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Crap, it was Kate.
“I know you’re not ready to hear my apology, but I needed to tell you since we leave for the Bahamas today. Max told me about Shawn. About what he said and did to you, and I’m so sorry.”
“I tried to tell you.”
“I know. And I was selfish. And horrible to shut you down. I stupidly told Tim about the video when it all happened, and he foolishly told Shawn. We both feel horrible about it. I shouldn’t have brought it up in front of Max. And I can’t offer any excuses except to say I’ve been angry with you ever since you decided not to come home from college. I had this childish vision about us living next door to each other and always being best friends with our kids in our home town. I guess it’s why I was pushing Shawn at you, thinking if you two got together, it would bind you guys to us as the couple we could always make plans with. I realize how selfish I was. I should’ve been supportive of you chasing your own dreams.”
I stayed quiet, not sure what to say. She’d hurt me.
“Like I said, I don’t blame you if you’re not ready to accept my apology, or if you ever will be—” Her voice broke on the last word. “Just know I do love you. And I want what will make you happy. Okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered. “I need to go now, but you have a wonderful honeymoon, and we’ll talk when you get back, all right?” It was the best I could offer at the moment.
She was audibly in tears. “Thank you. I’ll call you in two weeks. Oh, and if you and Max are together, then he’d be a lucky guy.”
The mention of his name caused a lump in my throat. “Talk to you in a couple weeks.” I hung up the phone and stared at it. Could I forgive her? Probably. Would the friendship be the same? No, but it wouldn’t be even if none of it had ever happened. We wanted different things in our futures. We were different people.
Pouring the milk into my cereal, I took my giant bowl to my tiny couch and had just crammed my mouth with the first bite when a knock sounded on my door.
I got up and puttered to the door, gasping when I saw Max standing on the other side of the peephole. Unfortunately, sucking in a breath did not mix well with a mouth full of Lucky Charms, and I started coughing.
“Oakley, are you all right? Can I come in?” came Max’s concerned voice.
Oh, God, leave it to me to be choking on Lucky Charms with wacky squirrels on my fleece PJ bottoms and a tank top with no bra when my dream man showed up at my door. Deciding I’d prefer to have the Heimlich than die, I opened the door.
He immediately thwacked me on my upper back, allowing me to breathe again.
Sexy I was not. I crossed over to my kitchen to retrieve a napkin and finish my coughing fit. Finally able to talk, I said, “Thanks. Guess you’ve come to the rescue again.”
Dammit, he would have to go and flash those dimples. His gaze dipped down toward my braless chest.
The girls decided to show off by putting on their high beams. I crossed my arms over them. “What are you doing here?” Looking gorgeous in dark jeans and a gray sweater.
“I came to talk to you.” He looked around my shoebox apartment. It wasn’t much, but at least it was clean.
“About signing the NDA?”
“No, I never wanted one.”
“I heard you, Max.” It was impossible to keep the hurt out of my voice.
He stepped closer, lifting my chin so I had no choice but to meet his eyes. “What you heard was me giving convenient answers to my business partner at four in the morning when I was unprepared to answer his questions about you.”
“Which means what?”
“You weren’t a fling. And I was never going to ask you to sign an NDA. I trust you.”
“You said you’d probably start performing again.”
“Yeah, if it was with you. I wanted to talk to you about it first. I didn’t know if you enjoyed it or how you’re feeling about it.” He sighed. “Shit, I’m bungling this. Here I had it all planned out.”
Hearing he’d planned something made my heart beat faster. “Try it again.”
He perked up. “Yeah?”
I’d meant for him to start over in his speech, but I had to laugh when he walked out my door and closed it. He knocked again.
This time I yelled out, “Just a moment!” I then whipped off my PJ bottoms, pulled on jeans and a plunging sweater. Lastly, I pulled out my ponytail scrunchie and fluffed my hair.
