Page 53 of Breaking Bristol
I didn’t want to gossip about someone I barely knew, so I gave a curt nod. “I need a drink.”
* * *
“There is no way that’s true.” I laughed while Reece wiped tears from her eyes as she told me the story of how she and Andy had met.
“Hand to God. I was mortified, but in the end, it all worked out… I did marry the guy.”
I took a sip of my wine. “He just let you get into the back seat of his car and took you home?”
“Listen, this was back when Uber had just started. I didn’t know what I was doing and I was distraught, so when he pulled up to the curb, I just assumed he was there for me.”
“Did he say anything during the drive?” I asked.
“No, because I spent the entire twenty minutes crying about my boyfriend who’d just dumped me.”
My shoulders shook more and more every time she added a new detail. “So how’d you figure it out, then?”
“Before I got out of the car, he turned around and handed me a piece of paper and said, ‘Your ex is an idiot. Call me if you ever want to go out with a real man.’” Her eyes sparkled. “I thought about it for weeks and wouldn’t shut up about how cute he was to my friend Susie. Apparently, she finally had enough and texted him, pretending to be me, to set up a date. She asked me to meet her for dinner the next night, but when I got to the restaurant, he was waiting for me.”
“Aw…that’s so sweet.”
“Yeah. And it wasn’t until we were on our honeymoon that he confessed he was never an Uber driver. Said he didn’t want me to think he was a psycho or something.” Her eyes moved past me, and she waved. “Speaking of Susie… I hope you don’t mind but I told her I would be here so she’s joining us for a drink.”
I did a half turn in my seat and saw Matthew’s cousin coming our way. Shit. I’d met her a few times but never really sat and talked to her. I had no clue what she knew, if anything, about the two of us. “Of course, I don’t mind.”
“Hey, y’all.” She greeted us and reached over to give us each a small hug. “Thanks for letting me crash your party.”
As Susie scooted in next to Reece, my friend reassured her, “You’re not crashing anything.”
“Do you want a drink?” I asked.
“Actually, I got us all another round, it should be here in a minute,” Susie said just as Jeannie brought two beers and a glass of wine for me. “So do you mind telling me why my normally laid-back, calm, rational cousin is in such a piss-ass mood?”
Reece looked between us with confusion. “Beck?”
“Yeah, didn’t you know they were seeing each other?”
“Um, no. What the hell?” Reese exclaimed, turning to glare at me.
“We weren’t hiding it, Reece.”
She gave her head a shake. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Before we get to that, are y’all still together?” Susie asked me. “Because the only reason I can think for him to be so crabby is because you dumped him.”
My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I stopped by my parents’ before I came here, and he was there with some parts to help my dad fix the lawn mower, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the way he was goin’ at the thing he broke it more.”
I swallowed and avoided their eyes until I knew what I was going to say. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but it’s not your business. He and I, we… I like him a lot, and I know he likes me too, but we’re getting to know each other, and sometimes that means learning what buttons to push, what triggers—”
“You know he didn’t kill that guy, right?”
“Susie!” Reece snapped.
“What?” She lifted her shoulders. “I want her to know.” She looked at me and leaned in. “I want you to know he’s not some cold-blooded killer. It was a tragic accident, self-defense.”
I finished my glass of wine and then took a sip of the new one. “I know that, Susie. I knew that all along. And with all due respect, I don’t appreciate you talking about what happened in the middle of a bar.”