My jaw drops when Jamie finishes making her offer. She waits patiently for me to respond, but after a couple of minutes of stunned silence, she finally has to speak.

“Is that a yes?”

“I… I can’t run a wine bar.”

“Yes, you can. If Theo can run the coffee bar, you can take over at the wine bar.”

When Jamie pulled me into her office ten minutes ago, I never imagined she’d be offering me a management position. But that’s exactly what she’s done. Assistant manager of the wine bar at the Goose Hollow location. A seven-minute walk from my apartment. And more than twice what I’m currently making.

The current assistant manager of the coffee bar, Theo, is only nineteen years old and won’t be allowed to keep the same position when it’s converted into a wine bar. He’s being promoted to Assistant Manager II of customer service. They need someone to take his place and, somehow, Jamie got it in her head that I would be perfect for this position.

“Why me? Isn’t there anyone else at the Goose Hollow store you can promote?”

“So you don’t want the promotion?”

My throat goes dry as I realize I’m botching this up. “No, I didn’t say that. I was just wondering why… I… Oh, forget it. Yes, of course I want it. Thank you so much, Jamie. This is… amazing. Thank you.”

She smiles and her crooked tooth shines under the fluorescent lighting in her office. “You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

She winks at me as I get up to leave and I hold in my laughter as I exit her office. Then it hits me. What if that wink was meant in a wink-wink nudge-nudge sort of way? What if she was trying to tell me something? Oh, God. What if Houston is the one who told her to give me the management position?

No, that’s crazy. As far as Jamie is concerned, Houston is just a supplier. He has no power over hiring decisions. And I’m flattering myself to think he would care enough to do something like recommending me for a management position. Besides, if he did recommend me for that promotion it was probably because he’s planning on spending less time at the Goose Hollow location. Not the other way around.

I finish out my last day as a cashier at 4:37 p.m. when Kenny arrives to start his shift. I run into him in the warehouse as he’s clocking in.

“Hey, sexy. You look happy. Did you finally get some?”

My happiness is quickly deflated when it dawns on me that I’m no longer going to see Kenny four to five times a week. “I got a promotion.”

“To what?”

“Assistant manager of the wine bar…”

Kenny’s gorgeous green eyes widen.

I continue, “In Goose Hollow. Today’s my last day here.”

“WHAT?”

“I know. I’m so sad I’m not going to see you anymore.”

“What are you talking about? You’re not getting rid of me that easily. But what in the fuckity-fuck is up with that promotion? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s not that you’re not qualified. You’re obviously overqualified for every position here.” He winks at me, then continues. “But isn’t a promotion like that a bit out of left field? Did you apply for the position or something?”

I shake my head. “No, I didn’t know about any of this until Jamie called me into her office this morning.”

Kenny shrugs and gives me a quick hug. “Doesn’t matter. You deserve it. And now I have an excuse to stalk you—I mean visit you at your apartment.”

“I’d love for you to visit me.” A sudden urge overcomes me and I throw my arms around him again. He chuckles and I let go quickly.

“You’re so weird, Rory.”

“In a good way?”

“In a beautiful way. I’ll call you later. You still have to tell me all about the lumberjack you went home with Sunday night.”

A chill passes through me at the mention of Liam. He called me last night as I was getting into the shower, but I didn’t call him back when I got out. I listened to his voicemail once before I deleted it, then I stared at my phone for about two hours while thinking of Houston.

My mind constantly draws back to the memory of him telling me that we would be together forever, even if we broke up. I held on to that memory like a totem of our relationship. An intangible relic. A wispy promise, easily forgotten and even more easily broken.

But we did make it back to each other, just like he said we would. Only now it’s impossible for us to be together. Yet, he seems intent on having a presence in my life as some sort of heroic chauffeur. I laugh out loud at this thought and only then do I realize I’m still standing next to Kenny in the warehouse.

He shakes his head at me. “You need to get laid, sweetheart.”

I let out a deep sigh. “Working on it.”

Every time the phone rings I become more nervous. Until I’m so nervous I feel physically sick to my stomach. Finally, on the fourth ring, Liam answers.

“Rory?”

I suck in a sharp breath and my reply comes out far too high-pitched. “Liam! Hi!”

He chuckles. “Hi. How are you doing?”

Skippy yelps to tell me I’m scratching his head a bit too hard. “I’m fine. Just lying in bed with my dog. Wait. That sounded weird. I’m just relaxing. Yeah, that sounds better.”

“Actually, I liked the visual of you lying in bed.”

I swallow hard as I try to think of a response, but Liam laughs it off.

“Well, I could try to make some more small talk,” he says, and I sense another proposition coming, “or you can invite me over.”

“This whole dating thing is still kind of weird for me, so I’ll need you to be patient.”

“I don’t do patient,” he replies, and an awkward silence settles in between us, then he laughs. “I’m kidding. I’ve actually been sitting by my phone waiting for you to call me since I dropped you off last Sunday.”

“Who sits by their phone anymore? Doesn’t your phone sit by you?”

“I guess you’re right. I’ll have to work on the accuracy of my guilt-trip material. So how was your day?”

I sigh audibly. “Ugh. This sucks. I hate small talk.”

“When I come over, I promise I’ll only talk big.”

“Talk big? What does that mean? Are you going to make bold claims about yourself all night?”

“If that’s what you’re into. I might even back up those claims with some action.”

My face flushes with heat. “Don’t get any funny ideas, okay? I barely know you and, like I said, I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”

“That’s fine with me. We can keep our relationship strictly based on shallow sexual encounters.”

“Hanging up now.”

I stare at the phone for a second wondering if this is a good idea. I haven’t had sex with anyone since Houston. I know it’s totally lame, but he was my first. And he was so patient with me that I quickly opened up to him. Less than a month into our relationship, we were trying things some couples would consider kinky. But I always felt safe and adored when I was with Houston. The idea of having sex with someone and not feeling that way doesn’t appeal to me. I want to feel that intense emotional bond as well as the primal sexual attraction.

It’s way too early to expect to feel that with Liam, so I’ll have to ask him to take it slow. As I told him before, I’m damaged goods. I sigh heavily at this thought. Five years later and the pain is still as intense as it was the day Houston hand-fed me a bowl of soup then snuck out of our apartment in the middle of the night, when he thought I was sleeping.

I consider getting dolled up to hang out with Liam, but if he’s going to like the real me, then a messy ponytail is the least disturbing part of me he’s going to have to accept. As a small courtesy, I apply some powder and blush to my cheeks and some tinted lip balm. Skippy and I get settled down on the sofa with Animal Planet on the TV, but we’re quickly interrupted by a knock at the door.

Skippy lets out a soft bark as he jumps down from the sofa.

I point at the cushion he just vacated. “Sit, Skippy.”

He casts a forlorn glance in my direction before he hops back onto the sofa.

“Stay,” I say, for good measure.

My heart is beating so fast and hard, I can feel my pulse in my fingertips. I reach for the knob and take a slow breath as I open the door.

My jaw drops. “Houston. What the hell are you doing here?”

I peek my head into the corridor and I’m only slightly relieved to see Liam hasn’t arrived yet. But he’ll be here any moment. I have to get Houston out of here.

“Were you expecting someone else?” He looks me up and down for a second, taking in my messy ponytail, gray leggings, and UO hoodie. “You look—”

He stops himself before he can finish this sentence and I find myself wondering if he was going to tell me I look pretty or that I look like shit. I want to ask him, but I don’t have time.

“Houston, you need to leave.”

“Are you expecting someone?” he replies, glancing toward the elevator.

“That’s none of your business.”

His jaw clenches. “I came to bring you something.”

“Bring me something? Bring me what?”

His whole body seems to tense and that’s when I notice his hands are clasped behind his back. Is he hiding something back there?

“What is it?” I whisper.

He gazes into my eyes for a moment and I’m flooded with a gust of raw emotion. I desperately want whatever he’s going to give me.

“Houston, what is it?”

He opens his mouth to speak, but he’s interrupted by the ding of the elevator. I whip my head to the right and I watch anxiously as Liam glances at the sign on the wall pointing him in our direction. He turns left and his eyes lock on Houston and me, then he proceeds toward us cautiously.

I don’t know what to do. How do I introduce them to each other? Liam, this is the ex-boyfriend who destroyed me. Houston, this is my new friend Liam, who I hope will help me get over you.

Houston’s hand closes around my elbow, but surprisingly I don’t flinch. “Rory, you’re trembling. Are you okay?”

Liam arrives and seems a bit confused, so I quickly push Houston’s hand away. And now I’m shaking again, even more than I was before.

“I’m fine. Houston, this is my friend Liam.” I turn to Liam and hope he can see the plea in my eyes to cut me some slack for this very awkward, unplanned encounter. “Liam, this is… my old friend Houston.”

Houston narrows his eyes at my description of him, but after an awkward few seconds, he turns to Liam and offers him his hand. “Good to meet you.”

Liam nods at him as they continue to shake hands. “You too.”

Houston doesn’t seem to be ready to let go of Liam’s hand, so I finally grab Liam by the arm and pull him inside. His body is almost flush against mine, so close I can feel his warmth and smell his crisp scent. I whisper for him to go ahead and take a seat on the sofa and he smiles as he heads inside.

I shut the door behind me so I’m alone in the corridor with Houston. “I told you not to come here.”

“Is that your boyfriend?”

“No, it’s not my boyfriend. Actually, it’s none of your business. You need to leave.”

I reach for the doorknob and he grabs my hand to stop me. “Tell him to leave.”

“Are you kidding me? No way.”

“Do you see that?” He nods toward where his hand is covering mine. “You’re not trembling anymore.”

I slide my hand out from under his and shake my head. “No, Houston. You’re married. You’re not allowed to come here and fuck with my life. Go home.”

He pulls his other hand out from behind his back and brandishes a small metal box with a Sierra Nevada logo on the top. He stares at the box for a moment before he holds it out to me.

I take the box from his hand and my heart sputters. There’s something small and hard sliding around inside the box.

“What is it?”

“It’s my promise to make this right.” He takes a step toward me and I’m frozen as his hand lands on my cheek. He brushes his thumb softly over my cheekbone, then he leans in and plants a soft kiss on my forehead. “You look beautiful tonight.”

I want to hurry inside the apartment so I don’t have to watch him walking away, but I can’t tear my gaze away from him. As I watch him getting into the elevator, I get the urge to run after him and kiss him. Instead, I close my eyes and listen to the soft swoosh of the elevator doors closing.

I heave a deep sigh as I turn around and head back inside the apartment. The sight of Liam sitting on my sofa with Skippy’s head in his lap instantly puts me at ease.

“Is everything all right?” he asks, and I sense another question in there. Do you want me to leave?

I smile as I set the small metal box on top of the breakfast bar, then make my way to the sofa. “Never better.”

I consider not asking Skippy to move, but that would mean I’d have to sit on the opposite end of the sofa from Liam. And right now I think I need to be close to someone. I gently order Skippy to get down and he begrudgingly obliges, then I take a seat on the middle cushion next to Liam.

“Do you like Animal Planet?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual.

“I thought you asked me over here because you hate small talk.” He smiles at me and I’m treated to the sight of his gorgeous teeth framed by his perfectly groomed beard.

“You want to know who that was?”

He shrugs and I take that as a yes.

I let out a soft sigh and continue. “He’s the one… the one who changed everything.”

“Oh.” He nods as if he totally understands, but I can tell this information has made him uncomfortable. “So… he wants to get back together?”

I glance at the metal box on the breakfast bar. “He wants to make things right, whatever that means.”

“Is that possible—to make things right?”

I stare at Liam for a moment as I contemplate this question. “I don’t know.”

He smiles and I take the opportunity to scoot a bit closer to him. He quickly takes the hint and wraps his arm around me so I can lay my head on his shoulder. It’s only ten p.m., but I can already feel myself getting very relaxed and sleepy in his arms. He must feel it too, because a few minutes later he kisses my forehead and uncoils his arm from around my shoulders.

“I should let you get to sleep.”

“But you didn’t get to talk big.”

He chuckles as he stands from the sofa. I move to get up, but he holds his hand out to stop me. “Thanks for being honest with me, Rory.”

“Why would I not be honest with you?”

He shakes his head. “You know, the thing about honest people is that they can’t imagine why someone else would be dishonest.”

“Are you calling me naive?”

He laughs again. “No. No way. I’m just saying that you’re an honest person and… I find that very sexy.”

“Sexy?”

He smiles, then heads for the door, leaving me feeling a bit unsatisfied with his twenty-minute visit. Though, I get the feeling he’s leaving out of a need for self-preservation. What did I expect? I invited him over and he found me talking to my ex-boyfriend in the doorway. Then I went and told him the truth, that I don’t know if things can ever be made right between Houston and me. I should have lied and told him that Houston and I are irreparable.

Maybe Houston was right. Maybe we will always make it back together.

Then we’ll never stop hurting each other.