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TWENTY-NINE - PART 2

I had never been so confused in my life by catching someone's eye from across the room.

I didn't know how to feel, think, or do.

My palms were sweaty. My mouth ran dry. My heart clenched and sank to the bottom pit of my stomach.

It reminded me of that night, all the way at the beginning of our story when I spotted him at that frat party. The night Abby convinced me to go out, only to end up at the same place as him and see him with another girl in his lap. I remembered it perfectly; how he ran outside after me and begged me to talk to him. It was so early on during our time together - I knew I didn't have a right to be upset because we weren't officially together. And now, I knew he acted that way because he was trying to forget about me. But back then, it only left me confused.

However, this exact moment was far from the one in the past.

Hunter didn't leave her side to apologize for his actions and talk it out. He wasn't coming over to say he was only spending time with her as an excuse to push me out of his mind and forget about me. Instead, he remained seated with his arm over her shoulder, secluded in a far back booth.

His eyes met mine; his gaze held long enough for me to know he spotted me as well.

I think that's what made it worse. Hunter knowing I saw him and yet doing nothing about it.

But what was I expecting him to do? Drop everything and run over? Shove the poor girl away because I was at the same bar? We weren't together - he had every right to do as he pleased, even if that was in front of me.

"Is everything okay?" My sister's voice pulled me from my torturous thoughts. "You've been staring at your empty glass for a few minutes now."

I forced a smile - something I found I was getting quite used to these days - and nodded. "Yeah, I was just... thinking about an idea for a painting."

"Oh, for your art contest?" Emma chimed in with her question from the other side. "That's so exciting! When is it again?"

"In about two months now."

Two months.

That was eight weeks... probably less than that at this point - more like seven weeks.

Seven weeks. Holy shit.

Forty-nine days?! I only have forty-nine days left?

How was I going to get anything done in forty-nine days?

Hearing my sister make up for my sudden silence with chatter about some other topic of conversation - I couldn't focus long enough to listen to what she was speaking of - my eyes found their way back to my empty glass.

Alcohol. That was the perfect way to get my mind to relax once again.

"I need a drink," I suddenly announced to my sister.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No!" The word left my lips suspiciously fast. "I mean, no, it's okay. You enjoy yourself. Abby texted me asking if she could call me, so I'll be a few minutes, anyway."

Great. Another lie. Forcing smiles and creating sudden, on-the-spot lies was becoming second nature. I didn't like that's who I was becoming or what I was learning about myself. This wasn't the purpose of the trip.

Catching the eye of the bartender, I ordered a refill and patiently waited. I was thankful the woman had a few orders to fulfill, as it allowed me more time to be alone.

"Sorry to bother you, but I love your shirt," a voice beside me said, "Where did you get it?"

I turned my head to thank the stranger for the compliment. It was funny how something so trivial made a genuine smile appear. I was beginning to worry I had forgotten how to smile genuinely. My look of joy was quick to disappear. Not because of the source of the compliment, but due to the person she was standing beside.