Simone swallowed and said nothing for a long moment. “No.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Where’s he at? I usually call first, but I wanted to surprise him.”
Simone wouldn’t meet my eyes. “He’s not in the Keep.”
My stomach twisted, but I didn’t overreact. “Oh? Do you know where he is?”
Simone sighed.
I knew where he was, and the thought sent a crack through my already wounded heart. “He’s with Rachel, isn’t he?”
She didn’t have to nod. Her face told me everything I needed to know. “I told him it was a bad idea.”
“But he did it anyway?”
She nodded. “He said it was good for European relations.”
I swore I wouldn’t jump to conclusions, but Caelan was making it extremely difficult for me not to want to stab him with a rose bush limb. Maybe he felt the same way about me.
Aaaargh.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent him a message. “What restaurant?”
Simone chewed on her thumbnail and watched me carefully. “If I tell you, you cannot cause a scene.”
“I think I’m more mature than losing my shit in public if my fiancé suddenly decided he doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”
Her eyes narrowed. I laughed at her expression. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a scout, were you?”
“No, but I promise. I’m well aware of Caelan’s position in this town, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his reputation in the eyes of the townspeople.”
Simone was still reluctant, but she rattled off the name of the restaurant.
Slightly sick when she told me the name, I struggled to speak. The place was new to town, and I mentioned I wanted to go a few weeks ago. Caelan said he didn’t have the time yet, but he’d take me soon. “Alright.”
I glanced down at my phone. Nothing. “I’ll head over now and see if he’s still with her.”
Simone’s face turned sober. “Evie.”
Annoyance heated my blood. “I already told you I won’t do anything crazy. You don’t need to tell me again.”
“It’s not that.” She reached over and took one of my hands. “Don’t jump to conclusions. Okay?”
It was a little too late, but I was doing my best not to lose it and drown myself in a vat of ice cream. “I’ll see what’s going on with my own eyes and take it from there, okay?”
“He loves you,” she insisted. “More than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“The feeling is the same.” I extricated my hand and left the Keep.
I had an errant fiancé to find.
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Mom was standing in my driveway when I pulled in. I wanted to change my clothes and grab a few things before I went to Caelan.
