“I’m sorry,” I say. “Nash and I…um…”
“There you go.” Carrie grins. “From her own lips.”
“Holy shit,” mumbles someone nearby.
“I think it’s time for us to go,” says Carrie. “Don’t you, Aaron? There’s clearly nothing for you here.”
“I came up with the plan,” announces Nash. The expression on his face says he is determined to fall on his sword and save me. “It was my idea to lie to you all.”
Carrie scowls in confusion. “Yes, but—”
“I started it,” I say. Because complete honesty, etcetera. “He didn’t know I was going to lie about him being my ex, come to win me back. Though he did make up the bit about the baby…”
“He what?” gasps Carrie.
And Nash nods.
Grandma steps forward “I knew about it all too. If the whole town is going to get angry about this, then get angry at me too.”
And the silence in the bar is deafening. All that can be heard is Patsy Cline is playing on the jukebox. Carmen is the first toturn her back on us and return to the bar. Mac, Molly, and Rose are close behind. So this is what it feels like to be shunned by a community. I could have happily lived my life without knowing. This absolutely sucks.
Father Frank shakes his head sadly. “Shame on you.”
“You can forget about those baby blankets,” says Wade. “I won’t be knitting either of you a thing.”
“How could you, Audrey?” asks Isa. Though she doesn’t wait for a reply.
And all the while, Carrie stands there, deflated.
“Lady Caroline…” Nash is wearing a sharp sort of smile. No way would I mistake it for friendly. “So you did some investigating, huh?”
“I might have been wrong about certain elements. But you still may as well come back with me. Journalists have already been alerted to your whereabouts,” says Carrie. “There reallyisnothing for you here.”
“I’ll have you know The Bend just so happens to be a delightful place to live, with wonderful people.”
And she does the most over-the-top eyeroll in known history. I’m surprised the orbs don’t fall out of her head. “Look, it’s notalla loss. We can sell this little adventure of yours as inspiration for your next album. That you wanted to get back in touch with everyday working people and a simpler life. Your fan base will eat that shit up.”
“Yeah,” he says, rubbing the side of his hand over his mouth. “I mean, back to what I was talking about, a valid case can be made that the truth was going to come out sooner rather than later. What with me being famous and June not currently being with child.”
“Currently?” I question.
“Let’s talk about it later.” He turns back to the waiting woman. “I’ll admit our story got a little out of control. The funnything here, though, is how Farmer wants me happy. Hereallywants that. I mean, right now, it seems like that’s his main objective. And Iwashappy…the happiest I’ve been in just about forever…until you fucked it up.”
“Aaron,” she says with a grin. Like she has him wrapped around her finger. “You can’t be serious.”
“The record company and I always had a complicated sort of relationship, haven’t we?” he continues. “So much history there. So much money. And I can’t tell you how much I hate to be a vindictive shithead. However, there’s no fucking chance of me re-signing with them when I know you work there.”
Any trace of victory falls right off her face. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I really would.”
Carrie swallows hard. “Baby.”
“Go. Now. And don’t come back.”
And Carrie storms out of the bar.
“So that happened,” says Nash, breaking the silence.
