“Then talk.”
“Can’t I come in?”
“Nope.”
Although Terri had always known that this whole thing was going to end badly, she hadn’t truly anticipated how much Rachel would suffer. But looking at it all from her point of view, the people she loved and who were supposed to love her back had betrayed her.
“I’m so sorry. I know I should have told you the truth. But honestly, I didn’t know what to do. You were so happy about the engagement.”
“Exactly. I was so happy. And you knew it was all a lie. Why let me go on thinking that I was in some kind of fairy tale and Gary was my Prince Charming? To think that he was basically railroaded into a proposal…” Her hurt and embarrassment were plain to see. “Everyone knew the truth except me. Imagine how I feel. Manipulated. Lied to. Now I see what all this was… I wasn’t allowed to make up my own mind. Everything was manufactured by you, Gary, even Ethan, pretending at that dinner that he was interested in my blathering on about my hopes and dreams. None of it was real.”
Terri hung her head. “You’re right and I’m sorry. Even now, I’m not sure why I didn’t tell you straight out, but please believe me when I tell you that the last thing any of us wanted was to hurt you.”
“But why treat me like a child? I really hate the way everyone does that all the time. I’m a grown woman, not some toddler who needs protecting.”
“I know, but I suppose I’ve always thought that you’re too quick to see the best in people, whereas I’m—”
“A complete cynic who’s suspicious of everyone’s motives?”
Terri looked down at her shoes. “You’re right. Maybe I am too quick to think the worst. But I wasn’t wrong about this, was I? And I just couldn’t stand by and let Gary get away with it. You deserve so much better. And,” she added softly, “I think you need to realize that too. Someone like him was all wrong for you, Rach. I don’t know. I always got the sense that Gary just…never fit.”
Something changed in Rachel’s expression then, but the look was gone almost as soon as it had appeared, and then she promptly changed the subject. “How’s everything at work?” she asked, her neutral tone still not giving much away.
“Fine. Justin is holding the fort at the moment.” Terri paused, realizing they were treading on dangerous ground here.
What if Rachel had decided she wanted out of Gillini, that because of Terri’s deception, she was prepared to give up the business they’d so carefully built up? Or worse, that she wanted Terri out?
“We’re looking forward to having you back though,” she added delicately. “The place isn’t the same without you.”
“Hmm, just as long as our customers aren’t choking on stuff in their food,” Rachel replied archly, and Terri sighed an inward relief at the brief glimmer of humor in her tone. “So are going to share this with me or what?” her friend added, moving aside at the doorway, indicating that Terri should come in.
“I’d love to.” Terri stepped past her, and the two proceeded to Rachel’s tiny living room. She turned to face her. “Again, I’m so sorry. Swiping the ring the way I did was especially stupid, I know that. But Gary was adamant he wasn’t going to own up, and I felt so bad for Ethan. For what it’s worth, I know he truly did care about your feelings.”
“Maybe, but he lied too,” Rachel said, and Terri could tell that she was truly disappointed by this. “You’re right. Maybe I do trust too easily.”
“Hey, don’t ever change either.” Terri rested a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “While a cynic like me tends to bring a dreamer down to earth, believe me, it’s so much more rewarding to have someone whose head’s in the clouds to take you by the hand on occasion and show you that view.”
A lump came to her throat as she realized this was exactly what Rachel had been doing forherall these years. The world was always so much brighter when seen through her eyes.
“Thank you for saying that.” Rachel pulled her into a warm embrace, and Terri knew then that her wonderful friend was going to be okay.
“So has Gary been in touch?” she asked.
“He’s been trying but I don’t want to hear his excuses.” Rachel’s tone was hard afresh, but Terri could hear some regret behind it too. “I know he carried on like some big-time property tycoon, but we both know he’s just a man with a van,” she added archly, and Terri chuckled, realizing that perhaps Rachel wasn’t quite as gullible as they’d all thought. “Dunno. I suppose I’ve always found that a little endearing in a way. He must have thought all his Christmases had come at once when I opened up that box.”
“Are you going to forgive him?” Terri bloody hoped not.
“No, I don’t think there’s any going back from finding out he’d never intended to propose at all. And that he didn’t want the same things I did.”
“Perhaps he genuinely didn’t know where the ring had come from at the start and was worried that Ethan was chasing you?”
“No, Ethan was just chasing his twenty-grand investment.” Rachel gave a wan smile. “I feel so bad for little Daisy though. She seemed to think that the whole thing was fated somehow. Sweet.”
Terri nodded.
“I remember him saying something before about her mother being a bit airy-fairy,” Rachel continued. “And then when things went south, she must have taken what she’d said about Tiffany’s to heart.”
“That fiancée really got a bum deal, didn’t she?” Terri gave an ironic chuckle. “Her future stepdaughter thinking you’re Cinderella and she’s the ugly stepsister. Though it seems shewasactually a villain of sorts,” she added, explaining what she’d overheard at the restaurant.
