"It’s all good, man. Injuries are always a risk, pro or not. It’s part of the game," Harley answers casually, giving his old friend a soft smile.
"Anderson told me you guys broke up. I’m sorry to hear." Matty’s face softens as he squeezes my forearm. I didn’t realize they still kept in contact.
"Don’t be. I, for one, am glad I’m not with a man who was having a three-year long affair and a baby on the way." I shrug. "But that’s just me, I guess." Maxwell’s eyes bulge out of his head. Clearly, Austin left out a fewminordetails.
"There’s someone at our booth. I’ll go talk to her," Harley says to me, saved by the bell. "It was good to see you, man. Nice to meet you, Chloe. Good luck with the wedding planning," he says before turning his attention to the future bride waiting at our booth.
"How long are you guys in California for?" Matty asks.
"We’re just here for the expo. Harley heads back tomorrow, but I’m here for a couple of days to spend some time with my best friend," I say as I nod toward Jenna, whose booth looks overwhelmingly busy.
Harley took time away from work to be here these last few days. He’s heading back for meeting upon meeting with Robbie, while I get some much-needed girl time with Jenna.
"Well then, it looks like we will have to come and tour the place." Chloe claps her hands together, a grin spread wide across her face.
"Something tells me Matthew here will know exactly where to find it." I smile back as he chuckles before pulling me in for a goodbye hug.
"It was good to see you, Herring."
"You too, Maxwell."
"I’m glad Wingrove grew some balls and finally got the girl," he whispers in my ear, and my cheeks heat.
I don’t confirm or deny his assumption, but I do chuckle and watch as they move on to the next booth.
The crowd is dying down.
My feet ache from being on them for three days straight, and I can’t wait to get back to our hotel and spend some quality time with Harley before he heads back home.
Turning to face him, my stomach drops when I see who he’s been talking to for the last few minutes.
"Herring, come over here," he calls out, realizing I’m no longer busy and able to join him in conversation.
My feet move on their own, even though my brain is screamingno, and I head toward my ex-fiancé’s new fiancée, while she talks to my new...boyfriend?
God, what a mess.
"Cassandra, this is—" Harley tries to introduce us, but I cut him off, not needing to be introduced to the woman who fucked my fiancé. Her hair is down in what I assume is her natural curls, and her makeup is minimal, yet she’s absolutely glowing.
She’s wearing a long, white, polka dot dress that hugs her growing bump, and God, I don’t want to like her.
"Alison." My voice is firm, and he nods while looking in my direction, confusion written all over his face. "Austin’s fiancée," I say to them both, each taking my words differently. Alison smiles proudly at the title, but Harley’s green eyes widen.
"Oh, Cassandra, hi. It’s so good to see you again."
It’s good to see me?
What?
"Listen," she begins, and it takes everything in me to not roll my eyes and tell her to find a different venue, but the other part of me wants to hear what she has to say. "Austin filled me in. There are no hard feelings on my part." She sighs with a soft smile, and I don’t think I’m quite understanding what she’s trying to say to me.
"No hard feelings? Sorry, what do you mean?" I ask as I look down at her left hand as it rests on her baby bump, noting the familiar engagement ring sparkling on her ring finger.
"Oh, Austin explained that you two dated in the past, which is why bumping into you at his sister’s wedding was a little awkward. He said his sister, Megan, refused to use anybody else to plan her wedding and didn’t care how it would make him feel. He wasn’t too happy about it, but he let it slide for his baby sister. You know how he is with her." She winces as she rubs her belly. "Sorry, baby Anderson is active today." It feels like a brick wall has collapsed right on top of me.
She has no idea the role she played in ending a fourteen-year relationship.
Turning my focus on Harley, I attempt to say, 'what the fuck do I do?'with my mind, but it doesn’t work.
