Gennifer nibbled at the corner of her bottom lip before smiling. “He and I dated for five years. We broke up because he was ready for marriage, but I got cold feet.”
Aly froze at the admission. Will had mentioned a long-term ex-girlfriend, but he’d made it sound much more casual.
“Oh.” Her heart rate sped up and her body heated uncomfortably. She racked her brain for some kind of response but came up woefully short. And what did it say about her that her boyfriend’s ex was more comfortable in his house than she was?
The garage door banged open, and movement sounded in the kitchen.
“Hey, Al,” Will called, “did you and Lily decide on wine? I got everything for the candy cane cosmos she wanted to make.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but her throat was closed off. What would he say when he saw his ex-girlfriend parked next to her on the couch? She shouldn’t have let this happen. Why hadn’t she turned the woman away at the door or ushered her out when she realized who she was?
“Aly?” He stopped short as he stepped through the swing door. “Genni?” He frowned at the woman sitting just a cushion away from Aly.
Gennifer lifted off the sofa and moved toward him, but Will jerked back.
“What are you doing here?”
She wasn’t discouraged. She reached out and grabbed Will’s arm. The contact made Aly’s stomach wobble like she’d just crested the steep drop on a roller-coaster. Will pulled his arm back and glanced at Aly, his brow still furrowed, before turning his attention back to his ex, but he crossed both arms over his chest.
“Why don’t you get rid of the contractor and then we can talk?” she asked.
Will raised his brows so high they were practically in his hairline. “Contractor?” he parroted, looking from Genni to Aly.
“The plans look amazing. Although I really wish I could have some input,” Gennifer said with a hint of pout.
“What?” he scoffed before turning back to Aly. “You told her you were the contractor?” he bit out.
Annoyance painted his face. She hadn’t. The conversation had gotten away from her. She opened her mouth, but the words were caught in her throat. Blinking back the sting of tears, she swallowed, but it was no use. Instead, she dropped her chin and focused on a spot on the floor in front of her while she wrung her hands, praying she’d magically disappear.
Will moved in an instant and pressed a warm palm to her cheek. “Al?”
“She assumed,” Aly murmured.
Will cocked his head and frowned at her. She shrugged helplessly. This woman was so far out of Aly’s league—her looks, her social skill, her confidence. Aly didn’t know how to respond to any of it.Thiswas who Will had dated foryears. That alone was eye-opening.
Will leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her lips.
“Let’s fix the assumption then,” he said, standing and pulling her to her feet. With a hand on her hip, he guided her closer to him. “Genni, this is my girlfriend, Aly Gomez.”
Genni’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t heard—”
She was cut off by the slam of the front door.
“Uncle Marc says I have two minutes to grab my phone or he’s leaving me,” Andy said, coming to stop when he stepped into the room. “Miss Sterns?”
Gennifer paused briefly, as if her brain was piecing together who he was. “You’re one of Will’s swim team boys, right?”
Andy nodded. “Didn’t you marry some old guy and move to DC?”
“We’re separating,” Gennifer explained.
Will tensed next to her, his normally open face shut down and unreadable.
He cleared his throat. “Andy, your phone’s in my car. Be good for Aunt Beth and Uncle Marc. I’ll pick you up at five for practice, so don’t stay up late.”
With that instruction, Andy hustled out of the room.
“He…lives here?” Gennifer asked.