Page 40 of Ever After Between the Lines (Montgomery Ink Legacy)

“Oh it’s so nice to finally meet you. My work schedule has been so hectic lately that we haven’t been able to meet.”

I stood up and gave her a hug, since she seemed to be a hugger, and stood back to smile at her. “I am so glad to finally meet you. What are you doing here? I thought you lived down in Denver.”

“Same. But we heard about this brunch place and got on the waitlist.”

“Same,” Demi said. “Where’s your table?”

“Well we just finished eating, we were in the front. Clive is paying though.”

I froze at the name, but knew it had to be someone else. Clive didn’t live in Boulder, and there were plenty of men named that. But Demi stiffened as well, and turned to me, worry in her gaze.

“Clive?” she asked, her voice strained.

“Well Robert. But his name is Clive Roberts. I always call him by his last name, but I’ve been hanging around his friends so much who call him by his first name, it’s just stuck. Oh he’s on his way here. I’m so glad that you can finally meet him. It was totally serendipitous that we’re all here.”

But I could barely hear her as she continued to say words that probably meant something important.

Because the roaring in my ears intensified, and I watched as my ex-boyfriend came forward.

For some reason, everything felt like a slap in the face.

As if no time had passed and I was stuck on this Ferris wheel of hell.

His blond hair was pushed back though he was looking down at his phone. He had that strong jaw that led me into temptation in the first place. And was currently rolling up his sleeves of his long sleeve shirt to show off his forearms.

I used to love those forearms.

Elena smiled up at him, clearly unaware of the tension. “Clive, honey. This is my sister and her girlfriend. Isn’t it funny that they’re here too?”

Clive finally looked up and froze like a deer in headlights.

We stood there, the four of us, with Elena’s face finally falling as she looked between us, confusion etched on her features. “Jess? What’s wrong?”

Demi cleared her throat and finally spoke into the silence. “Clive, it’s well… I’m Demi. Elena’s sister.”

Of course Demi had been on the verge of saying nice to meet you, but it wasn’t. Was it?

My world couldn’t be this small. Millions of people lived here, and yet, it had to be him .

“What’s wrong?” Elena repeated, and I put on a bright smile because this wasn’t Elena’s fault.

At least I didn’t think so. From what Demi had told me, Elena and her boyfriend hadn’t been dating that long.

Meaning she wasn’t one of the people that he had cheated on me with.

And part of me wanted to warn her about him, but I wouldn’t yet.

I would just try to get through this tableau, and not let the punch to the chest worry me.

“Sorry, Clive. Fancy meeting you here.” There, that sounded like an adult. A slightly snarky adult, but an adult, nonetheless.

He blinked at me. “Jess. I didn’t realize you were Demi’s girlfriend.”

Elena looked between us, before her eyes widened, and she pressed her lips together.

“Small world, isn’t it?” Demi asked, and as our food grew cold behind us, and people were starting to notice the awkward meeting, I realized there was no way for me to get out of this with any form of grace.

“Oh,” Elena said after a moment, her mouth parting. “Well. We should be off. We’re in everybody’s way. I’ll talk to you soon?” She looked at Demi and then gave me a pleading look.

I had no idea what was on her mind, but frankly I wasn’t even sure what to think.

She gave me a hug, and then did the same to Demi, while Clive didn’t even look at us. He walked away, his hand going to the small of Elena’s back, and I had to think I was seeing things when she stiffened. Or maybe, that’s just what I wanted to see.

“Jess,” Demi whispered, and I rolled my shoulders back, tears threatening.

Why would I be crying? It wasn’t that I loved him. But it was eight years of my life slammed into my face.

“Let’s finish eating, everything’s going to get cold. And I really don’t like cold eggs.”

“Baby,” she whispered, and I gestured towards our food and took a seat.

“No, let’s finish our mimosas. It’s a really small world, right?”

She gave me an odd look, before thankfully the waiter came by. “Could we get boxes to go? And the check?”

“Demi,” I whispered.

“No, it’s okay. Let’s head out. I want to get home a little early. That way we beat traffic.”

Such a lie, but I would take it. Hell, I would cling to it as if it were the truth.

Somehow, we found ourselves back in the car, the food carefully on the back seat, to-go coffees in the cup holders.

I put the audiobook we’d been listening to back on so I wouldn’t have to talk.

And yet, all I could do was see the man that I thought I had loved for eight years and wonder what the hell I had been thinking.

Because I had believed in that love. I had believed I knew what I was doing.

And I had fallen headfirst into love with him so quickly I hadn’t looked back.

Just like I was doing again.

Was I making the same mistake?

When we pulled into my driveway, I gave a bright smile and tried to pretend I was okay.

“Thank you for brunch. It really was great. That cream cheese? Perfect.”

“Hey, let’s just get inside, okay?” Demi asked, worry in those gray eyes of hers.

I swallowed hard and picked up my coffee as she reached back to get her things and the takeout containers. We walked inside, and I took the food from her, and set it in the fridge, my stomach way too tense to even think about finishing it. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to look at it.

Because Clive would just hit my memories once again, tainting everything.

Just as he always did

“I didn’t know. I thought his name was Roberts.”

I heard the sadness in her voice and hated that I was the cause. “He likes to go by that sometimes. But he was always Clive to me.”

“I’m sorry. If I’d have known, well, I don’t know what I would’ve done. But hell, I can’t believe my sister is dating that cheating asshole.”

“He might have changed you know…” I said, my voice slightly strained.

“I’ll talk with her.”

“No, I don’t want him to think I’m trying to ruin his life.”

Demi let out a breath. “But if he’s going to ruin my sister’s life, I want to take care of her.”

“True. Well, I have a headache. So I should just go take a nap or something. I’ll see you later?”

At the abrupt change in my tone, her eyes widened. “Jess. I don’t want to go. Let’s talk about this.”

“No, I don’t really want to. In fact, seeing him just reminded me how quickly I fell in love with him. And how things are moving so fast right now. So maybe it’s good that I go take a nap. And just think.”

Demi reached out but I took a step back, doing my best to ignore the look on her face and the ice spreading in my chest. “You can’t break up with me over this. We just need to talk it out. Don’t run.”

“I’m not running,” I lied. “I just need to think.”

And as I stood there, heart shattering, she stared at me, and I was so afraid I was making a mistake. Only I wasn’t sure if the mistake was staying or pushing her away.

Yet I had a feeling I had just taken any choice in that matter away.