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“What was the challenge?”

“It was making balloon animals. Beau and Clarice were this close”—he pinches his thumb and forefinger together—“to winning, but in the end it was Jace and Holly. Between you and me, they’re my least favorite couple.”

Mine too.

“But hey, let’s not talk about that.” Stone points his beer at Pane. “Looks like you’ve got a game going.” He hands a beer to Pane, who takes it with a nod. “How’s Rowe?”

“About to have that baby any minute now.”

This is good. Talking about normal things. Real things. Things that aren’t Cristina.

“I’m gonna call you Big Daddy,” Stone says with a wink to me. “I’ll never refer to you as Pane again. From here on out, you’re Big Daddy.”

Pane laughs. “Didn’t you know I’ve always wanted to be a big daddy?”

“Every man wants to be Big Daddy,” I add. “Stone, I think your joke went the wrong way.”

Stone shakes his head. “See? I knew it would stick.”

Pane breaks the triangle of pool balls, and then I step up to play. We talk like this, about nothing, until Stone says, “Have you had your appointment yet?”

Pane takes a sip of his beer and eyes the balls, but I know he’s listening. Ever since the night Cristina collapsed, they’ve been checking in on me at least twice a day, if not more.

“It’s tomorrow,” I tell him.

“You’ll like him. He works with a lot of vets.”

“That’s good.”

“But I don’t recommend calling him Big Daddy.”

Pane and I both laugh, and it’s the first real laugh I’ve had since that day, and my God, it feels good, like maybe it can wrap around my heart.

Cristina was the best shot I’ve ever had at love, and that slipped through my fingers.

My chest tightens and a deep ache settles between my shoulders. I do my best to shake it off, but it lingers like it’ll never go away.

Might as well resign myself to this.

It’s my turn to shoot, and just as I step up to the table, the door opens and in walks Jace.

He sees me and stiffens, then follows his friends to the bar.

Isaac, who’s manning the taps tonight, spots Jace, glances at me, and narrows his eyes for a second like, I don’t want any trouble.

No idea why he’d shoot me a look like that unless he figures I’ll kick Jace’s ass for what he did to Cristina.

And for what he continues to do.

For telling her the competition is rigged when it isn’t. For telling her that she could be his first wife. For telling me she was a stalker, to poison her against me from day one.

Maybe Isaac was right to shoot me that look after all.

“Hold my stick,” I tell Stone.

“What? Why?” His gaze flashes around the room until it lands on Jace. “Tell me you’re going over there to congratulate him.”

“Sure, I’ll do that, too.”