“Wonderful, wonderful.” Dad’s voice brims over with delight. “Thank you, love. You know how much this will mean to your mother.”
“I can’t wait to see you,” I reply, moving along with the line as the girl with the big order gets served with two full take-out trays and leaves.
It’s not a lie this time. I really can’t wait to see them. I just didn’t think I’d be going home having created such a huge mess here.
We chat a little more before I ring off and order a latte, standing at the counter to add sugar once I get it.
“Good night?”
I glance at the woman beside me and my spirits lift for the first time all morning.
“Zoey! Hey, how are you?”
“Good.” Beaming, she takes her drink from the barista and thanks them.
“Sinclair told me last night was a success.” She raises her brows at me in excitement, and the familiar guilt comes hurtling into my stomach.
“She did?”
“Uh-huh.” Zoey holds the door for me as we both exit onto the street. “Is that why you’re in the neighborhood? You going to do a de-brief with her dad?”
“Um.” I bite my lower lip. “Something like that.”
I’ve actually been walking the neighborhood where Seasons is for most of the morning trying to pluck up the courage to face him.
“I never really saw him with Lavinia.” Zoey shrugs. “Although, I guess she’s the only woman he’s ever gone out with more than once. Usually he’s a one and done guy.”
I wince as I recall the photos I saw of Sterling with different women on his arm when I was researching ahead of my trip here. To the outside world, he looked like a man who was never short of female company. But photographs don’t tell the whole story.
“I was never her first choice.”
“I faked my own damn orgasm.”
Sinclair hinted that she thought there had been other women since he lost their mother. Maybe after Lavinia, there were others?
I swallow down something that tastes like jealousy as it threatens to swirl from my gut.
“Sinclair’s so excited. She said Sterling seemed different last night. Once you’d all left, she overheard Denver say something to him about lipstick on his jaw. Lavinia must have landed one on him when none of you were looking.”
Something rises from my gut again, but this time it’s not jealousy, it’s bile.
“What’s the matter? You look like you’re about to barf.”
“I…”
Zoey’s dark brown eyes widen, the white of them bright against her rich skin as I struggle to answer.
“Halliday?” she coaxes.
I’ve always hated lying. I’m useless at it. I only allow myself the odd white lie, like to my father, to spare him and Mum from worrying about me. I’m sure people can see it written all over my face when I try.
I give her the briefest nod.
“Oh. My. God.” She grabs my arm.
I glance at her giant twinkling engagement ring. Given to her by a man she’s supposed to be with. Not one she was hired to help find love for, and then took a bite out of herself to quell her reckless desires. Not a man whose future happiness is in jeopardy from her actions.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen. I wasn’t supposed to match with him myself,” I choke out.
