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I recognized him immediately, especially after seeing his face on the entertainment segment on the news the other night with Charlotte. It was Trent. Still, I played dumb. “Do I know you?”
“We have an ex-wife in common. My name is Trent Bishop, and I should make you suffer for being a blind idiot. I should let you go on thinking the worst about me and Charlotte, so you could finally get a taste of how much you hurt her when you let her go all those years ago. But I won’t, because she’s my best friend in the world and I love her.”
His words didn’t register. All I felt was jealousy. It hurt, and shamefully, it made me want to hurt him. “Will you be staying at her place?”
He held out a hand and scoffed. “Is that all you can think about? Obviously, you haven’t changed much, or you’d already know everything about me and Charlotte, you stubborn ass. Just shut up and listen.”
Who the hell did he think he was talking to me like that? “Now hold on just a minute—”
“No, you hold on a minute. Listen to me—just listen. First, we’re going to talk about the stalker. Have you caught him?”
“No, not yet. Every cop in town is out looking.”
“Damn. I called and talked to Detective Hale—Trevor—when I landed and told him everything I know. Charlotte gave me his number.”
“Good. Perfect,” I bit out.
“Now to ease your mind, because I know this has to be bothering you. And I’m sorry for coming at you like an asshole, but she’s my best friend and you’ve been giving her a hard time and I don’t like that. Charlotte and I are strictly platonic and always have been. Always. She was kind enough to marry me because I needed a wife for a year. We lived in separate bedrooms, but she helped me put on a show in public because I come from a rich family full of stuffy snobs who needed to see me acting how they thought I should.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. No one should feel oppressed by their own family. “And how were you supposed to act?”
“I write plays. I didn’t go into the family business like the rest of them, and they can’t stand it. They also like it when I have a girlfriend much better than when I bring a boyfriend around, but I like what I like, and I do what I want.”
“So you and Charlotte never—?”
“I’m not going to lie and tell you that I was never interested in Charlotte because I was. She’s stunning and brilliant and hilarious and she could have had me with the snap of a finger, but it became clear almost immediately that she already had a ‘one and only’ and that person was you. So instead, I backed off and she became the best friend I will ever have in my life.” His voice dropped and he took a step closer. “And if you hurt her again, please do not underestimate what I will do for her. Do you understand?”
“I think I’m getting the picture.”
“You left her at that book club. Did you even bother to think about how it would make her feel?”
“How do you even know about that?”
He held up his phone. “I’ve been texting with her for the last twenty minutes or so while she was in the ER being patched up, and you were waiting by the curtain. I came straight here from the airport. She’s trying to play it off and not make you look bad, but I’m reading between the lines.”
“I’d already planned on apologizing for how I acted, for not listening to her. I ordered flowers—”
“Uh-uh. No. I hope you know how to grovel, my friend. Because I’m not going to encourage her to forgive you until I see the flowers for myself. They’d better be expensive, flawless, and a lot of them. She’ll tell me everything and she’d better be repeating some seriously romantic shit. Do you get me, Cade?”
“Yeah, I got it. I have no problem admitting when I’m wrong. She knows that.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it. I think she’s also going to need some new jewelry. She’s fond of silver necklaces with silly little charms. Hopefully you remember that, because it hasn’t changed.”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“And if you get lucky enough to reach the point where you want to propose to her again, I expect to see a new ring on her finger, not that old one she wears on a chain. She’s developed a taste for emerald cut. Look at her earrings next time you get in close, and you’ll see what I mean. I got them for her birthday after I got my inheritance. And listen close, because this is the most important part—I’m a great friend and I’ll always be in her life. You’re going to have to do a lot to top me, because I’m not going anywhere and birthdays and holidays are my favorite.” He smirked, effectively breaking the ice between us.
I shook my head to clear it. He’d just dumped a ton of information on me, and this night had been trying to say the least. “Look, I’m getting the sense that I was wrong about you, and I would never attempt to choose her friends for her. Or tell her to cut anyone out of her life. I’m not that type of man—”
He stopped me. “I know what type of man you are.” His voice was kind when he said, “You encouraged her to follow her dreams at your own expense. You could have put the pressure on for her to stay here, but you didn’t. And you could have gone with her to New York but that would have been sacrificing what you thought your own dreams were. You know better now what your dream really is, I suspect. Don’t you?”
“How do you know so much?”
“Obviously, she tells me everything. But honestly, she wouldn’t still love you if you weren’t worth it. Charlotte is much too smart for that, even if she doesn’t realize it.”
She loved me?
My heart stuttered, then raced out of control. I had no idea what to say to him. “Well, okay then. I’m glad to finally meet you, Trent.”
“Likewise. Don’t worry, the two of us will be friends soon enough.”
I chuckled. “You know what? I believe we will.” I had the feeling he always got his way.
He held out a hand and I shook it.
