Chapter 8
Magnolia
“Stop biting your nails, babes, it’s gross.” Lexie took one hand off the steering wheel and smacked my hand away from my mouth.
It’s always been a bad habit of mine when I was nervous. I had a feeling I’d be seeing Sloan tonight—one of those deep gut feelings, and I was mentally preparing myself for it. I had let Lexie do my hair, so it fell in soft waves down to the middle of my back, a hint of a smokey eye, and some tinted Chapstick. I knew I was attractive; I wasn’t a virgin by any means.
I could admit, in my senior year of college, I went a little crazy with the drinking and partying since it was my last year. Just because I wasn’t emotionally available didn’t mean I wasn’t physically available. The body I had been self-conscious of growing up made grown men fall to their knees, so I was confident in that aspect.
My skin-tight jeans, boots, and a white sweater that loosely hung off one shoulder was just a smidge see-through so you could make out my lacy black bralette. It was cute with a hint of sexy, which was exactly what I had been going for.
“Just say the word and we leave, no biggie,” Lexie said as she turned into a parking spot in front of Montgomery’s. She so graciously offered to be the DD since she all but made me come in the first place.
She kept asking what I knew about Jace all afternoon, and much to her dismay, it wasn’t much. The last time I had seen him was at graduation, and we didn’t keep in touch afterward. I had been under the impression he was going to go away to college, and he had spoken about leaving town in the rearview mirror like I had. Clearly, his plans had changed.
Lexie entered first, with me doing my best to hide behind her taller frame. I swear, every single person turned to look at us. I felt the heat reach my cheeks. I was ready to go home.
“You made it!” a boisterous voice hollered from across the bar. Jace.
Lexie grabbed my hand and started walking over to where their table was. I kept my eyes focused on the table for fear of who else I might see. When we approached the table, Jace started making introductions to the guys who sat with him.
“This is Matt, Leo, and Dexter, and to the right of Dexter is Lydia, Dexter’s lady.”
“It’s nice to meet you all,” I said with a slight wave as Lexie nodded.
“I’m not surprised you don’t remember me, but we went to school together,” Matt said and extended his hand. “I was two grades above you.” He did look vaguely familiar. He was handsome, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark complexion that made me briefly wonder what his heritage was.
“I’m sorry, you look somewhat familiar, but that’s about it.”
He shrugged. “I’ll forgive you if you let me buy you a beer.”
“I think it’s me who should be buying you one,” I teased.
“My kind of girl.”
Lexie and I sat down, and as we all started talking, I couldn’t help but see the side glances from Lydia. She isn’t rude, per se, just not talking much.
Jace leaned over and whispered, “Incoming.”
I felt him before I saw him.
“Magnolia,” a gravelly voice said from behind me as goosebumps rose over my flesh.
I turned around. “Sloan.” I steeled my gaze so he couldn’t see any of my emotions. I thought it would hurt to see him, but instead I felt enraged .
Magnolia, I mocked internally . Like he wasn’t the biggest waste of eighteen years.
“I’m surprised to see you here…in my bar.”
I shrugged, deciding to act uninterested in anything he had to say. Unfortunately for me, he sat next to me and engrossed himself in the conversation with the rest of the table. He introduced himself to Lexie, only to be met with an eye roll that caused me to chuckle. He shook it off like a pro, though.
“So, what brings you back to town then, Magnolia? Not that I’m complaining; I’d like to get to know you more.”
I felt Sloan bristle beside me.
“I came back to settle up some of my dad’s estate.”
Matt’s easy going smile turned into a frown. “Oh, does that mean you’re not sticking around?” His unhappiness was almost cute.
“That was the plan, however, things just became a bit more complicated.”
“Complicated?” His eyebrows rose in interest. “Do tell?”
Before I could, Lexie chimed in, “Her dad decided he knew what was best, and for Magnolia to get the house or anything, she must live in Rockland and stay here for two years. So, I guess you could say she’s here for at least two years.”
“Wow, Lex, just come right out with it, why don’t you?” Definitely not bothering to hide my annoyance that she told them.
Her lazy smile was her only response.
Matt was positively beaming, and I couldn’t help the smile that built over my face looking at them both. An over-dramatic snort came from next to me, and I couldn’t help but snap back.
“Problem, Sloan?”
“Oh no, no problem at all. Hey, Matt? You should be careful. She disappeared after eighteen years of friendship, so I’m sure she wouldn’t give it another thought leaving your ass in the dust after two years.”
The entire table sat silent and the rage I was feeling was uncontainable.
“ You asshole,” I whispered in a deadly tone, my eyes set on the table.
“What? We were friends for eighteen years, and you just up and left—you left me and my family with no word on where you went. Did you know my mom filed a police report when we didn’t hear from you for forty-eight hours and your house looked untouched? Did you know that she put up flyers and posters and drove around for hours, searching for you. When she finally reached your dad and he explained you had to leave ASAP for an internship, she was crushed you didn’t tell her or answer her. You didn’t answer me for weeks . So please, Magnolia, tell me how that makes me the asshole?”
“Oh shit.” I heard from Lexie somewhere, but all I could do was let out a humorless laugh. I turned to him, meeting his eyes for the first time in eight years, forcing myself to stay strong and put him in his place.
“So, in all the years I’ve been gone, you didn’t once stop to think that maybe, just maybe, in a small town like Rockland, I found out your dirty little secret? Or wait, was that me? Considering you snuck in through my window every night, not the other way around.”
He had the nerve to visibly flinch at my words, but I kept going.
“That maybe, just maybe, I found out that you were fucking Cassie. Cassie , the same girl who tried her darndest to make my life a living hell . Who, when I lost my mom, didn’t stop the bullying; no, she just kept at it, and even made it worse? It took me a few years after leaving here and leaving everything behind that I realized she was so awful because of you. You were that much of a selfish asshole, and you were only eighteen. You chose to keep me in the dark, you chose to lie to me. You felt it was acceptable to climb through my bedroom window for years, pretend to be my best friend for years, and still date a girl who was exceptionally cruel, and you knew all about it. Did you just not care? Did you sit and laugh and mock me behind my back? And that isn’t even the worst part. I probably could have accepted the fact that you decided to sell your soul and sleep with the damn devil, but what I couldn’t and will never get over is the fact that you and your mom considered me an obligation, a task, a chore since my mom had died.” I choked on my words, and I knew disgust and sorrow showed on my face. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter anymore. We never mattered. It just took me too long to realize that.”
He slammed his hand on the table, causing me to jump, and the others at the table as well. If the other patrons weren’t paying attention before, they sure were now.
“I never considered you an obligation, and neither did my mom.” His voice was deadly low, almost commanding.
I scoffed, “Don’t be obtuse, Sloan. I heard you . I heard every word you told Cassie that night at our graduation party. You have no right to be upset, you fucking selfish prick. You really thought after eighteen years I’d just up and leave without a reason? Shows what you thought about me.”
“I was eighteen years old, Magnolia. I was saying those things to placate my girlfriend who I thought I was in love with at the time because I didn’t want to be stuck choosing between her and my best friend. Was it right? Fuck no, but I was young and immature. You could have talked to me about it.”
“You didn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt after what I overheard. I hope your decisions and words keep you up at night like they did me,” I spat before finally turning away. I had said what I needed to.
How dare he try to put any of this on me.
“We’re leaving.” I turned to the group who were watching us with rapt attention.
“I’d tell you it’s been fun, but I think we all know what a lie that would be. Lex, let’s go.”
Turning on my heel, I felt him behind me.
“Please, don’t go, Magnolia. I…I’m so sorry.” His whisper sounded agonized.
Good.
“There was a time your apology would have meant everything to me, but now it’s just not enough.”
I walked out of Montgomery’s without sparing a glance back.