I snap my mouth shut, looking at him in stark shock. I hadn’t been expecting that and, while it’s true, I just can’t bring myself to agree. “But he was happy with me,” I say, my voice obviously less confident than it had been only moments ago.

“Yeah, he was happy with you.” Harley nods, stepping past me with a big bag of ice in each of his hands. “But that’s the past, Murph.” He looks down at me a moment, something earnest within his green eyes. “Don’t you think maybe it’s time you move on? Nash sure as hell has.”

He walks back inside the house and I’m left alone in the musty garage with nothing but the floating dust particles to keep me company, and my shoulders slump in resignation as I allow his sobering words to sink in.

Chapter 9

I sit on my own for most of the afternoon, my mind busily running away with itself.

Harley is occupied at the grill, drinking a beer, trying to ignore Anna and Nash who are shamelessly sucking one another’s faces right beside him. The bridesmaids are clearly gossiping among themselves. Most of Nash and Harley’s friends are glued to the television inside, watching some baseball game. And I’m on my own, nursing a big bowl of pretzels, watching YouTube videos on my phone on the latest fondant craze, secretly wondering whether anyone would even notice if I get up and leave.

“Hey, you okay?”

I jump, looking up to see Nash sliding into the patio chair beside me. He offers a cheeky grin, his eyes flitting sideways before he reaches his hand into the bowl of pretzels on my lap.

“Yeah.” I smile, placing the bowl onto the glass tabletop after he carefully selects a handful of pretzels. “Anna won’t be happy if she catches you eating pretzels,” I tease. “Think of the wedding photos!”

“She’ll get over it.” He chuckles, shoving a few into his mouth. “Is everything okay between you two?” he asks, his brow slightly furrowed as he casts Harley a sideways glance.

I look to where Harley is at the grill, drinking a beer while talking and laughing with one of his friends, and I nod. “Yeah,” I say with a nonchalant shrug. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

What? Just because I’m not giving him an over-the-pants hand job like Anna is practically doing to Nash every time she’s near him, something has to be wrong?

“I’m real glad you and Harley are together,” Nash continues, his eyes still focused on Harley. “He deserves a woman like you.”

I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not, and I almost scoff out loud.

Harley looks over at that moment as if he knows we’re talking about him. And, with a small smile, he lifts his chin at me, adding a wink before busying himself with flipping the burgers. He’s actually kind of good at this whole pretending thing.

“He’s a lucky guy,” Nash adds, flashing me a knowing smile before getting up and walking away.