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“You’ve been lying to me!” he yells, hurt riddling his face. “I had to find out over dinner when my brother said he’s leaving Allegra for you.”
“Why… why would he say that?”
“I don’t know, Kate, you tell me?”
“Eric.” I clutch my stomach, unable to ignore the sharp pains. “Dominic and I are over. You don’t understand. We were fooling around. It’s complicated and so over.”
“Over? According to him, he wants to move to Paris to be with you. That sounds far from over, don’t you think?”
“Eric, I haven’t spoken to Dominic since—”
“I don’t understand you. You’re fucking my brother, but you’re trying to chase Noah? Do you even know how that looks?”
The hurt manifests throughout me from someone who’s supposed to be my friend. My words are caught in my throat, my tough exterior crumbling into a piled heap around me.
“Don’t you dare judge me!” I sputter with frustration. “You’re just like Noah. Quick to believe everyone else but never me, right?”
“You haven’t denied it?”
“You know what, Eric? Yes, I was fucking your brother. We had an agreement, and it selfishly suited my lifestyle. Was it a mistake? I don’t know. But I never asked him to leave his wife. As for Noah, I never chase a man. I learned a long time ago that it only leads to heartbreak.”
I walk away from Eric, wanting to head back home. If that’s what I should call it, home, or a place where I can escape. But instead, I disappear into Lex’s office, a place he told me was mine to use and fall into a heap of tears.
***
I moved my flight to Monday night, desperate to leave and get back home. Without going into too much detail with Lex, he understands and doesn’t press me to stay. As for Charlie, she was furious at Morgan and also Eric. I hate that she was dragged into this mess, but it’s impossible to hide it from her since I’m staying at her place.
Early Monday morning, I drive with Lex to the office, willing my head to be buried in work. I turned off my phone last night, something I hadn’t done in forever, and distracted myself with the girls for my last night here.
It was almost lunchtime, and I isolated myself in one of the smaller boardrooms with my laptop. Lex has several meetings leaving me to work alone, which is exactly what I need. The silence and the click of my fingers against the keyboard is a like a drug so desperate to ease the pain trying to kill me. Therefore, the more I type, the more control I feel like I have over my life.
The door swings open, much to my disapproval at worker’s ignorance and their inability to knock. I’m about to abuse the rude person when I look up and see Noah standing at the door.
He closes the door behind him, appearing tired without having shaved. His beard is unkempt, and he’s still dressed in a pair of jeans and white tee with a baseball cap on his head.
“Noah, how is Nash?” I stand, worried at his disheveled appearance, thinking the worst.
“Did you tell Morgan we’re getting married?”
“What?” I shake my head in confusion. “No. It was a misunderstanding.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Kate!” he yells, his fists curled into a ball. “She called me last night, telling me everything. She’s threatening to take Jessa away from me.”
The hurt falls like an avalanche. I don’t even know how to defend myself. I look up, and he’s staring at me with resentment. I feel the heat rising to my cheeks and pray it isn’t noticeable. I cough and then push my hair back behind my ear, even though it’s already there.
“I never said that,” I tell him, stunned by the conversation. “Jessa said those words.”
“She said you said Jessa lied.”
“You know what? How dare you, Noah, take her side without even listening to what I have to say.”
He fails to trust me or even think I’d ever do something to jeopardize his family. I’ve barely been able to keep myself together the last twenty-four hours, and now I learn he can’t even trust me? He’ll take the word of his jealous ex-wife, or should I say, wife, over his best friend who has wanted nothing but the best for him.
“I never said those words. She’s three, Noah. Did it ever occur to you that maybe she confused what I said?”
“Why were you even talking to her?”
“I have work to do. Please leave the office.”
