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"He didn't even know me as Aubrey until I met him at the dinner. Believe me, I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how."
She scoffs, appalled. "You wanted to tell me but instead you thought sleeping with him was a better idea? Do you see how messed up that is? Who are you?"
I don't want to throw James under the bus, but I need Natalie to see it's not all my fault and that I didn't chase him down.
"I met him through your club, Natalie."
Her eyes lower to slits. "You're lying." She shakes her head, a mocking laugh under her breath. "Anything to save your ass. Where's the other half of that check?"
"In my bank," I say, my voice full of shame. "I forgot about that one,” I motion toward the check, “but I wasn't going to deposit it anyway."
"There's nothing you can say that will help this situation."
"Ask him. Go to your father and ask him. Did you even talk to him before you started making assumptions, or did you just decide to jump down my throat first? Yeah, I know I fucked up big time, but I didn't chase James after I realized who he was like you think. Christine paired us up before that. That's how it started. Your dad was already cheating before I came along."
"There are eight million people in this scummy city, and you go after him?"
I don't say anything.
She's right, I could've said no, I tried to say no, but in the end, I couldn’t deny him.
Still, I need to show that it wasn't planned.
"It's really not what you think. I'm not lying, Natalie. I met him through Sanctuary Cove."
Clarity fills her eyes. Covering her mouth, Natalie draws in an audible gasp. She takes a step back.
"Oh my God. He's the one, isn't he? The one you were obsessing over."
My heart is hammering so hard that my ribs ac
he. The look in her eyes says it all when it clicks together. All I can do is look away.
Fifty-Seven
Natalie throws her hands into the air. "Un-fucking-believable," she says, turning in a circle. She looks back at me, eyes wide and in utter disbelief. "So when you asked if I’d ever fallen for a client, you were talking about my dad?"
Her voice is starting to crack and that only makes me more upset because the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt her. I was hoping by ending it with James that it would pass with time and our secret would stay hidden. I should've known better. Secrets, lies, affairs, they never stay buried. They always come out and ultimately destroy the ones we love.
"Yes," I admit. "I was. I felt that way about him even when I didn't know who he was to you."
Natalie can't stop shaking her head or looking at me with such disdain. It's heartbreaking. I step toward her, only for her to take a step back like I'm carrying a disease she doesn't want to catch.
"I don't see how we'll ever get past this. I know now you're the reason for my parents splitting, because they were fine then suddenly, they're not. I'll never trust you again. A cheating loser and slut for a friend. You two are perfect for each other."
There's rapid knocking and we both look at the door. Natalie looks at me. Scoffing under her breath, she asks, "Does he know about my father? About your work yet?"
Eyes wide, I shake my head as she reaches for the doorknob. A sly smirk tugs at her lips and her brow raises to a peak.
My body runs cold and sheer dread consumes me. "Please, don't say anything. Let me tell him myself."
She ignores my plea and welcomes Daniel in. "Hey, Danny boy, what a pleasure it is to see you tonight." She lays it on thick and a tad sarcastic, but luckily he doesn't recognize it. She shuts the door.
Daniel walks toward me, but my gaze is on Natalie. I silently plead with her as he hugs me, but the look she's giving me makes me nauseous.
Daniel pulls back. I can barely meet his gaze. "Hey, babe…is everything okay? You look a little pale."
My jaw bobs. I'm struggling to find the right words as his brows grow deeper while he stares at me. I swallow hard. The air is so thick with tension that I’m convinced he can feel it. He looks back and forth between me and Natalie, confusion clear on his face, and places the bagged wine on the table behind me. Thank God he doesn’t see the check.
