I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been excusing her behavior for years—her sharp tongue, her selfishness, her need to win every argument, every man. I just never thought she’d aim it atme.
She pauses, thrown off by my reaction. I’ve always been the calm one, the peacekeeper, the one who smoothed things over.
Not today.
“Pete and I are?—”
“Stop right there.” I raise a hand. “Not now, not ever, will I talk to you about my ex-husband. I don’t care what you’re doing with him. If that’s all you came to say, you can leave.”
Before she can respond, the doorbell rings again.
Sin offers a warm smile until she sees Erin then she frowns. “Hey, Liv.”
My eyes narrow. “Was this planned? You two tag-teaming me?”
“No.” Sin looks genuinely horrified.
She knows everything—about Sam, about Erin and Pete. She’s also made it clear she thinks I need to stop hiding behind fear and fix things with Sam.
Of course, she’s right.
“Come in.” I step aside for her.
Erin gives Sin a weak smile and instantly shrinks under her frosty glare.
“Erin was just leaving.” I open the door once more.
“Liv, we haven’t talked.” Erin steps toward me.
“We’re done. I’ll call you when I’m ready. If that time ever comes.”
“Liv, please?—”
“Erin,” Sin and I say together, our voices firm, final.
Something in Erin’s expression cracks. She nods stiffly. “Goodbye.”
The door closes behind her, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My shoulders sag. The knot in my chest loosens but it doesn’t disappear.
It still hurts. God, it hurts.
Erin’s been my friend for nearly thirty years. Cutting her out is the right thing to do, but the grief of it hits harder than I expected. The loss settles in, heavy and permanent.
I’ll never trust her again, and maybe that’s what stings the most. She’s clearly harbored resentment toward me for years, and I never saw it. Or maybe I just refused to.
“Sorry, Sin. I thought when you showed up right after her, it was planned.”
She snorts. “Never. I haven’t spoken to her since her first phone call yesterday. I told her exactly what I thought. She crossed a line. I don’t need friends like that.” Her voice softens. “Anyway, enough about her. Are you okay?”
I force a smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Seriously? This is me, Liv. You don’t look fine. You’ve got dark circles. Have you even slept?”
I laugh, but it comes out more like a sob. “I’m a mess.” My chin trembles. “I’m such an idiot.”
Her arms are around me before I can say anything else, holding me tight.
“I love him, Sin. God, I love him.” The words tumble out, heavy and wet with tears.
