Reva bolted from where she sat with her hand out. “Uh, can I have that?”
Lila turned the watch over, read the inscription, and frowned. “Oh, Reva.”
“What?” the other two said nearly in unison.
Lila handed the watch to Reva who quickly pocketed the timepiece.
“Okay, yes. It’s Merritt’s watch,” Reva admitted. “Not that it’s anyone’s business.”
Charlie Grace’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Merritt Hardwick? He was here?”
Lila scowled. “I didn’t know you were still in touch.”
Reva held up an open palm in protest. “Okay, look. We aren’t in touch—well, not really. Not in the sense you mean.”
“How do you mean?” Charlie Grace asked, also frowning.
“I haven’t seen him since we split.” Reva drained her root beer and set the empty mug on the coffee table. “But he showed up last night out of the blue. I was sound asleep when I heard pounding on the door.”
Capri tossed a partially eaten cookie back onto the plate. “What do you mean? He just showed up here?”
“In the middle of the night?” Charlie Grace lifted her eyebrows. “That’s a little nervy.” It was common knowledge Charlie Grace was not a huge fan of Merritt Hardwick, not after he moved away and broke their friend’s heart.
Reva nodded. “Yes, I don’t disagree. Everything you say is true. He’s…well, he’s in trouble.” She swallowed. “And he wanted me to know before news broke.” She waved her hands staving off the inquisition she knew was coming. “But that’s all I can disclose right now.”
“I don’t think you have to worry about betraying any confidence.” Capri held up her phone. “Breaking news.”
Reva jumped up and grabbed the remote for her television. She pointed toward the large screen mounted on the far wall. With one click, the screen brightened and immediately, Merritt’s face filled the screen with a voiceover.
“In breaking news, Senator Merritt Hardwick was arrested hours ago after a lengthy FBI investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The freshman senator is being charged with bribery, misuse of office, and breaching national security protocols.”
The image on the screen immediately turned to footage of Merritt’s arrest andperp walkas law enforcement officials handcuffed him and led him to a waiting car.
Reva shut the television off, tears pooling.
The others rushed to her side, offering any comfort they could.
“Oh, Reva. I’m so sorry,” Charlie Grace told her, pulling her dear friend into a hug.
Lila followed suit. “You must be devastated. I mean, I know you’re no longer together, but he still meant something to you.” Lila knew what it was like to be haunted by memories of a love you no longer could count on. She’d also been the one who silently sat with Reva for several evenings after Merritt packed and left for Washington, D.C.
Capri was the only one to voice what everyone was thinking. “What in the world? Is he an idiot? It’s a given Merritt’s going to lose his political career for good. But he’s also going to land his butt in prison. I mean, rocks for brains…right?” She looked between Charlie Grace and Lila for confirmation.
Charlie Grace scowled at her. “Uh, maybe a little sensitivity?”
Capri shrugged. “Yeah, okay. But I’m just saying…”
Lila led Reva back to the sofa and sat down beside her. “So, spill. What does this mean? Why was he compelled to show up in the middle of the night? You’ve not been a couple for years.”
Capri’s eyebrows lifted in suspicion. “Things haven’t changed, right?”
Charlie Grace followed with a firm, “He’s married.”
Reva sighed. “Of course, I know he’s married. Nothing has changed between us. Our relationship is firmly in the past. I’m just saddened, that’s all. I still care deeply for him and wish him all the best. This? I don’t understand it. Merritt’s choices simply do not reflect the man I used to know—a man of integrity and honor.”
Capri leaned back, folded her arms behind her head, and stretched her legs out in front of her. “Dip someone in a pot of spaghetti sauce, or, in this case, the political swamp, and they’re likely going to get all red.” When everyone gave her a confused look, she quietly added, “Okay, bad analogy. But, nice guy or not, he’s cooked.”
Lila took Reva’s hands in her own. “We’re your safe place. Tell us how this is impacting you—not Merritt or his career or reputation—you.” She pointed to Reva’s heart. “In here.”
