Page 16 of Blue Line

“Hadley, is that you?” a voice asks from behind us, and I turn around to find one of my high school classmates.

“Hi, Denise,” I greet her. “Funny seeing you here.” I tilt my head, studying her. She looks much the same as when we were in high school, except she’s sporting a pregnant belly.

She puts a hand on it, rubbing it, and my chest tightens.

“Adam, my husband. Do you remember him?” I nod because how can I forget Adam, the class clown? “He’s friends with Beth’s brother. What are you doing here?”

“Henry and I dated for a while.”

She laughs but quickly schools her expression when she realizes I’m serious. “Oh, shit. Sorry.” She shakes her head. “I know it’s been a while, and people change, but he doesn’t seem like your type.”

“That’s what I said,” Weston says, wrapping his arm around me and putting out his hand to Denise. “Hi. I’m Weston. Hadley’s fiancé.”

Her eyes flare with what I think might be recognition, but she doesn’t say anything, simply shaking Weston’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Hadley and I went to high school together.”

We chat with Denise for a while, and I learn that she’s a vet tech and expecting her second child. Eventually, she excuses herself to find the bathroom, after giving me her number and telling me to text her, and then Weston and I are alone again.

I don’t want to be here.

I only came because I felt as though I had to prove something to Henry.

We’ve seen him, and he’s met my fiancé. Mission accomplished, right?

“You ready to go?” Weston asks, leaning closer to me. “We can stay if you want, but I feel a coughing fit coming on.”

“Hadley, is that you, dear?”

“Great,” I mutter under my breath, turning around to find Henry’s mother coming toward us.

“It is you,” she says as she comes to a stop. “So good to see you.”

She reaches to hug me, and I step back, colliding with Weston. He grips my hips, giving them a squeeze.

A flash of disappointment crosses her face, but she quickly hides it as she drops her hands as her husband comes to a stop at her side.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery,” I greet Henry’s parents.

“I’m so glad you could come,” she says, clapping her hands. “And who is this?” She checks out Weston, her lips tipping up into a big grin, and I want to tell her to stop oogling my fiancé.

“Weston, ma’am. Nice to meet you.” He reaches around me, holding out his hand to shake. “Sir.”

Mr. Montgomery grunts, taking a sip of his drink.

“How are you, Hadley? Hanging in there, I hope?”

“I’m doing great, thank you.”

She frowns. “Henry mentioned he ran into you at the grocery store.” She eyes me up and down. “But he made it sound as though you weren’t doing good. Said you were living with your brother.”

I rear back, and Weston’s grip tightens on my hips.

“I’m doing just fine. I was in Florida for a while with Holt, as a nanny for his daughter.”

“So you finally got serious and found yourself a reliable job. Good. Good.” She pats me on the arm.

For fuck’s sake.

I clear my throat, narrowing my eyes at her.