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I'm so, so sorry.
She knew she should look away, but all she could do was remember how his midnight eyes would smolder every time he saw her. She knew she should stop this madness, but the sight of his lethally ripped figure was just too much, with the way she was suddenly struggling to breathe.
No, oh no, not again.
But it was already too late, with her stupid, stupid heart pounding once again at the sight of its murderer.
“I knew you’d like it!”
Monique's soft tone snapped Hallie back to her senses, and her gaze reluctantly swung to the other woman.
I'm sorry, God, but I just hate her.
Andreus' wife looked the absolute picture of refinement in her turquoise silk blouse and matching pants.
And let's not forget the pearls...
What was it about this woman that she had started wearing pearls everywhere she went, from the moment she married Andreus? Didn't she realize—-
Stop being such a bitch, Hallie!
She bit her lip hard upon realizing how low she had sunk, and she was about to force herself to turn away again when she heard Monique speak.
“I’m sure you thought I could never convince you about it,” the other woman went on in a strangely passive-aggressive tone, “but I knew all I had to do was find a way to get you behind the wheel, and the rest would be history. The trucks and big bikes are just toys. They’re nothing compared to this. You just don’t want to admit you’ve been wrong all along.”
Hallie’s gaze flew to the vehicle parked between the couple. So that’s what this was about. The car was brand new, top of the line, and worth almost half a million dollars. It was also a super-safe hybrid vehicle, which automatically made it the exact type of car the Andreus she knew wouldn’t even be caught dead driving.
“Guilty as charged.”
Yet here he was, lying through his teeth without batting one beautiful eyelash, and pain torched Hallie's heart at seeing the way Andreus smiled down at his wife.
“So, I was thinking, since I was right about this one...” Monique placed a hand over Andreus’ chest, but Andreus removed this just as swiftly, and while Hallie wasn't quite sure what to think about his actions—-
She knew exactly how his instant rejection of Monique's touch made her feel, and it was something she should not be feeling, where another woman's husband was concerned.
“Maybe you’d change your mind about the other thing?”
"The other thing being?"
"You know..."
"Meeting the locals?"
“Neighbors."
The other woman was smiling as she corrected Andreus, and Hallie's confusion grew. Why did Monique want to meet the other locals of Claymore? Did the other woman see herself as the mayor's wife or something? And while there certainly wasn't anything wrong with that, didn't Monique know how much Andreus despised having to make small talk?
"Claymore is a small town, after all," Monique continued, "and I think it's just the polite thing to do, to say hi and introduce myself as your wife."
"Just tell me when you want to do it, and the SUV and I will be ready.”
“Thank you, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see you gag.”
Okay, that was cute, Hallie acknowledged grudgingly, but it still didn’t take away the fact that Andreus was lying – when he never used to lie at all.
“Shall we go in now?” Andreus asked.
“Just one last thing—-” Monique rested hesitant fingers on his jacket. “While you’re still in a good mood, I want to talk to you about our meeting next week with the McLarens...”
“What about it?”
“I know you and your leather jacket are best buds and all, but maybe your loyal companion can give you some space just for the meeting? Please?”
Andreus simply looked at his wife, and Hallie nodded in approval. You can do it. Go show her-—
“I’ll do you one better,” Andreus said finally, “and ditch the jacket from now on."
—-you're a wimp.
Hallie watched Andreus throw his jacket inside his SUV, and it was as if she was staring at a complete stranger.
I don't get it, God.
Even her stupid heart had stopped pounding, and while she would've liked to think it was because her heart had finally seen reason, Hallie knew it wasn't that at all.
What's happening, God?
Because the Andreus who was now walking away, with his wife by his side, was a man even Hallie's own stupid heart didn't recognize at all.
Ring + finger = Andreus minus balls?
Her mind became restless, and even as Hallie turned away to return to the cafe through the backdoor, the gears in her head simply wouldn't stop churning out one possibility after another. That was not the Andreus she knew. The Andreus she had loved. But because she also couldn't make herself forget that the Andreus she knew and loved was no longer hers—-
Just. Let. It. Go.
Hallie literally started singing the words in her mind as she made her way back up to her friends, and despite the way her heart was aching, Hallie nearly smiled with how the others had ensured that Andreus and Monique were seated as far away from her as possible.
