Love Was a Passerby

As usual, I tugged the brim of my cap down low and set a dozen beers on the table.

The next second, Felix Skye's ice-cold hand closed around my wrist. "Avery? Avery Schotz?"

The private room fell dead silent. Every pair of eyes locked onto me.

I ducked my head even lower, but a moment later, someone yanked my cap right off.

My face was laid bare.

"It really is you? Avery, why are you working in a casino?"

His stare burned into me.

In my memory, his face was frozen three years in the past, thrashing in the river. By the time I'd broken free of the debt collectors and jumped in after him, he'd already stopped breathing.

I'd believed he was dead. Every month, I'd set aside thirty dollars to visit his grave at the cemetery.

Now here he was, alive and well right in front of me, and my heart didn't so much as flutter.

I poured the drinks in silence. Then my mother, Ivy Schotz, grabbed me and yanked me toward her.

"You haven't come home in all these years, and this is where you've been working? You couldn't even pick up the phone and call?"

To this day, I remembered how, when I'd been pinned to the ground and abused, the very first person I called was Mom.

But on the other end of the line, they were singing "Happy Birthday" to Riley Mackenzie. "Happy birthday to our darling Riley!"

That day had been my birthday too.

In three years, not one of them had ever thought to look for me.

I didn't answer. I gave a respectful bow, then held out my hand. "Sir, the beer is thirty dollars. Cash or card?"

Felix froze. He looked at me as if I were a stranger.

After all, three years ago, I'd been just like Riley, dressed in haute couture and never once worrying about money.

His grip tightened on my wrist, and his brows drew together. "Avery, what happened these past three years? How did you sink this low?"

I didn't understand what "sinking low" meant.

All I knew was that I had to earn money for my treatment, save up for the trip home, and lay flowers at his grave every month.

Not anymore, though. Now I could put every cent of it toward the best medicine.

As Felix looked at me, his grip loosened a little.

"You've known about me and Riley for a long time, haven't you? We kept it from you because we didn't want to hurt you. I was planning to come clean with you this year anyway."

Mom chimed in, "They love each other. They had no choice but to run off together. You've always been so obsessive, and we were afraid you'd do something you couldn't take back."

Felix held Riley's hand tightly, every bit the devoted couple who'd been in love for years.

Everyone else stared at me like I was some kind of monster.

Then, without warning, something hot streamed out of my nose.

Riley let out a shriek. "Avery, why is your nose bleeding?"