Since she had sat down with the group, Marcus had gone from polite to lost in his phone within the first five minutes. His attention had, thankfully, not been on the multitude of questions Carol and Co. had asked Sloane about The Girl Who Said Nothing and Guy. If Sloane hadn’t caught a flash of his phone to see it was a text message conversation, she would have worried he was searching the blog out or googling her. Out of her periphery now, though, Sloane knew he was staring at the scene unfolding next to the booth. Honestly, she would have had a front-row seat, too, if she could have.

Woman who is the worst at lying and improv tries to stay afloat of her lies and mortifying secrets. Guest star: Brady the Bartender, bearer of her most secret of secrets.

“Are you telling me that you two are a thing?” Carol kept her finger trained on Brady, but her suspicion was all over the place. “I didn’t even realize you knew each other.”

“Just because you know most things that go on in town doesn’t mean you know them all,” Brady answered. He threw his arm around Sloane and pulled her against his side so they were both facing the music head-on.

Carol decided to skip to a crescendo.

“I’m just surprised is all. I mean, her entire thing right now is about lost love over this ‘Guy.’” Her eyes widened. She jabbed her manicured nail in Brady’s direction again but was looking at no one but Sloane. “Unless… Is he the guy from your blog?”

Sloane might have imagined it, but a hush settled over the bar around them. Like they were trapped in the aftermath of a collective, surprised intake of breath.

Her heartbeat started to gallop.

Her ears and cheeks burned hotter.

The memories of nine years’ worth of blog posts were giant neon signs glaring in her mind’s eye, all with warnings to never let them see the light of day. No matter what.

This time, however, Sloane decided to look at Marcus before she answered.

He was one of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen, hands down. Golden-haired with soft curls that paid tribute to his boyish charm, blue eyes that held the depth of an ocean of compassion within them, a face filled with movie star angles, and a smile that had spent its whole existence learning how to win what it wanted.

While each handsome feature had added allure for her when she was younger, Sloane found the boy’s kindness, humor, and easy charm were what had left a hefty impression on her younger self. The years would go by, and out of nowhere she’d be transported back to that day in the park.

That perfect day.

The day she’d fallen in love with the perfect guy.