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“Well, I’ll let you get going to get ready.”
“Ready?” I asked.
“For the party tonight at Roman and Amy’s.” Shock ran through my veins and it felt more like ice than anything else. “It’s not on the weekend docket. I figured because you knew about it.”
“I, ah . . .” I glanced down to my tablet for any kind of answer, but found none. The truth, however, was blaring: I wasn’t invited.
Roman and Amy were having some kind of event. Leo was in the know about it and I wasn’t. It also explained why I hadn’t heard from Hazel at all today. She usually called me on Fridays and we talked about when we’d get together next.
Standing there, I felt like a fool. A fool who was losing her friends.
“Paige?” I didn’t realize Leo was now standing right in front of me. “I was hoping we could go together?”
“No, I’m sorry.” I looked up and met his eyes. “We can’t go together.”
“Why not?”
I took a deep breath. “Because I wasn’t invited, Leo.”
He frowned. “But Amy is your friend, I thought? And Roman speaks highly of you.”
I shrugged. “Some things don’t work out. Have fun, and I’ll make sure you have a car waiting and—”
“No, fuck that. I’m not going without you.” He gripped my hand in his and the sentiment made me feel a little warmer. But the gnawing hole in my chest was still pulsing from the realization that I wasn’t invited to my best friend’s house. Because of who I was. Because of what was going on. I shouldn’t take it personally, but damn it, I did. And it hurt.
“You should go. I had other plans for tonight anyway,” I said.
“Oh? Hot date?”
I laughed, pretending for a moment that Leo would ever be the type to get jealous. But he wasn’t. He was, however, the majority of my social life.
“No hot date,” I said. “I wanted to go into Albany to see an old friend.” I had thought about Jane so much over the past couple weeks. I didn’t want to add to her stress so I had waited, but I wanted to make sure she was recovering okay.
It may not have made much sense—we weren’t super close, only casual friends. For some reason, I wanted to offer any kind of comfort I could, even if it was just a smile or listening if she needed someone to talk to.
Was it right to have an affair with a married man? No. But she didn’t deserve to be humiliated. Between the scandal, Leo’s family, and now my only two friends drifting further away, I needed to get out of there for a bit. Get some space. Think some things through.
“Can we talk about the other night at least?” Leo asked.
“I’d really rather not.”
He didn’t say anything. The long pause of silence forced me to glance up and meet his eyes, which was what I’d bet he was going for.
“Paige, what happened the other night—”
“I had a nightmare. I apologize for my behavior.”
He frowned. “I don’t want you to apologize. I want to know. To help.”
“I don’t need help. I’m fine.” I cleared my throat and kept his stare, no matter how hard my body was desperately wanting to run from this moment.
“You say that a lot. That you’re fine.”
I bit my lower lip to keep it from trembling. “Because I am.” I had to be. My strength was tough to find since all my brain could churn out was the memory that I had been so vulnerable in front of this man. “I hope that incident doesn’t hinder your judgment of my ability in my job.”
He scoffed. “That is what you’re thinking about?”
“We’ve been over this.”
