“Are we done here?” Aidan’s voice jerks me out of my thoughts.
“For now,” I smile and lift my chin, hiding my pain. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
Chapter Twenty One
Aidan
“It’s been forever since you returned my calls,” Claire says. Her eyes hold mine and I compare them with Liz’s luminous green gaze. “I was almost too proud to say yes to lunch.” She gives me a coquettish smile. “What would you have done if I’d refused to see you?”
I shrug. “Nothing.”
“You wouldn’t bother to change my mind?”
I don’t reply. Our food arrives, and I watch Claire push her steamed broccoli around on her plate. Randomly, I think about how she hardly eats. Randomly, I compare that to my memories of Liz’s healthy appetite.
Somewhere inside, I’d known that calling Claire to distract myself from Liz would turn out to be a mistake. Claire is beautiful, smart, entertaining, and sexually uninhibited.
But she’s not Liz.
Nobody is.
She drops her fork and reaches out to cover my hand with hers. Her eyes mist, and I know something big is coming.
“I was glad when you called, and I couldn’t wait to see you. I just…I wish you’d try to make me feel like I mean something to you, something more than sex.”
Halfway through her speech I’m already thinking about Liz again. I pull my hand back with a sigh. Lunch was a mistake, and I don’t want to lie to her.
“Listen—”
“How about we go over to your place right now, and I’ll show you just how much I’ve missed you?”
“Claire…”
Something about my tone makes her stop. I feel like an asshole.
I am an asshole.
“I just…I’m busy with the play. I don’t think I have the time for any distractions right now.”
She scowls. “That’s ridiculous. It never stopped you before.”
Because none of the other plays had Liz in them.
“Is that why you asked me to lunch? To dump me?”
“I’m not dumping you.” You can’t dump someone if you were never dating.
“It’s because of her, isn’t it?”
“Who?” My voice is blank, though I know exactly who she means.
“Liz McKay.” She curls her lips when she says the name, and my back stiffens in instinctive defense. “You two used to go out, and she practically admitted to the whole world that she’s still in love with you. Maybe you’re the one who’s still in love with her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Fuck you!” Her voice rises, then she sniffs. “Why did you even ask me to have lunch? You could have ignored my messages and ghosted me forever. That would have been kinder than letting me think there was a chance…” She throws her napkin on the table. “You know what? Goodbye, Aidan. I guess I was foolish for thinking I could live up to the Liz McKay.”
She pushes away from the table and heads for the exit. I watch her go, but I don’t stop her. As she nears the doors, they open and Liz walks into the restaurant.