Page 8 of Loving Her Enemy

Halayna had known her friend would eventually show up, but she had hoped to be ready to leave by the time she did.

“Lanie, can I come in?” Bristol asked from the other side of the door.

“Yes, as long as your boneheaded brother isn’t with you.”

Laughter sounded as the door eased open, and her friend strolled in. Halayna hadn’t noticed Bristol’s attire earlier, but looking at her now, she remembered she had a date soon.

“You look great,” she said, admiring the royal blue halter dress which had a flirty hemline and stopped at her knees. She had paired it with matching, strappy sandals that gave her sexy vixen vibes. “Have fun on your date this evening.”

“Thanks, but I might not be going.”

Halayna frowned. “Why not? You’ve been looking forward to going out with Stephen. Is he trying to cancel?”

“No, it’s not him. It’s you. I can’t leave you like this,” she said, taking an armful of clothes out of the suitcase and returning them to the dresser.

Halayna huffed. “Bri, stop. We both know I can’t stay here.”

“I don’t know any such thing. You’re in no position to leave. And if what you’re afraid of is running into Sloane, this house is enormous. Even if you wanted to see him, you’d have to go on a hike to find him.” Bristol allowed a small smile to creep along the corners of her lips.

Frustration clawed through Halayna. Just as fast as she loaded items into the suitcase, Bristol moved double-time to unpack the garments.

“Just stop!” Halayna yelled, her body shaking with anger. “I can’t do this with you right now!”

“Do what?” Bristol shot back. “Take time to regroup? Come up with a plan on how to move forward? Take back your life? What is it that you can’t do right now? Because from where I’m standing, you’ve been given the perfect opportunity to take a step back and come up with a plan on how to move forward. But noooo. Instead, you’d rather let your stupid pride get in the way! It doesn’t make sense for you to move out before you’re physically and emotionally ready! Especially when no one is asking you to leave.”

Halayna’s chest heaved as tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had cried enough to last her a lifetime, and no way was she going to let her frustration with life and with Sloane make her fall apart again. No, she was stronger than that, and it was past time she acted like it.

She dropped down on the bed and huffed out a breath. Bristol was right. Leaving wasn’t the best idea. She glanced at her left wrist, which was hurting even more since she’d made it back to her suite. It would never heal if she kept trying to do too much. Besides that, she didn’t want to spend the little money she had on a motel room, especially knowing she couldn’t afford to stay in a place that wouldn’t give her the creeps.

Bristol sat next to her and put her arm around Halayna’s shoulders. “If I go on this date, will you promise to still be here when I get back?”

Despite the frustration drumming through her body, Halayna couldn’t stop the smile forcing its way through. “I guess I can promise that.”

“Thank you. Remember, this is a mansion and the chances of running into Sloane are slim.”

“Your brother drives me nuts,” Halayna said as the rest of the anguish she’d been holding in dissipated. “I’ll be here when you get back, but I can’t stay here for much longer.”

“Yes, you can. At least stay until your wrist heals. Otherwise, you might risk damaging it more. Promise me that you’ll live here until you’re physically well and financially secure. Because Halayna we can all live here comfortably and not get in each other’s way. Take advantage of this opportunity.”

“But Sloane…” Halayna started but wasn’t sure what she could say that she hadn’t already said.

The man drove her nuts for more reasons than one. He was arrogant, a know-it-all, and he was always saying too much. He was also too good-looking, built like a god, and deep down she knew he cared about her well-being. Still, she hated him. Well, maybe not hate. That might be too strong of a word, but…

“Sloane wants you here. He feels awful for what he said out by the pool, and I’m sure if you’d give him the chance, he’d apologize.”

“I don’t want an apology from him!” Halayna shouted with more force than intended.

Yes, she still was pissed at him for his role in the Owen fiasco, but she hated to admit her relationship falling apart wasn’t Sloane’s fault. He had tried warning her that her ex-fiancé was a no good, lying, piece of trash. She just hated the way Sloane had done it, and she hadn’t been ready to hear any of it.

“Well, promise me that if my brother tries to apologize you’ll let him,” Bristol continued. “He’s not used to saying I’m sorry, and he could use a little humbleness in his life.”

Halayna bumped her gently. “Dang, girl. You’re asking me to promise a lot here, but fine, I’ll try.”

Bristol squeezed her before dropping her arm. “That’s all I ask.” She stood and brushed a hand down the front of her dress. “Now, does this dress make me look like I haven’t had sex in over a year, and I’m asking for it?”

Halayna’s mouth dropped open, and then she burst out laughing. Leave it to her friend to pull her out of her funk.

“I don’t even know how to answer that,” she said between giggles. “I thought it was cute and sexy. However, if you need it to be a come-hither dress, I guess it could work. How well do you know this guy you’re going out with?”