“I got a call from Harvey this morning,” Liam said. “Offering me the chance at a new job out of town. Doing what he does.”
What?
“I asked him to help me,” Liam clarified. “This is a lot more than I was expecting, though. He’s a good guy.”
“He is,” I agreed.
Hewas. Harvey wasa good guy.
The best guy.
“But you two were never really engaged,” Liam added.
I swallowed. Did Harvey tell him?
“Yeah, didn’t think so.” Liam’s face changed to the kind, good man I knew.
That was the thing—Liam was a good guy, too. Easily one of the best.
“Did he tell you?” I asked. Harvey wouldn’t betray me like that, would he? He’d let me keep the story until people forgot about the two of us.
I hadn’t thought about an exit strategy when we’d first made the deal. All I’d been thinking about was getting to spend as much time as I could with Harvey before he left again.
Liam shook his head. “No. But he did ask me if I’d seen you, and how you were doing.”
I looked down at the counter.
“My heart’s breaking and I’m so mad at him for it,” I admitted. It was easier to talk to Liam than it should have been—but aside from Harvey, he was the person I’d known for the longest time. “But I’ve also already forgiven him, because…”
“Because you love him,” Liam filled in for me.
I swallowed. He knew me too well.
And I wasn’t up to lying about it.
I loved Harvey so much it hurt, and hewasn’t here.
“I figured out you’d never been engaged the second I heard it,” Liam continued. “Harvey always was too stupid to see how you felt about him.”
“He’s not stupid,” I defended. “He’s just…”
“Stupid,” Liam said. “About his feelings, anyway.”
“Oh, and you’re emotional intelligence Einstein?” I asked, sharper than I meant to.
I was on edge. I missed Harvey. My stomach hurt.
“Compared to the two of you? I’m in Stephen Hawking territory,” Liam said. “I told Harvey this, but I realized I’ve never told you, and I’m packing up to leave right now, and I think you need the closure.”
“Told him what?” I asked.
“Why I walked away from marrying you,” Liam said.
I winced, the words hitting me like a dagger to the heart.
Because everyone walks away from me, I thought. That was it, wasn’t it? It didn’t have to be any more complicated than that.
“Why?” I asked, voice tiny even to my own ears.
