"How’d you know?" he questions while digging into his meal.
"I bumped into Bea." I shrug, taking a handful of fries to dip in ketchup.
"Ah. Say no more."
The moment our forty minutes is up, I write my phone number on the back of an old receipt, slide it across the table, and let him know to contact me if he wants to discuss my experience or needs details for my references, because, after all, I met with him for a job, no matter how hard my body tries to convince me otherwise.
"Cassandra Herring, is that you?" I would recognise that voice anywhere, chills lacing my skin. Right as I’m about to open the car door to meet my sisters, too.
"Hi, Mrs. Bishop, it’s nice to see you," I respond, smiling to be polite.
She and her husband used to own the diner in town, Katie’s, before I was even born, so they’re well known across town. But these days, she’s known for being the gossip queen, not a business owner.
"We heard that you were back in town. Such a shame to hear about you and Austin," she remarks, giving me a soft smile.
"Yes. A real shame." My voice is sarcastic, my smile refusing to be genuine, but she can’t see past the one-sided conversation she’s having with herself.
"You must be proud of him for following his dream," she says, and I can only imagine the bullshit story Angela Anderson has spun to make her son not look like the bad guy.
Mrs. Bishop appears to really care, but it bothers me that people assume they know everything about your life, especially when they’re so far from the truth.
I can’t exactly tell her that I’m “so proud of him for lying to me, cheating on me, and getting another girl pregnant.” It’ll make me look like a vicious, lying, bitter ex. So, I say, "Whatever makes him happy."
"His parents were really sad to see you go. Angela said so herself. We had dinner with the Andersons last week. She’d said she wished things were different. Didn’t she, honey?" She nudges her husband, but he stares mindlessly over my shoulder, clearly not paying attention to a single word that’s been said.
"Yes, different. Sure, hon," he mumbles, searching his denim pant pockets for his keys.
"We best be off now, dear. But you take care of yourself. You’re looking a little…thin." Smiling, she gives me a weak hug that I reciprocate before we both turn away from each other.
My tears don’t wait for my door to slam shut.
They betray me and stain my cheeks the moment Mrs. Bishop can no longer see my face, and my sisters know better than to ask questions.
Of course, the Andersons are telling everyone that Austin broke up with me to focus on his career.
God forbid Grangewood Creek find out their Golden Boy’s son was cheating on his long-term girlfriend. They couldn’t have their son ruin his perfect image.
Max’s reputation is the most important thing to their family, and they always did everything in their power to keep it safe, even if it meant betraying someone who was like a daughter to them.
Now, the whole town pities me for my broken heart. The girl who wasn’t good enough for the career-driven man.
Oh, and thanks, Mrs. Bishop, for pointing out the fact that I’ve lost weight. Like I wasn’t aware that my clothes were now swimming on me.
Frantically wiping the tears off my cheeks, Olive turns on the ignition, while Lizzie blastsNo ScrubsbyTLC, and we head back to my parents’ house.
nine
Harley
She was totally checkingme out.
That much was fucking glaringly obvious. It was a dead giveaway that she and Austin had broken up, too.
Cassandra Herring would’ve never shown up in a place that I own, with the sole purpose of seeing me. Not if they were still together, anyway.
The guy was always attached to her hip, like some obsessive, untrusting puppy dog, who refused to let her out of his sight.
Regardless of all of that, it felt…good, to see her. I don’t know how else to describe it. And I wasn’t surprised that Bea was behind it.
