah, why?”

“Why what?”

She stood. “Why did you have to break my heart?”

I stood, moving in front of her, fearing that she was about to run again. “Why didIbreak your heart? Cat, you fuckin’ left without letting me explain. You tookmyheart with you in that yellow taxi.”

“You were on a date, Seth. I saw you kissing another woman. I didn’t want to share you. I gave you a piece of me, and you acted like I was just another notch.”

“No,” I snapped, placing my hands on her cheeks and looking directly into her eyes. “You were never just another notch. I fucking love you.”

“But you were on a date, kissing someone else.” A tear slid down her cheek, landing on my thumb. I brushed it away, my heart aching in my chest at the same time.

“I was doing my partner a favor,” I said, lowering my voice. “I owed him because he covered for me when Joss ran away. He wanted me to take his sister out so she’d leave him alone. It didn’t mean anything, and I never saw her again.”

“Kissing his sister was a favor?”

“No, she kissedme,and when I pulled back,youwere there. It was bad timing.”

She pulled away from me. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“I tired!” I snapped.

“I mean, you never said it on any of the voicemails or texts. Why didn’t you just explain it?”

“Because I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted you and only you. It’s always been you, Kitty Cat.”It will always be you.

Cat turned back to me, tears running down her cheeks. “It’s too late. I’m with Nathan now.”

“I know.” I sighed but wanted to tell her to dump his ass. Then the universe mocked me. The song in the distance switched to the strum of the guitar that I knew so well, the song I played on repeat for hours on end for months. Cat’s eyes flicked to mine, and I saw all the pain in them that mirrored mine. “Dance with me,” I begged.