Page 143 of Stay With Me

He lifted his hand, and she was positive he was going to reach for her face so he could kiss her—and she was fully prepared to let him.

But she was wrong.

He made a pointing gesture toward the shelf behind her head. “I need to grab something from there.”

She blinked a couple of times and shook her head. “Oh! Sorry. I’m right in your way.”

She stepped aside and picked up her purse.

“I was going to head out,” she told him, hiding her disappointment. “Unless you need me to help clean up, or you know, whatever.”

He shook his head, glancing through a folder he’d pulled off the shelf. “Nah, the closing crew’s got it. I’m actually heading out, too.”

She perked up. “Oh, are you … uh … heading straight home, or were you going out or—”

“Yeah, I was going to meet Chase for a drink,” he answered, glancing up and casually tapping the folder in his palm. “It’s a little thing we do every New Year’s to sort of celebrate another twelve months in the bag.”

She nodded quickly. “Yeah, that sounds awesome. You guys have a lot to celebrate.”

He gave a pleasant look, but said nothing.

“Well,” she went on, offering her hand. “Happy New Year, Nick.”

He shook her hand. “Happy New Year, Samantha.”

She couldn’t quite bring herself to let go right away because—in that moment—she knew she’d lost him. It had taken a few too many weeks to realize what she truly wanted, and now it was too late. The opportunity was long gone and letting go of his hand felt like it would be the crushing blow of that particular reality.

Eventually, however, she had to.

So she let her fingers slip away, then waved as she let herself out.

* * *

Having no alcohol in her apartment and nothing better to do with herself, Samantha opted to go to her parents’ house to crash the tail end of her mom’s annual New Year’s party. She gave her parents a quick hello before letting them get back to their guests and making a beeline for the fully stocked bar.

After refilling her glass with three parts vodka, one measly part seven-up so many times she lost count, she stumbled to a couch in the corner and kicked off her shoes. At that point, she vaguely noticed the guests were gone, and her mom sat next to her.

“How was the party, honey?”

Samantha waggled her head. “It wasgreat.Sssimmply beautiful.”

Kelly seemed to eyeball her. “Are you all right?”

“Think I’m a bit intoxicated, Mommy,” Samantha declared.

Kelly chuckled. “Yes, I can see that. But you look like something is bothering you.”

“Oh, I don’t know what would be bothering me,” Samantha slurred. “It’s not like I threw away the potentially huge-est opportunity of my life.Oh, wait. I did.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nick,Mommy,” Samantha huffed. “I threw him away.” She waved the glass in front of her. “Threw him away.”

The glass sloshed and an ice cube plopped onto the rug. “Just like that. Nick handed his heart to me on a silver platter and I threw it away like that piece of ice.”

Kelly laughed quietly as she retrieved the cube.

“Don’t bother, Mommy. Might as well leave it there. He’s no longer interrrsted.”