Me
At least let me know that you’re okay. You were crying when you left.
I dropped the phone on the cushion beside me and dragged my hands down my face. She had never shut me out this completely before. I didn’t know what to do.
Unable to sit still, I picked the phone back up and opened the social media app where Kaylee had posted. I found her profile and studied the photo. At first glance, it looked as bad as Lila had described. Except I knew my hand hadn’t been on Kaylee’s waist. It had been resting on the back of the chair.
But with the way the photo was taken from above and how Kaylee had leaned in, it seemed like we were much closer than we actually had been.
And that wasn’t the only thing that raised a red flag. Lila had said Kaylee tagged her in this post, but it was no longer there.
Fucking hell.
I lowered the phone, wondering if maybe I’d been wrong about the whole thing. Or if Kaylee had seen the comments and worried about hurting Lila’s feelings, so she removed the tag.
My phone started ringing while I was still sitting on the couch, staring at the ring. Mom’s name lit up the screen. I almost didn’t answer, but I knew she’d keep calling if I ignored her.
I picked up, trying to sound normal. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hi, honey! I wanted to go over a few more details for the bridal shower. The vineyard grounds I booked are stunning, and they have a gorgeous outdoor pavilion that would be perfect for photos. I was thinking peach linens with cream and emerald green accents to complement the wedding colors. Do you think Lila would like that? I want everything to feel special for the newest member of our family.”
I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the phone. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”
She kept talking, her voice full of excitement. “I’ve already ordered the invitations, and I can’t wait to see her face when she opens all the gifts. Lila is such a wonderful girl. I’m so happy you found someone like her.”
It was a good thing my mom was a talker, because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to force words past the lump in my throat. But after a few more seconds of her chatting about centerpieces and guest lists, she finally paused.
“Reid? You’re being awfully quiet. Is everything okay?”
I closed my eyes and dragged a hand down my face. There was no gentle way to deliver the bad news. “Lila called off the engagement tonight.”
The line went completely silent.
When she finally spoke, her voice was stunned. “She did what?”
“She ended it.” My voice was rough. “Took off the ring and left before I could stop her.”
There was another long pause. Then she asked the question I didn’t want to answer. “Why?”
I exhaled slowly. “Kaylee, one of my paralegals, posted a picture from lunch today on her social media.”
When I didn’t say anything else, she urged, “And? There has to be more to this story. Lila is a level-headed girl. She wouldn’t call off the wedding because of something silly your paralegal did.”
I stared down at the still-wet socks on my feet. “Kaylee called me her ‘work hubby’ in the caption. Lila saw it and completely lost it.”
My mom had the chiding tone I remembered from when I was little and about to get into trouble. “Did Lila tell you she was uncomfortable with this girl before tonight?”
I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “Yeah.”
“More than once?”
I hesitated before admitting, “Yes.”
“And what exactly did you do about it?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Because I suddenly realized every answer sounded terrible.
I’d told Lila she was overreacting. I’d brushed it off. I’d defended Kaylee instead of shutting it down. And I’d done it after Lila let me know she was hurting.
