He walked by me with a smile and then toward what I assumed was the restroom, past the gray walls and modern rustic wall art.

Thomas smiled as I returned to my seat. The air conditioner kicked on, and I pulled my blazer tighter around me.

“Would you like my jacket?” Thomas said, offering his blazer. It perfectly matched the walls. He also wore jeans and laced brown leather Timberland boots.

I shook my head. “I’m not that cold.”

“You just don’t want to be wearing my jacket when Sawyer comes out of the restroom. But he won’t notice because he’ll be chatting it up with Tessa.”

“What Sawyer thinks or feels doesn’t concern me.”

“Then, why are you here with him?” His tone wasn’t accusatory. In fact, it was so unlike his usual demanding loud voice that his words nearly blended into the hum of the AC.

“I’m not sitting across from him. At the moment, I’m here with you.”

The corners of his mouth turned up. He seemed to like that, and I inwardly cursed myself for the way that made me feel.

“I like this place,” I said, glancing around. “It sort of reminds me of you.”

“I used to love this place,” Thomas said.

“But not anymore. Because of her?”

“My last memory of this place is also my last memory of her. I don’t count the airport.”

“So, she left you.”

“Yes. I thought we were going to talk about your ex, not mine.”

“Did she leave you for your brother?” I asked, ignoring him.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he glanced toward the restrooms, looking for Sawyer. As predicted, Sawyer was standing at the end of the counter near the drink station, making Tessa giggle.

“Yeah,” Thomas said. He puffed, like something had knocked the breath out of him. “But she wasn’t mine to begin with. Camille has always belonged to Trent.”

I shook my head and furrowed my brow. “Why do that to yourself?”

“It’s hard to explain. Trent has loved her since we were kids. I knew it.”

His confession surprised me. From what I knew of his childhood and his feelings toward his brothers, it was hard to imagine Thomas pulling something so heartless.

“But you pursued her anyway. I just don’t understand why.”

His shoulders moved up just a tiny bit. “I love her, too.”

Present tense. A tinge of jealousy twinged in my chest.

“I didn’t mean to,” Thomas said. “I used to go home quite a bit, mostly to see her. She works at the local bar. One night, I went straight to The Red and sat down in front of her station, and then it just hit me. She wasn’t a little girl in pigtails anymore. She was all grown-up and smiling at me.