I smile, resisting the urge to punch her in the face. Olivier is right. There’s nothing keeping me in this town. As soon as the dust settles, we’ll be in the city, where nobody knows us and no one can come and stomp all over our happiness.
“I mean it,” I say. “I’ve seen them every day these last few months. Cassie and Olivier really love each other.”
“Soon there’ll be wedding bells for you, dear. Everyone gets their turn eventually. Just you wait.”
Sometimes I think the worst people in my life have been the ones who pretended to wish me well. The ones who felt, without knowing, that they could decide what was best for me. Like the passersby who called the police when they saw me in the car. If only they’d minded their own business. Mom was going to come back for me. These assholes told themselves they were saving me, but all they did was ruin my life.
“I hope so,” I say, smiling so much my cheeks cramp.
“So what does Amir do?”
“He works at a bank. He’s very smart. I’m so lucky.” If I’m going to have a fake boyfriend, then I want a good one. “He makes a pretty decent living, too.” I look down, like I’m blushing.
“I’m happy for you, sweetheart.” Madeline glances sideways as if to check that no one is eavesdropping. Over the fence, her neighbors are tending to their garden. “When Cassie came back with Olivier, I couldn’t help but think… I mean, he is certainly handsome. And he’s helpful, too. He carried my groceries a few times, put them away and everything. Good manners are important; I don’t want to discount that. But he seems so out of place here. For a while I thought he’d run back to the big city as soon as the novelty of country life wore off.”
I try to keep my face still, chasing away the image of Olivier finding country life novel. “He’s very invested in the inn,” I say. “It’ll look amazing when he’s done.”
“Hmm,” Madeline says absentmindedly. That doesn’t fit with her narrative. “Well, I hope you’ll have a real wedding. That party these two put on…” She grimaces. “Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but in my time, people who got married so fast only did it for one reason.” She raises an eyebrow as if to check that I’m getting her gist. “Cassie’s pregnant, isn’t she?”
My heart drops, my mind going to the question I’ve been avoiding all along. Did they sleep together in Paris? And then it hits me all over again.Islept with someone else. I betrayed Olivier and almost ruined everything.
“You’ll have to ask her,” I say at last. “All I know is that she might not have gotten the big wedding, but the honeymoon is more than making up for it.”
Madeline takes another sip of her iced tea, then stares at me for a while. “So, this Miles—”
“Amir,” I correct. “It’s an Arabic name. His mother is from Morocco.” I don’t know if it was a trap, but I was prepared for it nonetheless. I wonder what the real Amir thought when he noticed I’d checked out early. He probably just moved on to the next lonely, screwed-up woman who came through the door.
Madeline puts a hand in front of her mouth. “Oops! Do we get to meet him soon?”
“Of course! I think you’ll like him.”
I haven’t decided what will happen to Amir yet. Will he have met someone else? That’s the obvious choice. But for once,just once, I’d like to be in charge, to set the rules of my own relationships.
I say my goodbyes to Madeline soon after, promising to return with a man who doesn’t exist or, at least, not on this continent. But I don’t head home yet. Instead, I take a detour via Main Street. I need to make sure people see me, if it ever comes to that. I stop by the drugstore, the only one open late, exchanging a few words with Marco, the cashier. When I exit, clutching a bag full of cleaning supplies I don’t need, I spot a familiar face on the other side of the street: Cassie’s ex-boyfriend Darren.
These two were an odd match: she the wild child who wanted to try everything, the drugs and the parties and the boys, and he the serious student who always said please and thank you and mowed his grandma’s lawn after church every Sunday. Their endless cycle of breaking up and getting back together went on for so long I often lost track.
I wave at him quickly, only briefly making eye contact. I need to get some sleep before the police come.
“Taylor!” He’s crossing the street now, he and his determined gait catching up to me in no time. “Have you heard from Cassie?”
His face is one big frown. This isn’t a casual question.
“Of course,” I say with what I hope is a warm smile. “She’s having the best time in Paris.” I fight the urge to keep walking; I don’t want to arouse his suspicion.
“Right, but, um, have you spoken to her today? In the last few hours, maybe?”
I try my hardest to keep my face blank, even though of course I know Cassie hasn’t posted anything since she was in the bath. I have so little to go on, but that has to mean the plan is working.
“Cassie’s on her honeymoon. She has better things to do.”
He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Then he smiles weakly. “I’ve been calling her, but she’s not picking up.”
I give him a pained smile. “Cassie’s married now. And they’re so happy together.”
“That’s not true.” Darren says. He sounds sure of himself, but at the time, I can tell he’s searching my eyes for validation.
Could it be that… Has something been going on between them since she came back home with Olivier? No, no, no, that will mess everything up.
