LONDYN
Iwas on the brink of having a nervous breakdown.
I was supposed to meet Skylar at the bar in half an hour, and I had absolutely nothing to wear.
I’d gone through my suitcase at least a hundred times, but nothing worked.
Desperate, I rushed to my mother’s room and dove into her closet, searching for anything that might work.
I was becoming desperate when Mom appeared with a large plastic tote in her hand.
“Maybe you can find something in here.”
“What is that?” I stepped over to her and opened the lid, and to my pleasant surprise, it was filled with some of my favorite clothes from high school. “I can’t believe you kept all of this!”
“I thought about taking it down to the goodwill, but I just couldn’t make myself part with it.” She smiled as she said, “There are a lot of good memories in that box.”
“Yes, there are.” I grabbed one of my favorite sweaters and held it up to my chest as I asked, “Do you think any of this will fit?”
Mom gave me a once-over before answering, “I don’t see why not. You haven’t changed that much since high school.”
“But I’ve had a child since then.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.”
“This is true.”
I grabbed a few things from the tote, then made a beeline for the bathroom to try them on.
I slipped on a pair of skinny jeans with a black knit top and was hit was a sudden pang of nostalgia.
It was strange being back in my old clothes.
It felt like a lifetime ago that I had worn them—back when life was simpler, and my biggest worries were getting good grades and making plans for the weekend.
“Lonny, you better hurry up. Malcomb will be here in 5 minutes.”
“I’m coming!”
My room looked like a tornado had come through. Every dresser drawer was pulled out, clothes were strewn everywhere, and I still couldn't find what I was looking for. Out of pure desperation, I shouted, “Hey, Mom! Do you know where my black shirt it?”
“Which black shirt?”
“The one Malcomb gave me for my birthday... the one with the little blue flowers on it.”
We were going to the club house for Cotton’s birthday. I knew it was important to Malcomb and wanted to look extra nice. I’d curled my hair, put on some makeup, and even painted my nails. If I could just find the shirt, I would be set.
I dashed back into my closet and was checking to see if it had fallen on the floor when I heard my mom come into the room. She walked right over to the closet and pulled it right off the rack. "You mean this one?”
“Yes!”
I whipped it out of her hand and slipped it on just as the doorbell rang. “I'll go get that so you can finish getting ready.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
That girl had it made.
She was young and carefree and had the world at her fingertips.
But now, as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I could no longer see her. Now, I had dark circles under my eyes and frazzled hair—the mark of being a struggling single mother.
But maybe, just maybe, wearing my old clothes might help me remember what it felt like to be young and free. It certainly couldn’t hurt. I toyed with my hair and freshened up my makeup, then stepped out of the bathroom and asked my mother, “Well? What do you think?”
“Oh, Lonny! You look marvelous.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” A warm smile swept across her face as she said, “Now, get out of here and go have a good time.”
“I should go say goodbye to Dalton.”
“Dalton is fine. We’re about to pop some popcorn and watch a movie, so stop procrastinating and get going.”
“Okay.” I stepped over and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks, Mom.”
I grabbed my things and slipped out the back door.
When I got to the bar, I was disappointed to see that the parking lot was completely packed.
I wasn’t exactly surprised. There were only two bars in town—Danvers and Puckett’s.
Danvers was more of a sports bar with pool tables and flat screens, whereas Puckett’s was an old-school bar with a juke box and dart boards.
Both were usually packed on Friday nights, and tonight was no different.
I opened the door and was immediately hit with the smell of stale cigarettes and alcohol—a scent that reminded you of the frat party you weren’t invited to.
The crowd was already in full swing, and the music was blaring so loud that I could feel the bass vibrating in my chest. I was tempted to turn around and dart back to my car, but I forced myself to continue inside.
I’d only taken a couple of steps when I spotted Skylar at a table close to the bar. Carefully weaving through the thick swarm of people, I made my way over to her. As soon as she saw me, she leaped out of her chair and opened her arms, wrapping them tightly around me as she shouted, "You made it!”
“Of course!” I hugged her back as I shouted, “I wouldn’t miss it!”
“You look fabulous!”
“Thanks! You do, too.” I stepped back and gave her a quick once over. “I love the new hair color.”
“Thanks, I thought I’d switch it up a bit.”
“Hey there, stranger.” Lucas, Skylar’s long-time boyfriend and now fiancé, stepped over and gave me a big hug. “Really glad you were able to make it.”
“Me, too.”
Lucas grinned, then motioned for me to sit down next to Skylar. Once I was settled, he looked over to the tall, dark-haired man sitting next to him. “You remember Danny, don’t you?”
“Of course,” I replied, eyeing him up and down. He had a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes that seemed to be staring straight through me. I extended my hand as I told him, “Hi, Danny. It’s good to see you again.”
“Right back at ya,” he said, taking my hand in his and shaking firmly. His touch sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn’t help but feel a little bit intimidated. “It’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has.”
“So, what have you been up to?” Skylar asked, taking a quick sip of her drink. “Tell me all about your life in the big city. I know it has to be absolutely amazing.”
I didn’t know how to tell her that my life hadn’t been all that spectacular.
Everyone thought I’d taken the scholarship and had gotten my degree, and I was too embarrassed to let anyone know that I’d dropped out of my big fancy college and moved closer to home.
I’d also failed to mention that I’d had a four-year-old son who was the light of my world.
That wasn’t the kind of thing you just blurted out at a bar, so I shrugged and told her, “If you consider going to work and coming straight home every day amazing, then yes. It’s the best.”
“Please tell me that’s not all you do.”
“I shop a little.”
“Londyn!” she fussed. “Please tell me you’ve...”
Before she could finish her thought, Josie and Tarah, two of our friends from high school, came up behind us and squealed, “The party has arrived!”
Skylar and I jumped up and gave each of them a hug. We were taking a quick moment to catch up when Thomas and Brandon showed up with Kinley and Mark. We each greeted them and claimed our spots at the table. We’d barely had a chance to get settled when Tarah asked, “Who’s ready for a round?”
And that’s all it took for things to get interesting.
Brandon called one of the waitresses over and ordered a round of shots for everyone. As we waited for them to arrive, I looked around the table and felt a mix of gratitude and sadness. While it was great to see my old friends again, it didn’t feel the same without Malcomb being there with us.
Tonight wasn’t the night to be thinking about him.
I finally had a night out, and I was going to make the best of it—even if it killed me. When the shots finally arrived, we each grabbed one, and Skylar lifted hers up in a toast. “To best friends.”
We all lifted our glasses and repeated, “To best friends.”
The liquid burned all the way down my throat, but I didn't care. I was alive, and I was with the people who made me feel that way.
As the night wore on, the drinks kept flowing.
They were watered-down and overpriced, but they helped me relax—which was both good and bad.
I kept downing them as I listened to the various conversations in the group.
I was starting to get a buzz as they each caught me up on what they were doing now and who they were dating or married to.
While they were talking, I couldn’t help but notice that Danny kept looking over in my direction.
At first, it was just a few quick glances, but gradually, those glances turned into longing stares that made butterflies flutter in my stomach.
I could feel the blush on my face growing redder by the minute and was relieved when I heard Kinley tell the others, “The twins have been driving us up the wall.”
“You have twins?”
“Um-hmm. Caleb and Gabe. They just turned two.”
She had always said she wanted a career and had no plans to have kids, but I could tell by the way she spoke that she didn’t feel like she was missing anything. “That’s awesome. I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Thanks, but these terrible twos are no joke, especially when there are two of them. I’m going to need you guys to pray for us. I don’t know if we’re going to make it.”
She went on to tell us all how crazy things had been, but she said it all with a loving smile.
She was happy. Really happy. It was more of the same with Josie and Tarah.
Like Kinley, they’d wanted to get out of our small town and make it somewhere big.
But neither of them seemed all that bothered that it never happened.
In fact, all of them seemed quite content and happy, and I envied them for that. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt truly happy.
Until tonight.
I was about to take a sip of my drink when Skylar took me by the hand and ordered, “Let’s go dance.”
Before I had a chance to argue, she’d pulled me out on the dance floor, and we were engulfed by the crowd.
It had been ages since I'd danced, but the second I saw the smile on my friend's face, I knew there was no backing out.
I started swaying my hips, and it wasn't long before the rest of the crew came over to join us.
My heart skipped a beat when Danny came up behind me and placed his hands on my hips.
I leaned back into him, feeling the heat of his body against mine as we moved in sync with the music.
His breath was hot and heavy against my ear, and I could feel his chest rising and falling with each deep breath.
I don't know if it was the alcohol or just my head playing tricks on me, but it seemed like he was more than a little interested.
He was very popular in high school, especially with the girls, and I couldn’t help but feel a little flattered that he’d taken an interest in me. It felt good. Really good, and I didn’t want it to end.
When the song ended, Danny leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Let's go get some fresh air."
I nodded, and he took my hand into his, leading me through the throngs of people and outside onto the dark parking lot.
I was feeling a little lightheaded, so I leaned against the brick building, hoping it would help me keep my balance.
Danny stepped in front of me with a concerned look on his face. “You okay?”
“Hmm-Hmm.” I nodded. “I think I got a little too hot.”
“Well, you’re definitely hot,” he replied with a sexy smirk. “You always have been.”
“You’re sweet.”
“I’m just being honest.” He rested the palm of his hand on the wall behind me, and his eyes skirted over me as he said, “And if I’m being completely honest, I would’ve asked you out in high school, but you were always taken.”
I was both flattered and intrigued. I couldn’t remember the last time a guy had made a move on me, so I told him, “Maybe it’s time we rectified that.”
“Maybe so.” He remained there, hovering over me as he asked, “When are you available?”
The words had barely left his mouth when his phone vibrated with a message. He pulled it from his back pocket as he said, “Hold on a second.”
He looked down at the screen, and the blood drained from his face as he read the message. I had no idea what was said in that text message, but there was a notable shift in the air, so I asked, “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s cool.” He raked his teeth nervously over his bottom lip, then said, “We better get back inside.”
“Oh... Okay.”
Unlike earlier, he didn’t take my hand and help me through the crowd.
Instead, he took off and didn’t even bother to see if I was behind him.
I would like to say that his demeanor improved once we were back inside, but it didn’t.
He wouldn’t even look at me, much less talk to me, and after a few minutes, he stood and said, “I’m sorry, guys.
I’ve got a work meeting early in the morning, so I’m gonna have to bolt. ”
“But it’s still early,” Skylar protested.
“Sorry, kiddo. Duty calls.”
Without even glancing in my direction, he kissed her on the forehead and bolted, and I won’t deny that it stung a little. Thankfully, I had Skylar and plenty of booze to help me forget the sting, and I used them both to the fullest—something I would soon regret.