“That’s when he gave me the ultimatum. Him or you.” Hope whispered those last three words because she hadn’t wanted to admit them out loud. Everything about filming in San Diego had been awry. It had been their complete downfall.
Angelica hummed, her lips pursed tightly. “And you made a choice.”
No condemnation could be found in her voice. Pain, yes. But Hope searched to see if Angelica still held a grudge toward her for that decision, and she couldn’t find anything.
“I’m so sorry.” Hope’s eyes watered. “I made so many bad decisions last year. I did so many things that hurt people, and not just you, and I—” she choked on a sob “—I can’t go back in time and do it over again.”
“No, you can’t.” Angelica rocked back on the bed slightly. “But as much as you’ve dealt with Rex and your problems with Rex, there’s still Eva to consider. And I suspect she’s having problems this week because of San Diego.”
“You’re probably right.” Hope bit her lip and ran her fingers though her hair again. This was all so out of her wheelhouse. She was in over her head with drama she’d created a year ago and was still dealing with. “Rachel called me last week.”
“What?” Angelica tensed.
“She said she wanted to work on reconciling. I told her I didn’t have the time to deal with it right now because I feel like my head’s going to explode, but I can’t stop thinking about it. She’s my best friend—well, she was. But in San Diego, I saw a side of her that I’d never seen before. And afterward?” Hope trembled. “I’m not sure I can trust her again.”
“Trust is earned, not just given.” Angelica played a gentle design on the outside of Hope’s knee with her thumb, just a sweet tender touch that reminded Hope that the two of them had been through so much and yet they’d continued to work on their relationship—consistently and slowly.
“I broke so much trust,” Hope whispered. Those words were still hard to admit, but she needed to say them out loud. “With Eva, with Rex, with you.” She turned then, locking their gazes together. Reaching up, she brushed the backs of her fingers over Angelica’s cheek and down to her chin at the echoing frown she saw. “I’m so sorry.”
Angelica nodded slowly, her eyes downcast and her face impassable. “We’re talking about Eva.”
“Yeah, we are. But what I think we’re really talking about is reconciliation, and I’m sorry, Angel.” Hope said it again, needing to make sure that Angelica had heard her. “I’m sorry that I hurt you.”
“I knew you’d choose him.” Angelica looked at her directly, tears brimming the edges of her eyes. “I knew you would.”
“That doesn’t mean it hurt any less.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Angelica looked down, a single tear spilling over her cheek.
That sight ripped straight through Hope. So much damage done, and all she could do was attempt to rectify it now and pray that Angelica would allow her a single chance to prove she understood and had changed. Reaching up, Hope brushed the tear away. She raised Angelica’s chin up and leaned in to kiss her gently. “I’m so sorry.”
“You need to apologize to Eva, too.” Angelica looked at her squarely. “She’s just as hurt by this.”
“She is,” Hope agreed. “I’ll talk to her in the morning when she wakes up, and mention it to Rex.”
“Good.” Angelica relaxed, and she leaned into Hope’s shoulder slightly.
“But we do need to talk about something else.” Hope gripped Angelica’s hand. “And you’re not going to like it.”
She felt Angelica tense, the muscles in her body tightening, but also the air thickening. She hated to do this. When they seemed to just be figuring things out, just barely.
“What?” Angelica asked.
“Cadence pulled me aside, confidentially, to tell me that she saw us kissing in the hallway when we were at Riverside.” Hope’s mouth went dry. She hated this. The bubble they’d attempted to build around their relationship so far had been shattered almost instantly.
Angelica stood up sharply, leaving a cold empty space next to Hope. “What do you mean she saw us?”
“I didn’t exactly ask for details, and she didn’t offer them up. What I know is she saw us.” Hope wrung her hands together.
“And you’re just telling me this now?” Angelica clenched her hands tightly into fists.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to you alone before now.”
“A phone call! A text!” Each word was pointed and louder than the previous one.
“It’s not a huge deal. Cadence hasn’t told anyone.”
Angelica let out a wry laugh. “Hasn’t told anyone… The best kept secret is one that no one knows. No one. If Cadence knows, then it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the crew knows.”
