Page 6 of Right Where You Left Me

“You don’t get to know anything about me, Emma.

” She practically growls out. “We aren’t friends.

We aren’t even fucking acquaintances anymore.

I don’t know shit about you, and you don’t know shit about me.

So please, for the love of God, shut the fuck up and leave me alone.

” She heaves a breath. “I told Piper that I would be an adult about the fact that you work here now, and I will be. But that does not mean that I have to talk to you. I’m not here to make you feel better about the shit you did. Understood?”

“Okay.” I say softly. “Yeah, I understand. I’m sorry. You’re right.” Pain lances through my chest. Her words cut like an actual knife to the heart. I didn’t think— It’s been thirteen years.

Her nostrils flare and she nods. “Now. Let’s finish out this shift so I can fucking leave.”

“Yeah… Okay, Sage.” I say. I hate that her words hurt, but now there’s also an angry pit growing in my stomach.

I know that what I did in college hurt her, but this .

This is crazy. Who does she think she is?

She can’t just speak to me like that just because she’s mad that I moved back here.

She has no right to treat me like this. I let my anger fester the rest of the work day and when Piper finally makes it back I excuse myself back into the kitchen to finish my shift away from Sage.

“You’re good to go home, Emma!” Piper calls back to me when noon finally rolls around. “Thanks again for helping out!”

“No problem.” I mumble as I collect my stuff and head out the back door, once again avoiding those hazel eyes and their venom.

I don’t know what to do to make this better.

She won’t even let me talk to her. How am I going to get her to be open to being at least okay with me being here if she won’t even let me speak?

We used to be best friends . I know that I fucked that all up, but you’d think that somewhere under all the hurt those old feelings would still be somewhere right?

But the more time I spend around Sage, the more it seems like she’s never going to forgive me.

It’s like she came to her decision that I’m not worth her time and nothing is going to change her mind.

I just don’t want to give up… I don’t think I can.

I storm into the house and up the stairs, flopping down on my bed.

I need a nap and then when I wake up, I’m planning a night out.

I’m going to get dressed up, and I’m going to go to a bar.

I’m going to get on the hottest outfit I own and I am going to wash the bad memories and feelings away by finally picking up a woman now that I’m single.

This is my fresh start, and I am going to start fucking living it.

I check my reflection in the mirror one more time before I head out.

My thick brown waves are thrown up in the perfect messy bun, tendrils pulled out in the front to frame my face.

My makeup makes my amber eyes look bright like honey, lips painted a sinful red.

And my outfit is perfect . I put on my favorite black minidress and paired it with my dad’s old leather jacket and a well worn pair of Doc Martens.

I look fucking hot, and I don’t care how conceited that sounds.

I grab my phone and keys, hollering to my mom not to wait up, as I leave the house.

One benefit of a small town, everything is walkable if you want it to be.

A nice twenty minute walk later and I’m standing in front of one of the two bars in town.

The Bar , clever I know, is generally where the older crowd congregate.

The retirees and blue collar workers looking for a drink after the work day, but Blazing Brew is newer.

It opened when I was in college and it caters to the younger crowd, and I smile to myself when I spot the rainbow flag hanging in the window.

I can hear the music blasting from outside and I grin as I take it in.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been out like this and I’m going to enjoy every single moment of it.

I move through the crowd of people, the heavy beat of the music adding to the excitement coursing through me, as I approach the bar.

I sit in a free stool and wave to get the bartender’s attention.

He’s a young guy, probably early twenties, wearing a tight black t-shirt with the bar’s logo on it.

His ebony cheeks are sparkling and dewy in the low bar lights and he’s smiling brightly at everyone as he walks my way.

“Well, hello there.” He says with a grin, putting a cocktail napkin in front of me. “What can I get ya?” His name tag says Felix on it and I grin back.

“I’ll have a dirty martini please, Felix.”

The glitter on his cheeks glistens as he winks at me. “Coming right up.”

I’m mesmerized as I watch him shake up my drink with a flourish, pouring it into a martini glass before setting it down in front of me. He sticks a toothpick with three olives skewered on it into my drink. “How’s that look?” He asks brightly.

“Perfect.” I say, popping an olive in my mouth. I hand him my card and a few singles. “Keep my tab open, please.”

“You got it, just give me a shout if you need anything else.” He says with another dazzling smile before he goes to help another patron.

I love it in here. I never got to experience this place when I was younger.

On the rare occasion I came home I mostly stayed at my parents’ house, and then it was when my dad was sick.

But I can see this place becoming a regular outing spot for me.

My drink is delicious, I’ll have to let Felix know and give him another tip.

I down a healthy sip as I enjoy the atmosphere of the bar humming around me.

I do a quick glance around, looking for someone I might want to approach, taking another sip from my glass.

“Well, looks like I wasn’t quick enough.

” A light feminine voice says, as a gorgeous girl with light pink hair comes up beside me.

She leans in close enough that I can smell the sweet fragrance of her perfume and I hum under my breath as my eyes glide down her body.

She’s curvy, wearing dark wash jeans and a slouchy blouse that matches the pink of her hair.

“I was going to ask if I could buy you a drink.” She says reaching up to play with one of the tendrils of hair hanging from my bun.

I laugh softly. “Well, I could buy you one instead.” I say.

Holy shit, that was smooth, Emma. Although, now that I’m looking closer at her face, she is definitely way too young for me—easily ten years younger—but a drink won’t hurt.

A little flirting will be fun, even if it won’t end up in the hook up I was hoping for initially.

“Won’t say no to that.” She says with a grin. “I’m Peyton.”

“Emma.” I say, waving down the bartender again.

“Emma.” She says, her grin morphing into a Cheshire smile. “You new in town, Emma? Visiting? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before, and with a town as small as Cedar Falls, I feel like I would have definitely noticed a beautiful woman like you.”

My cheeks heat at her compliment. “You could say that.” I say. I don’t really feel like getting into the nitty gritty details with someone I’m just flirting with tonight. “I moved here a few weeks ago.”

“That is very interesting. Vodka soda please, Felix.” She says, without looking away from me.

“Well, Emma since you’re new in town you probably want to meet some people, right?

How would you like to come and sit with me and my friends?

They’re great, and we’re a lot of fun. We’d love to have you hang out with us tonight. ”

“Sure.” I say brightly. I had come out tonight looking for some fun, a hook up to get my feet wet in the dating pool here, but I do need to meet people.

I want to plant my roots back in this place, and friendships are a big part of that.

I can’t be a loner here if I want to be happy.

I had a lot of friends in Pittsburgh, but they were all couple friends with Liam.

It’ll be great to finally have my own people, friends that I met outside of a relationship.

“They’re sitting in the back corner, follow me.” Peyton says as she grabs her drink and I follow behind her through the crowd until we get to her table.

We stop in front of a round table and she gestures to her friends with a wide grin.

“This big guy here is River.” She says, patting the huge, heavily tattooed man sitting there on the shoulder.

He’s leaning back in his seat, massive arms across his chest, as he looks at me with a quirked brow and if it weren’t for the soft smile he was giving Peyton I’d be a little intimidated by him.

You can tell by the way he’s looking at her and listening as she rambles and introduces me that he’s a big softie.

It’s when I look to his right and lock eyes with the person next to him that I feel that fear.

My heart gets lodged in my throat as those hazel eyes burn me with her glare.

She’s scowling at me, like she always is and I don’t need Peyton to introduce us.

Because, of course, karma would do this to me tonight.

“And this is—” She starts.

“Sage.” I choke out.