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She gives me a patronizing smile and nods. “I’m sure you did. You are quite young though. Let me guess. You are probably still in your twenties.”
I raise my brow at her words.
“I’m right, aren’t I? Oh, that’s quite young. Bagging a managerial position in your twenties, Jake is so nice.”
I’m a bitch when I want to be, so I can tell when someone is in bitch mode. “Jake is one to give honor to whom it is due, so I guess he saw something in me he didn’t see in anyone else. I’m going to have to cut you short, Stephanie. I have a lot to deal with.” I gesture at my table which has papers scattered around it.
She smiles at me. “I’ll leave you to it then.” She gets up and walks out, closing the door behind her. My smile drops the minute she walks out.I immediately call Jessica. “Hey, want to meet for lunch?”
We meet at a café. It is a bit far from the resort but I came because I really need to talk to her.
“I have something to get off my chest, Jessica,” I start and she looks up from her cake. She is making me pay for it because apparently Malcolm would know she had sweets if she pays for it herself.
“Go on, honey,” she urges me, stuffing her face with cake.
I exhale. “Were Jake and his ex really that in love before she broke it off?” I ask.
She gives me a perplexed look. “Well he was really in love with her, that much I know and it broke him when she left.”
“You never mentioned he still takes care of her daughter.” It almostsoundslikes I am accusing her.
Her eyes widen in shock. “I didn’t know that.” Of course Jake would not mention that to anyone.
“Why the sudden questions about Jake and Stephanie?”
I look down at the table. “Because I am in love with him.” She is silent for a while and I look up slightly. “Jessica?”
“What about Tristan? We had an entire conversation about him.”
“I wasn’t talking about Tristan then,” I say quietly and go back to staring at the table.
“Oh,” she says as realization dawns on her. “They do say there is a thin line between hate and love.” I look up at her words.
“I love you, Jessica. I really do. But I alsolove Jake.”
“It’s that deep already?”
“We haven’t gotten around to saying it yet, but I know what I feel for him.”
She stares at me like I have grown two heads before exclaiming, “When did this all start!?”
Itell her everything, starting from the very beginning. I watch her eyes get wider as I tell everything Jake and I did. “I know I should have said something but I was ashamed, then scared of your reaction.”
She reaches out and grabs my hand. “Truthfully, Bella, I find it a bit weird that you are into my brother, but I am more interested in your happiness than anything.”
“Really?” I ask her, unsure.
She smiles. “Sure. If it’s my bullheaded brother who turns you on and it sounds like he does that a lot, then by all means.”
I smile at her. “I’m glad I got that off my chest. Every time I saw you, my guilt intensified.”
“You should feel guilty for keeping this from me for so long. But why were you asking about Stephanie?”
So I start another story and she listens with rapt attention. “The jealous ex has come to drive a wedge between the lovers. Sounds like the perfect romance story.”
“It’s more than jealousy, Jessica. She just rubs me the wrong way.”
She gives me a look. “If Jake loves you, he will stick with only you.And quite frankly, I think he is better off without her.”
