But when I saw those messages popping up—right before I snapped and burned my career and my life to the ground—I had known. Instantly. There had been no question in my mind what was going on. No part of me that needed to double check, that thought Leo wouldn’t do this to me and felt like he might have some sort of explanation, something that could excuse it all.
It had been a shock, but had it really taken me completely by surprise like it had seemed?
My mind flashed to the conversation I’d just had with Joe. Something inside me had known, deep down, that that kid wasn’t the veteran driver we all would have preferred.
And yes, ignorance could be bliss…
I swallowed hard.
I didn’t want to believe there had been aspects of my relationship that had been fundamentally wrong. That some part of me had known they were wrong, and…that I’d been willing to stay anyway.
Because what did that say about me?
It was easier to blame Leo’s betrayal, to focus on that one glaring, undeniable failure.
But how long had it been since I’d felt genuinely happy, and how much had I just let slide?
With nothing but the low hum of the idling engine, Babs and I both stared out the window, watching as Noah trudged through the snow beside his mother. Even from here, he looked inordinately patient and ruggedly good-looking, the wind tousling his dark brown hair.
Babs let out a soft hum. “He sure is easy on the eyes.”
I swallowed, tearing my gaze away. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not even close to being ready to dive into a new relationship.” The words slipped out, meant more for myself than for Babs.
“Who said anything about a relationship?”
My gaze swung around to my seatmate. Was she serious? Seeing the look in her eyes, I realized she was only partly joking.
Not sure what to say to this woman who’d suddenly become central to my life, I turned my attention back to the window.
A little behind Noah and his mom, Tay was corralling what looked like the rest of the group and urging them to move along. Patty suddenly went up and nudged Mrs. Grady, grinning, looking like she was trying to invite her to join in on some joke with her, Josie and Marla, but Mrs. Grady just blinked back at them with a lukewarm smile. Noah shoved his hands in his pockets, silently watching the interaction but not interfering.
Babs hummed again. “I wonder what their story is.”
“Just a mother/son vacation?” I ventured. Honestly though, I’d wondered about that myself. Because neither of them acted like the typical WonderWorld Tours vacationer. Mrs. Grady seemed tense, almost nervous, holding herself back from the cliques that had formed—yes, actual cliques, just like high school!—and her son, well, it was pretty obvious he hadn’t chosen to come on this trip. He definitely wasn’t here for the joy of completing the Southwest Bucket List Adventure.
“I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” Babs murmured.
I didn’t have time to respond to that, because the two people in question were now within earshot, making their way down the aisle and taking their seats.
I dropped my eyes to look at my feet, still pink from the cold.
Had Noah Grady really thrown me over his shoulder? Carried me across the snow-covered ground just to be…helpful? Leo would never have done something like that. It just wasn’t his style. Though he definitely would have chastised me for my lack of foresight and then insisted on checking my suitcase from then on out. He’d done that on more than one occasion.
The thought had something trying to rise in me. A prickling, unpleasant sort of feeling, raising my hackles in the here and now. Which was ridiculous.
I wiggled in my seat, suddenly restless, trying to dispel this influx of nervous energy. It didn’t help that I could feel Noah’s eyes on me.
I think.
But I wasn’t ready to find out. So, to look busy, I opened the reading app on my phone and scrolled through a few of the books I’d downloaded and forgotten about.
Fake Dating the Billionaire, My Boss’s Secret Baby, The Hot Grump Next Door…
I opened The Hot Grump, but before I could get past the first page, my thoughts jumped back to my own tragic love life instead.
When I’d first started dating Leo, I’d been in awe of him. He’d seemed to encapsulate the best of both worlds—confident and sure of himself, but also passionate and artistic. He’d swept me off my feet, and when he began talking about the two of us in terms of the future, I’d decided he’s the one—he’s my person.
From there, Leo had forged ahead, making most of the big decisions in our relationship. Where to live, what vacations to take, how we should broadcast the show—all of it had seemed so natural, so easy to fall in step with. Honestly, I hadn’t minded at the time. Maybe I should have, though?
