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Megan Black. Everly hadn’t talked to Blake’s old assistant all week, but she’d been meaning to call her friend and give her an update about the wedding plans.
The update: there wasn’t an update. The same as always. Everly hadn’t picked a color or a time or a dress. Nada.
She answered the call and pushed thoughts of Blake out of her mind. He was a big boy, and he’d tell her if something was wrong.
“Hey.”
“Oh, good. You answered,” Megan said quickly. “I’m hanging up, and I’m going to send you some photos. Please look at them right now and call me back.”
“Okay.” Maybe Megan was about to fill in one of the many blank spaces in Everly’s wedding plan.
“Also, I love you. Just for the record.”
Those words had Everly’s blood chilling in her veins. Megan was the best friend a woman could ask for. If she thought there was a chance Everly would be upset, then whatever was coming wasn’t welcome.
Megan hung up before Everly had a chance to take back her agreement to look at the pictures. As promised, the dings began seconds later. There were seven, and Everly waited until the onslaught was over before opening the app.
Scrolling to the first one, Everly zoomed in on the photo. David wore a tux and had his hand casually resting on a woman’s back. The woman faced away from the photographer, but Everly could see David’s profile clearly. His playful smile was wide, and his attention was locked on the woman in the maroon dress. Her dark hair was pulled up into a beautiful bundle of curls, showcasing her entire back that wasn’t covered by the shimmery red fabric that hung to the floor.
Everly’s breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her lips.
She scrolled to the next photo and gasped. In this one, she could see the woman’s face. It was none other than Natasha Franco, the beautiful and single A-list actress.
The next photo was zoomed in more, clearly showing David leaning in to whisper something to the beautiful woman who he now held more deliberately with that wandering hand. In the next, the uber famous Natasha Franco smiled and lifted her chin toward David.
Everly felt her heart pounding against the walls of her chest as she scrolled to the next photo. David and Natasha Franco were farther away in this one, but even the shadow of the dark alcove couldn’t hide the kissing couple. It wasn’t just a press of his lips to hers either. David’s hands were splayed over the exposed skin of Natasha Franco’s back, and her delicate hands rested gently on his neck and shoulder.
Bile rose in Everly’s throat. Where were they in these photos? She’d been so focused on David and the beautiful actress that she hadn’t looked at the background. She flipped back to the first photo, and the jolt of hurt zinged fresh in her middle. They were at a formal gathering. A gala, maybe.
Everly was meant to attend a black-tie charity auction with David tomorrow night. The crippling realization hit her square in the throat. No matter what dress she wore or how beautifully she styled her hair, she would never be as beautiful as Natasha Franco.
Hot tears tingled behind her eyes and pushed free in an instant. Why had Megan sent these?
The phone rang, replacing the heartbreaking photos with one of Everly and Megan smiling happily with a stadium full of football fans behind them.
Everly accepted the call with a press of the button but didn’t speak once she lifted the phone to her ear.
“Ev? Are you there? Say something,” Megan demanded.
“What?” The word was a hollow whisper. Everly felt hope leaving her like water swirling down a drain.
“I went through a lot to get these for you. I would lose my job in a heartbeat if anyone traced them back to me.”
“Okay.” Everly only heard every other word. The ones she missed were drowned out by the roaring in her ears.
Megan sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you this, Ev, but I have to. I saw him with her at Pierre’s last week, and I was so shocked that I didn’t take a photo. Then I knew I couldn’t just tell you something like this. I didn’t want to tell you at all, but if it was real, then you needed evidence.”
A pathetic sob punched out from Everly’s chest. This wasn’t real. She was supposed to get on a flight to Cleveland in forty-five minutes. She was supposed to meet David for dinner at Pierre’s tonight. It was her favorite restaurant in Cleveland, and she never visited the city without eating their famous tiramisu.
Now, the memory of coffee and cocoa threatened to choke her. David had taken another woman to Pierre’s. For some reason, that fact stung her heart nearly as much as the kiss she’d just seen. David had taken her first relationship and her favorite dessert and ruined them both in one devastating motion.
“Ev, I’m so sorry,”
“When was this?” Everly asked. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know, but she needed to, didn’t she?
“Last night. The New Hope Gala,” Megan said quickly.
“Were you there?”
