I’ll see you all later.
I put my phone back down as it continues to vibrate with new messages, but I ignore them. Instead, I climb out of bed and find my discarded dress and underwear. I slip back into my dress but shove my panties in my clutch. I know I haven’t showered since we went to sleep, but those panties are way too dirty to put back on.
Just as I’m finishing tying the straps to my heels, Shane’s phone rings from the nightstand. I walk over to it as the name‘Hailey’flashes on the screen with a picture of him and his arm around a pretty blonde as they smile for the camera. My stomach instantly knots up as I watch them stare back at me.
I know I could just let it go to voicemail and ignore it; pretend I didn’t see or hear it. But I can’t, it’s already eating at me from the inside.Who is Hailey? And why do they look so happy in that picture? Maybe it’s his sister? But they look nothing alike.
“Shane?” I call out his name as I pick up his phone, ready to pass it to him, but he doesn’t answer me, and I can still hear the water running.
Letting my curiosity win and my desperate need for answers, I accept the call. I’m about to say “Hello” but a female voice cuts in before I can.
“Oh, Shaney! Thank God you picked up! When are you getting here? Your parents are already driving me crazy, asking why the groom isn’t here yet and when the wedding will be. Tell me you’re on your way!?”
My heart stops beating as a lump forms in my throat.Well, she’s clearly not his sister. And what does she mean by groom and wedding? Is she… is Shane? Is Shane engaged and hasn’t told anyone? Is this Shane’s fiancée? Could he have been lying to me only to get me in bed with him? Oh God! I’m such an idiot!
Tears fill my eyes as this sick feeling settles in my stomach. I manage to keep my voice as steady as possible while holding in the sob that desperately wants to break free.
“He’s… he’s in the shower… I’ll tell him you called… Merry Christmas.” My voice breaks at the end, and I pull the phone away, ready to hang up and run out of this room, but her pleading voice pulls me back.
“No, wait! Aubrey! Please don’t hang up… It’s Aubrey, right?” she asks once she sees the line is still connected.
I wipe at the tear that slips out. “How do you know my name?” I whisper.
I hear her sigh through the phone, but it doesn’t sound like she’s upset. “Because Shane talks about you all the time.” She laughs a bit, then her tone becomes warm. “I understand what I just said might have come out wrong, but it isn’t what you think. I’m Hailey, Shane’s ex-wife. But we’re also very close friends—we grew up together, and our families are really close. And the comment about a wedding has nothing to do with Shane. I’m engaged to a friend of ours.”
“Oh…” I sigh, suddenly feeling relieved but also embarrassed for thinking the worst, and of course, my blush spikes up. I sit down at the end of the bed, needing a moment to gather my emotions.
“I’m sorry if I made you doubt anything. I should have let you talk before blabbing about my problems. But you should know that Shane is obsessed with you; you really have nothing to worry about. He’s one of the good ones.” She sounds genuine, and it reassures me but also makes me wonder why they divorced if she claims he’s one of the good ones.
“I know,” I mumble more to myself than her.
“Angel?” I look up at the sound of Shane’s voice.
He’s standing in the doorway to the bathroom with a white towel around his waist, body glistening with droplets from his shower as he stares at me with concern in his eyes. I know my mix of emotions must still be showing on my face.
He frowns when he sees the phone against my ear and strides over, taking it away from me. Looking at the name, his frown deepens and he taps at the screen quickly, putting it on speaker and throwing it on the bed as he kneels at my feet, his hands on my knees.
“Hailes, what did you say to her?”
“Nothing, I—” Hailey quickly answers, about to explain herself, but he cuts in.
“Then why does she look like she’s about to cry?” he asks her with an angry tone to his voice.
“Oh God! No, I didn’t mean to make her upset. I talked about Henry and the wedding, but I think she thought I was talking about you. I tried to explain myself when I realized it wasn’t you on the phone. I’m sorry, Shane. I really didn’t mean to confuse her.”
Shane searches my gaze, trying to read me. “Is it true?” he asks me softly as his hands rub up and down my thighs.
I nod. “It is, I was just a little shocked, I didn’t know what to think.” I feel the heat covering my cheeks amplifying the longer he stares at me.
“Okay.” He cups my cheek and leans in to press his lips to mine, then turns back to the phone.
“Hailey, I’ll call you back later when I’m on the road. I’d really like to spend these last few hours with my girlfriend. Uninterrupted.” He grins when my eyes widen and a whole different blush sets along my face.
He called me his girlfriend!
“Oh! Of course. You two have fun! I’ll see you later, Shane. And Merry Christmas, Aubrey. I do hope we get to meet soon,” Hailey says with a smile in her voice.
“Me too, Merry Christmas,” I answer honestly. Now that I’ve taken the time to settle that ridiculous doubt, she does sound like a nice person.
