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“After yelling a lot, I left. Went to a hotel. Slept off the medication. Spent the next day arranging a transfer for as soon as possible. I stayed at another friend’s place on the sofa until it went through. I avoided John at the hospital. Refused to take Maria’s calls. Some friends cleaned out my room at the apartment for me. I never went back. I moved and left them both behind. Later, I heard they got married. And divorced.”

I knew there was more he wasn’t saying. I heard the hurt and betrayal in his voice. The pain he still felt. He was glossing over a lot of the story, but I was touched that somehow he trusted me enough to tell me.

“And you never told your family?”

“Only that we had broken up and John and I were no longer friends. I think they figured it out. My mom told me she was sad about John since she had been fond of him, but she never liked Maria much. She didn’t trust her—and she was right. They were supportive of my choices and respected my privacy. I know it was hard for them, but they understood. They always understand.”

“And you told no one? Not even your gramps?” I had already figured out he was very close to his gramps.

He met my eyes. “Not a soul. You are the first person I’ve ever told.”

I squeezed his hand. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“It’s odd,” he admitted. “I never thought I would trust another person outside my family again. But I trust you.”

“I won’t let you down.”

“Not great baking conversation,” he said, obviously wanting to change the subject.

I slid off the stool. “Right. Time to work.”

He took my elbow, tugging me close as I went past. He met my eyes, his warm. Somewhat sad. He pressed a kiss to my mouth. “Thank you.”

I touched his cheek. “You are welcome.”

Matthew

Maddy looked at the little cake she’d given me to ice.

“Oh my,” she said, sounding amused. “Don’t give up your day job.”

I glowered at her. “It’s smooth. You said to make it smooth.”

“Smooth if you think six-foot waves are ripples,” she responded.

“Show me then, Ms. Expert.”

She picked up the cake and her spatula. In thirty seconds, the top and sides of the cake were smooth as glass. And she removed about an inch of frosting from the whole cake.

“Kinda skimpy on the icing,” I remarked cheekily.

“As I explained, it’s the crumb coat.” She rolled her eyes and handed me a cupcake. “Try the flowers I showed you. Remember to press then release.”

I spent ten minutes on the cupcake, concentrating. “Ta-da!” I crowed. “It looks great.”

Maddy nodded. “I’m impressed.”

I looked at her rack. She’d frosted over a dozen in the time I had finished one. But at least it looked good.

We’d been frosting, decorating, and boxing for a couple of hours. Well, she had. I sort of helped. I changed a couple of lightbulbs and swept the floor out front to stay busy and out of the way. I propped the door open between the kitchen and the shop so I could listen to her sing along with the radio. She had a lovely voice and great pitch. I found it mesmerizing. I found her mesmerizing.

I couldn’t believe I had told her about Maria and John. There had been a point I hadn’t thought I would ever get over walking in and seeing them together. Listening to their passion as I stood dumbfounded and confused. Realizing how they’d been playing me. We’d exchanged heated words, and I discovered the affair had been going on for months behind my back. All the times when I was working, she was there with him. The occasion I would spot her at the ER and be delighted she’d come to see me, she was actually there to see him. She worked in the administration department upstairs, and I could only imagine their trysts that happened daily. It sickened me.

Maria had tried to defend herself, their relationship.

“You can’t help who you fall in love with, Matthew,” she said with a sniffle. “You leave me alone so much working. I was lonely. John was around.”

I barked out a laugh at her words. “So was John. I guess for a while you had two of us fucking you, Maria. Must have been fun, right? Two dicks to satisfy you. Playing us both?” I swung my gaze to John. “Or did she tell you she wasn’t sleeping with me anymore?”