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I wished I could be more surprised. Part of me really was rooting for Chris, hoping he could somehow redeem himself. But mostly, I was just relieved to finally have his true colors out in the open.
“Are you going to tell Claire?”
“I don’t know. I should. But…it’s not exactly an easy thing to say. Hey, I know you almost died, and currently, you’re bound to a wheelchair, and you can’t walk or live independently or go back to work…but now, on top of everything, your husband is cheating on you, too. It will crush her.”
“Claire is strong,” I reminded her. “Tough as nails, just like you. I think she can take it. Besides, I don’t think she’s going to care or be as surprised as you might think.”
Lana’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Oh…I just…I meant that…she’s probably suspected something like this, don’t you think?”
“Maybe,” she rolled a shoulder. “But you know Claire. She’s always trying to see the best in people. Almost to a fault.”
I leaned back and took a big swig of my beer, trying to wash down how uncomfortable the whole topic made me.
A lot had happened while Lana was away for all of those years in California, and in a small town like ours… everything and everyone was intertwined together. There were so many lines and paths that crossed, sometimes in ways we wished they never did.
I didn’t know how much of the past really mattered, but I did know one thing for certain. Claire saw more of her so-called husband’s true colors than Lana realized. But I knew Lana, and me telling her I might understand anything about her best friend that she didn’t wouldn’t go over well.
Nothing I had to say on the matter would go over well. So the less I said, the better.
“If you promised her you’d say something, then you should,” I offered.
It was the safest thing to say. It had nothing to do with me or anything that had happened in the past that I couldn’t take back. It relied solely on Lana and Claire and their words to each other.
She let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “I guess you’re right. It just sucks. I have to say the words no one ever wants to say to their best friend, and I have to say them to Claire of all people…who’s been through more than her fair share as it is.”
“Maybe it’s better that way. If everything around you crumbles, you have no choice but to face the music and rebuild. You proved that to me with the marina.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the rest of Claire’s life was a wreck, but her marriage was okay, she’d cling to that last shred for who knows how long.”
“That wouldn’t be such a bad thing…if he was treating her well,” she argued.
I shook my head. “Even if Chris wasn’t acting like such an asshole, it wouldn’t change the fact that…”
“He is an ass hole?”
“Well, yeah. Maybe this is going to save her from years of living a lie with someone who never really cared about her the way she deserves.”
“That’s a really messed up silver lining, but it’s something,” she smirked, pressing the bottle to her lips and throwing her head back to take a big gulp, like she was trying to wash down the bitterness of it all.
“It looks messed up now, just like things looked to me when you made your offer to be partners on the marina. But now…looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
A bashful smile flashed over her face. “God, you were so furious with me.”
“You have to admit…It did seem like you were determined to steal away something that was really important to me and my family.”
“Fair enough,” she said. “Really, that’s what I was doing. You weren’t exactly my favorite person at the time, and truthfully…I have a vengeful side.”
I reached over and swept a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know. I’ve seen it firsthand. But…it’s what I like about you. I never did care for women who were all soft and sweet. I like women the same way I like my coffee.”
Her face wrinkled, and she burst into laughter. “You did not just say that.”
“I did. I like women who are strong and bitter like you. Of course, I’m generalizing, but so far…you’re the only one I’ve ever met who seems to fit the bill just right.”
“And you’re the only one who can make me laugh after a day of feeling sick with nerves and panic.”
