“No. Just me.”

“You’re single?” he said, his voice filled with hope.

I smiled his way, trying to push away the thoughts of my past relationship that he was pulling out of me. “Yes, single and happy about that. I just got out of a long-term relationship and am focusing on me for now.”

He grinned, understanding. “Well, if you need a friend in town, I’m more than willing to not hit on you, seeing how you’re not really my type.” He nodded toward the gentleman sitting at a table directly across from me. “I’m more interested in Kens than Kennedys.”

I laughed. “Well, I could probably use a good friend here, that’s for sure.”

My eyes moved back to Mr. Personality’s table. He looked my way once more—and guess who didn’t look away again? Good ole creepy me. He blinked a few times before turning back to staring at the menu. I felt my cheeks instantly heat as I lifted my glass of orange juice to my lips, and Marty followed my stare.

He snickered. “Most people look at Jax Kilter that way,” he said, making me spit out my juice in an instant, ruining my new plate of food.

“Wait, what?” I exclaimed, completely baffled by Marty’s words.

He looked at me as if I were completely insane—and, well, okay, that was a fair judgment—but I still couldn’t shake off my nerves.

“Did you say Jax Kilter?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

No way.

It couldn’t be him…

It had been years since I’d last seen him, and hardly anything about the man in front of me resembled the boy I’d once known—except for those eyes. Those deep, dark eyes pulled me in the same way they had when we were children.

Marty scratched at his nonexistent beard. “Do you know him?”

“Yes. I mean, I did, I think…a long time ago. Gosh, it’s been years.” My eyes moved back toward Jax, and my heart tightened in my chest as tears welled up in my eyes. Could that really be him? It had to have been over fifteen years since we’d last talked. We were only children back then, yet seeing him now and knowing he was the same Jax from my childhood made my mind fly into a tailspin. For the shortest period of time, he had been my person. My summer camp companion. My best friend. We’d spent two summers growing up together, building a strong connection, right up until he disappeared from my life without a word.

“You know him?” I asked Marty before my teeth chewed into my bottom lip.

“Oh yeah. It’s a small town, so everyone is quick to know everyone. If I’m honest, I already knew everything about you before you sat down—all but your Social Security number,” he joked.

“Is he…nice?” I asked, ignoring the fact that Marty said he knew all about me. I was too concerned with knowing all about Jax. My question seemed idiotic, because based on my interaction with him, I knew the answer: No, he wasn’t nice. Well, he was kind of nice? A little…I thought? From what I’d observed, his actions spoke differently than his words, and I wanted Marty’s input on who Jax had become.

“Jax is…he’s…well, I’m not one to gossip. People already talk enough crap around these parts to give Days of Our Lives another decade of episodes, but Jax is an interesting fellow. A bit of a loner, minus his random relationships. He recently got out of a two-year relationship with Amanda Gates—not that they really seemed close. He’s a bit EU.”

“EU?”

“Emotionally unavailable. I’m surprised Amanda stuck around that long with him. His looks don’t hurt. I’m sure that and their bedroom affairs was enough to keep her attention. If I had the smallest indication that he was into Kens over Kennedys, I’d let my Marty wave his way because those eyes will swallow any human whole. But, alas, he plays for your team, not mine.”

I smiled. The more Marty talked, and the more comfortable he became with me, the more I liked him. His personality was beginning to shine through the clouds of his nerves.

“I heard he’s the town jerk,” I said.

“He is…but like the good kind.”

I laughed. “What does that even mean? The good kind of jerk? That’s an oxymoron.”

“No, it’s not. You know…he’s a jerk to the people who deserve it. At first, if he comes off as cold, it’s just because he doesn’t know someone. He has his shields up high, because he’s been hurt a lot. I can’t really blame him with the shit people in this town have put him through. I’d tag people as guilty until proven innocent too if I’d lived half the life Jax has lived, and I’m the token gay guy in this place plus I have OCD. Trust me, I’ve lived a life, but I wouldn’t trade it to walk in Jax’s shoes for a minute.”