Chapter 64

sixty-four

PAUL

Later that night, someone knocked on my front door. I'd almost expected to see Liam standing on the veranda, but it was Jonathon.

"Are you all right?" Jonathon pulled his jacket more firmly around his chest. "You didn't seem happy when you left the engagement party."

I wiped my eyes. "I'm okay. Do you want to come inside?"

"Thanks. It's freezing out here." Jonathon stomped his feet on the doormat and walked through the front door. "I hope you don't mind me barging in, but the lights were on and I was worried about you."

"I'm glad you're here. Would you like something to eat or drink?"

Jonathon's gaze dropped to the tub of ice cream in my hands. "Is that butter pecan?"

I nodded. "It was on special at the supermarket. I've eaten so much that I feel sick."

Jonathon looked inside the half-full container. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Come on. I'll pour you a glass of water. It might help balance out all the sugar you've eaten."

There wasn't a drink on earth that could do that, but I wasn't complaining. It was nice to have company, someone I could talk to about what had happened.

"Where's Amy?"

"She's asleep." I left the ice cream on the kitchen counter. "Liam has accepted a job in Chicago. I don't know how I'm going to tell Amy that he won't be back."

"Did you know he was moving to Chicago?"

I shook my head. "I didn't even know he'd applied for the job. We'd decided to be friends. I'd decided to be friends. But when Liam isn't here, I miss him."

"I know that feeling. Regret can be as nasty as bedbugs. It bites you in all the wrong places when you least expect it."

"Did you make a decision you wish you hadn't?"

Jonathon handed me a glass of water. "It was the right decision, but for all the wrong reasons. I left my job and friends because I was scared. That doesn't achieve anything."

"I didn't want Liam to live in the same town as Amy and me. I guess I was having flashbacks about my ex-fiancé. If I let Liam close, it would be horrible when he left."

"Why did you think he'd leave? He doesn't seem the type of person who'd change his mind once he made a commitment to someone."

Fresh tears filled my eyes. "No, he isn't. That's me. I keep planning my life as if I live in a bubble. When something changes, I panic and focus on where I want to be, not how I'll get there."

"And a change in plans could be disastrous."

"Exactly. What am I going to do? "

Jonathon picked up the tub of ice cream. "For starters, we're putting this in the freezer. Then we'll turn on the TV and watch a movie. And if we're lucky, it'll be a really soppy romance. We can cry all night and blame the hero and heroine."

I hugged Jonathon. "You have the best plans."

"Remember the bubble. This isn't a plan, it's a suggestion. If something happens, we'll find another way to drown your sorrows."

"That sounds even better." I walked into the living room and found the remote control and a box of tissues. It could be a long night.