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What was the plan forwhen everything you planned went down the drain? It had taken a few days for the press to figure out where I’d gone into hiding, and despite Liam’s tall, broad, imposing stature, they weren’t backing off anytime someone came or went from the Connell house.
We all three sat on their couch a few nights after the wedding,The Officeplaying on TV, though no one was paying any attention to it. I pointed at Liam. “This is your fault, you know.”
His hands went up as if I were an officer and he was under arrest. “I was trying to help.”
“Well, your help made Rhettactuallygive me a chance, and now look where we are.”
Charlie raised both eyebrows at me. “You don’t think he would have given you a chance if Liam hadn’t asked him to?”
“No. Yes. Maybe? Now we’ll never know.” I slumped down further on the sofa. “It’s easier to blame Liam than myself.”
“Neither of you is to blame,” she said.
I knew that. And I was pretty sure Liam knew I didn’t actually blame him. Except that without his connection, none of this would have ever happened. I would still be blissfully in love with an idealistic Rhett and avoiding a real relationship of any kind. “The truth is, I wouldn’t really change any of it, even if I could go back and try again.”
“None of it?”
“Well, I would prefer if Rhett didn’t abandon me and then believe the worst of me, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“It’s weird,” Liam said, rubbing his jaw. “Rhett’s not a bad guy. He’s probably more hurt than angry.”
“If he would’ve trusted me, he wouldn’t have to be either.”
“That’s fair,” Charlie said.
Liam pulled her up against him, and she leaned back, adjusting her position to get comfortable. He looked at me over her head. “I don’t know if I’ll regret saying this—”
“You won’t.”
He eyed me. “Beth, listen. I’m not sure what it even means, but Rhett texted me yesterday.”
My chest sought air but couldn’t seem to get any. I waited for him to continue.
Charlie smacked him on the leg. “You’re only saying thisnow?”
“I didn’t want to cause more problems,” he said in defense, then looked at me again. “He wanted to check on you, to make sure you were okay.”
No. Bad body. Stop feeling warm and fuzzy. Rhett reaching out tomewould be cause for warmth or fuzzy little butterflies. The ones I was feeling right now were entirely unwelcome. “What did you say to him?”
“Please tell me you didn’t tell him the truth,” Charlie said. “Beth doesn’t want him to know what a mess she is. She has some pride.”
Glad to know I looked as awful as I felt.
Liam was silent far too long for comfort.
“Just tell me,” I said quietly.
“I told him you’re struggling. You can’t leave the house or go to work or anything. And I also told him I didn’t think you were to blame.”
Liam had stuck up for me—much like I expected from him.
“Has he reached out to you?” Charlie asked, looking at me.
“No.”
“Do you want to try to reach out to him?”
“At this point, it doesn’t really matter. Even if he called, I wouldn’t know what to say. I couldn’t trust him now.”
