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Mixed emotions started to bubble inside of me.
I pulled up to Felicity’s. “I’d better let you get some rest. I just got to my friend’s house, in any case.”
“Okay, have fun. Please keep in touch.”
“I don’t want you getting overly stressed about this. Okay, Terry? Take care of yourself and know that Brady and I are taking things slow again. We’re focusing on rebuilding the friendship we had when our relationship started. If we’re meant to be together, I’m sure fate will find a way to fix us.”
“I sure hope so, honey. Because he’ll never find anyone else like you.”• • •After spending the better part of an hour telling Felicity about Milo and all of the places we visited, she was still sitting there with her mouth hanging open. I helped fold some of her laundry while we talked.
“I can’t believe the entire time you were away, I was feeling sorry for you, thinking you were in Vail, wallowing over the fact that the wedding never happened. Never in a million years would I have imagined you were gallivanting around with a sexy stranger.”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t what I expected to come out of that trip, either,” I said as I matched her socks.
She sat up straighter on bed. “Will you ever see this guy again?”
“That’s the thing. He booked us a room at the hotel where we stayed in New Orleans for three months after the time we were there.”
“Whoa. So, like, you’re supposed to show up and see if he does the same?”
“Yeah, unless something changes—unless he doesn’t want to see me for some reason or vice versa.”
“That’s exciting. Like something out of a movie.”
“Exciting unless one of us doesn’t show.”
“So, the whole time you guys called each other by your fake names?”
“Yep.”
“You never got his real name?”
I shook my head. “That was part of the fun. I’m sure if we end up reuniting, I’ll tell him my name. It was just too much fun being Maddie Hooker—much more fun than Hazel Appleton.”
“Hooker! What a name.” She laughed. “But what if this guy had been dangerous? You really took a chance.”
I carried the basket of folded clothes over to the corner of the room. “Never once did I worry about that. I had an innate sense that I was safe with Milo. He never even tried anything. Honestly, aside from that amazing kiss at the very end, he was the perfect gentleman.” I chuckled, thinking about some of my own behavior. “I was by far the more aggressive one at times. It was hard to hide my attraction to him.”
“I still have chills about what you told me—when the psychic brought his old girlfriend through.”
That reminded me. “Oh. One part I forgot to tell you. Zoe, the dead girlfriend, apparently mentioned hazelnuts to try to give the psychic a clue about something. Pretty sure she was referring to me—Hazel. But even then, I didn’t tell him my name.”
Her jaw dropped. “So amazing. Wow.”
“The whole experience was amazing.” I plopped down on the corner of the bed and sighed. “But now, being home is…strange. I almost feel like I belonged out there on the road with Milo. I’m like a fish out of water on my own turf, even though things have actually been better than ever here—on the surface, at least.”
“How so?”
I bit my bottom lip. “Well, that’s the other thing I haven’t mentioned yet. On top of everything that happened, Brady has been trying to get me to forgive him.”
Her eyes widened. “Whoa. What?”
“Yeah. He wants to get back together, says he really regrets canceling the wedding.”
She leaned in. “What did you say?”
“I’ve agreed to spend time with him, but made no promises. I’m open to seeing where things go, but if I’m being honest, a part of me is still with Milo. I feel like only half of me is here. That half of me has some feelings for Brady, but it’s just so complicated.”
“You’re not considering giving up what you and Brady had for some guy you don’t even know?”
Her reaction surprised me. She’s defending Brady?
“Brady left me. Are you forgetting that?”
“Yeah, but he’s come around. He came to his senses. I have no doubt Brady loves you. He takes the covenant of marriage seriously. If only all men were like that. Better to express doubt before getting married than after. Ultimately he’s decided he can’t live without you. It’s not necessarily a bad thing that he fully thought through the idea of marriage first.”
I sighed. “I know he never meant to hurt me. But he’s going to have a long road to travel before I trust him again.”
“That’s understandable.” She paused. “But you will take him back, right?”
My eyes narrowed. “I thought you were all gung-ho about my three-month meet-up with Milo a little while ago.”
