Page 71 of Fake It For Him

Polly nodded. “Yeah, but it was really damn jarring for her to learn that all of her friends had been making fun of her behind her back for years. She was so drunk that she was falling over, so I don’t think she was thinking too clearly, but instead of blaming them, she lashed out at you.”

A loud groan tore out of the center of my being. How had I gotten myself into a situation like this again? Where I tore apart lifelong friendships and imploded someone’s life?

“I want to curl up into a ball and die,” I moaned and sank under the covers. Why did I have to open my big, fat mouth?

Banging suddenly started up at our door and I flinched. Thankfully, Polly was a good friend. “Go away. I don’t care which one of you assholes is out there. We’re⁠—”

“It’s Calan,” he said before the door burst open. “Where’s Ella? I need to see Ella.”

At the sound of his voice, my heart thundered, beating way too fast at the thought that he was here. Last night, I’d been fantasizing about it, and now when I needed him most, he’d shown up. He was here. But then I remembered that I’d ruined his sister’s wedding and my relief and disbelief turned to dread in my stomach.

He was here, but it probably wasn’t to comfort me.

37

CALAN

I looked around wildly, my heart rate not calming down until I saw the lump under the comforter. I strode right over to it, reached for the edge of the bedding, and yanked it back. I wouldn’t be able to breathe properly until I saw her.

Until I knew she was safe.

As soon as her blood-red eyes met mine, they welled up with tears and she reached for me. She did it tentatively and almost like she was scared I was going to knock her hand away, but I’d never felt so needed.

Seeing her looking so broken tore me up inside and I got right into bed with her, wrapping her up in my arms and taking my first proper breath since I’d woken up this morning. I hadn’t even taken off my shoes before I’d climbed in, but I didn’t give a shit.

Ella was okay. It’d been twelve hours since I’d gotten that call, and now, for the first time, I knew that she was okay. Emotional and probably hungover as fuck, but in her own bed, in their hotel, with Polly still at her side.

I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my racing heart, and I rested my head on top of hers. Their room smelled like an old bar towel, but I ignored the scent. Instead, I just kept holding her, so relieved that she was safe that it was now the reason I could barely breathe.

“So, uh, I’m just going to go,” Polly said awkwardly. She climbed out of her bed and offered me a tight smile as she headed to the door. “It looks like you guys need a minute alone, but I’ll be back for my toothbrush soon. I’m going to find one of the empty rooms and borrow their shower.”

With that, the tall blonde disappeared, shutting the door firmly behind her and finally leaving me alone with Ella. My Ella.

“God,” I murmured, my voice thick with emotion. I dropped another soft kiss on top of her head. “I was so worried about you, Ella. So fucking worried. I tried calling you like, a dozen times. Why didn’t you pick up? Why didn’t you call me back?”

Her fingers crawled up to my chest and clung to my shirt. Tears streamed down her cheeks when she finally looked up at me. “I’m so sorry, Calan. I ruined everything. I would’ve picked up. I would’ve called you back. It’s just…”

“You don’t know where your phone is?” I guessed.

She nodded, shame flashing in her eyes and coloring her cheeks. She let out a shuddering breath. “Fuck. I made such a mess. The least I could’ve done was to save you the trip.”

“It’s fine,” he said.

“You’re here.”

“You needed me to be.”

Those wet eyes came up to mine. “But I ruined your sister’s wedding. I didn’t mean to, though. I know it doesn’t change anything, but I swear I didn’t mean to. I didn’t even know I had until I woke up just now and Polly filled me in.”

“Why don’t you fill me in?” I asked gently, stroking my fingers down her back as I held her to me. “I got some of the details from Freya, but I want to hear your side of the story. She was pretty belligerent when I spoke to her.”

“She must be so mad at me,” Ella whispered, burying her head in my chest. Her voice was muffled as she told me the whole, sordid story.

While it sucked that it’d fallen on Ella to tell the truth, what she said about Freya’s friends didn’t exactly come as a surprise to me. Some of those girls had been clinging to my sister since middle school, like ticks to a dog’s butt, slowly poisoning the poor creature until it didn’t stand a damn chance.

Ella didn’t look at me once while she told me her story, but once she was done, she was crying all over again. She finally lifted her gaze back to mine. “I’m so sorry, Calan. I’m sorry. You did all this for Freya and now I’ve ruined the wedding.”

“Your intentions were good, Ella,” I said. “I’m pretty sure Freya will realize that too. Her so-called friends are the people who wrecked everything, not you, and besides, it’s a good riddance kind of situation. Deep down inside, Freya knows that. Or at least she will once she’s sobered up.”