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My chest falls as I realize the truth of her words.
Carter confided in her.
I wasn’t the only one who knew about Chase’s mom.
It wasn’t me.
Obviously, I already knew I wasn’t to blame since I didn’t spill any secrets, but just hearing that there was someone else behind it makes my head spin. I sit silently soaking in the truth, growing angrier by the second.
Not at my best friend. Tessa never meant to hurt me. And she didn’t tell my secrets.
My blind fury is directed at Cash. He didn’t take even a moment to consider that it wasn’t me who broke his family’s trust. He didn’t give me even a second to explain.
Fury engulfs me, stifling my ability to breathe.
“Please say something. Please tell me you don’t hate me. I mean I deserve it. I totally deserve for you to never speak to me again. But please, please don’t.” Tears pour down Tessa’s face. I’ve never seen her cry. We’ve been best friends since college and never once did I see her so much as tear up.
I put my hands on hers. “Tessa, I don’t hate you. I’m not even angry with you.”
She lets out a breathy sigh. “But why? I destroyed everything. You losteverythingbecause of me.”
Even though my life has spiraled out of control, I somehow manage to smile. “I haven’t lost everything.” I breathe out as I realize the truth behind those words. “The man who I thought loved me turned on me without even a conversation. I’d say I dodged a bullet, wouldn’t you?”
Tessa shakes her head. “He’s just hurt. He’s under a lot of pressure and his family has tried for so long to keep all of that hidden. I should have never—”
With my hand up, I stop her before she can continue. “Don’t. Don’t make excuses for him. Don’t take the blame. He made a choice. He could have spoken to me. He could have trusted me. He could have done so many things. Instead, he broke my heart.”
Tessa studies me and then she nods. “Okay. We won’t talk about him. So what can I do? How can I make this better?”
“Jonathan took care of everything. He’s been wonderful.”
I bite my lip, still confused as to why he’s been so wonderful. What is he getting out of all of this? I know he cares about me, but this is so much more than that. He’s a businessman. He doesn’t attach his family’s name to just anything. There is something more at work here, and I have no idea what it is.
Tessa nods. “Okay. Well, there has to be something I can do. Anything. Seriously, Grace. I’ll take you shopping, or drinking, or we can go home and watchFriendsall afternoon and eat ice cream. Anything. Just name it.”
I laugh at her desperation. “Tessa, seriously, I’m fine. I have to work today anyway.” As I remember what I have to do today, a thought enters my mind. “Actually, there is something you can help me with.”
She practically jumps up and shouts. “Anything. You name it and I’ll do it.”
“I have to have lunch with Catherine James. She’s my newest client.”
Tessa grimaces. Yeah, that’s how I feel too. “But why?”
“Like I said before, Jonathan took care of everything, and this is apparently his solution to my disastrous reputation.”
Her face falls. “God, this is worse than I thought.”
“It’s really okay. I mean she’s not my favorite person, but I’m sure I can be a professional for a few weeks.”
Biting her lip, she replies, “Okay, well, what do you need from me?”
I smile. “We’re having lunch with her today.”
“We are?” she asks, confused.
“Yes. That’s how you can make it up to me. You can be my date at night when I meet with her and at all my lunch meetings. Can you handle that?”
“Your handy wing-woman at your service,” Tessa says with a salute of her hand.
