Page 15 of The Other Side

Our fingers brush, the grate of his coarse skin firing a jolt of electricity through me. His eyes dart down—stationed a second too long—and I realize what he’s been staring at this whole time.

My ring.

My engagement ring.

I roll my teeth over my lower lip, intentionally cupping the bottom of the milk to conceal my palm under it. “Thank you.”

He gently nods before his attention volleys between Jesse and me. “I look forward to working on the project with both of you.”

“It’s great you two had the chance to meet,” Jesse chimes in.

I tilt my chin toward Jesse, cranking out a small smile to appease his skewed reality. “Yeah, it is.”

My heart chases the truth away. I’m not sure why I omit the fact that I’ve known Brant all of my childhood. The only explanation my gut has to offer is the fact that it feels wrong.

“Alright, let’s go,” Jesse says, spinning on his heel. “I look forward to Monday, Brant.”

I’m parked for a moment, my lips parting and closing before I pivot.

“Oh, actually …”

Brant’s voice jerks my body around—almost too readily—and Jesse follows suit. My chest pumps through staccato breaths, lungs choking with fear that he’ll out us.

No, he wouldn’t.

He wouldn’t.

His eyes squint, a confident gleam sparkling under the sun. He diverts his gaze, lifting his fingers to his temple before poking them out to the distance. “I’m meeting an old friend out here later on.” His eyes land on mine, lingering for a breath before traveling to Jesse’s. “Any suggestions on where we should go?” Brant’s eyes return to me, and then he’s softly popping a shoulder. “I’m not too familiar with the area.”

“Well, you chose the perfect area for a cocktail lounge,” Jesse answers.

Brant’s beautiful face twitches as he brushes a hand over his head. I watch him intently, and my belly knots snugly in suspense. “Yeah, that’s not typically my preferred place. I like to keep things lowkey, so I wouldn’t mind something less fancy if you have any recommendations.”

“Tough one,” Jesse replies. “I’m sort of committed to the cigar and lounge scene.”

Here goes nothing.

“Bottle Grounds.”

Brant’s eyes stitch to mine, hand dropping at his side. “Bottle Grounds?”

I quickly nod, Jesse’s comments muffled at my side as I continue. “It’s a tap room, but cocktails are also part of the menu. Six o’clock is the sweet spot. Not too many crowds.”

My face stiffens to mask the subtext from Jesse. Then Brant’s flashing a tiny grin. “Bottle Grounds at six o’clock. Got it.”

“Have a good one,” Jesse says before turning around.

I swallow thickly as my legs retreat. My stare lingers on Brant’s, and he lifts his hand to signal a small wave.

My heart nearly combusts.

Ten years ago, that exact motion fractured my heart into a million pieces. Every day after that, I’ve been plucking the tiny shards off the ground. But some were too microscopic for me to spot.

I accepted the fact that those bits have sunken into the ground by now. Six feet under. Never to be found again.

Never did I expect those lost pieces to return to me under the clear sky of a beautiful day in Spring.

As it turns out, they weren’t dug into a deep hole underground. They were buried in those almond-shaped eyes staring back at me.