She cringed and looked up. “Maybe? Sort of. I’m not sure how that happened.”
“I think you’ve watched too many romantic comedies. You realize you can’t actually do that in real life, right? Get engaged to someone without their permission.”
She groaned and went to the cabinet to get another coffee cup. “Yeah, I got that. Look, I’ll figure this out. We’ll make up an excuse as to why you can’t come. I know that was ten kinds of messed up. But she said all these horrible things to me, and once you walked in and she saw you, the lie just came out. I couldn’t take it back.” She blew out a breath. “She’s so goddamned convinced that she’s got me figured out, and I wanted to—”
“Prove her wrong.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t tell me your ex cheated on you with your sister. That’s taking fucked up to a new level. Who does that?”
“Henry does that. And apparently was doing it for a while before I figured it out. I had suspicions toward the end that he was cheating, but I never would’ve considered Nina was the one he was cheating with. I had let her move in when she was in between jobs. I was working long shifts back then. They were both home a lot without me. She thinks he stopped sleeping with me when he started things with her, painted some picture of the frigid wife, but he didn’t. He was sick enough to get off knowing he was bedding us both.”
Lane made a sound of disgust. “This guy sounds like a real winner.”
“Yeah, and my family loves him still. He works in the law firm my dad started. Now he’ll be my brother-in-law.”
“Your parents don’t care that he cheated on you?”
“My dad passed away a few years ago, but when it happened, neither he nor my mom stood up for me. Henry gave them some bullshit story about how we’d fallen out of love and had been like roommates for a long time and then he met his soul mate in Nina.” She held out her cup and Lane poured coffee into it. “They also didn’t want a scandal or, God forbid, any uncomfortable moments at family dinners. They expected
me to get over it and move on. That’s the McCray way. And really, I think what it comes down to is they believe it was my fault. That I’m too cold or career-focused or whatever.” She gave him a tight smile. “You know, hard to love. Things you already know about me.”
Lane frowned at her as she took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know that at all.”
“Right.” She cradled her cup, warming her chilled hands. “Let’s not pretend you haven’t called me a bitch in your head. I am a bitch.”
The consternation on his face deepened. “I haven’t, for the record, but what’s wrong with being opinionated and tough? You do realize that no matter if you were cold or busy or whatever, you didn’t deserve to be betrayed like that, right? What he did wasn’t just cheating. What you told me he made you do after he’d slept with your sister or God knows who else—that’s fucking abusive, Elle. It’s sick and cruel. Not to mention a risk to your health.”
She looked down, the words like acid in her stomach. Those weeks after everything had come out, she’d gone to her doctor, had gotten tested for all the diseases, had been racked with anxiety, left wondering how many people’s sexual histories she’d been exposed to via her husband’s penchant for unsafe sex. She’d gotten a clear bill of health eventually, but the waiting had been like having her head in a steel trap with a hair trigger.
Abuse. She hadn’t labeled it as such, but if she’d heard the story from a client instead of it being her own, how would she have seen it? She swallowed hard. “It doesn’t matter now. He and Nina deserve each other. I’m sure he’ll be cheating before the first wedding anniversary, if he’s not already.”
“Then why would you even consider going to this wedding?” he asked, genuine confusion on his face. “Tell them to go get fucked and save yourself the trouble.”
She sighed and peered up at him, an ache moving through her. “That was my plan, but Nina told me my mom has cancer.”
Lane’s face fell. “Damn. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. But apparently, me being there and mending fences is Mom’s wish before she has surgery.” She ran a hand through her hair, bone-deep tired all of a sudden. “We don’t have the best relationship, but I can’t turn my back on my mother when she needs me. If she wants me there, I’ll be there and be civil with Nina. I can manage not to murder Henry for three days. Probably. Maybe. I might just sprinkle some laxatives on his Cheerios. Nothing permanently damaging.”
“Right. Sounds fun.”
She gave him a what-can-you-do shrug. “I’ve dealt with worse. I’ll manage.”
Lane levered himself off the island and turned to her. “You just have to ask, you know.”
She sipped her coffee, though it now tasted burnt in her mouth. “Ask what?”
“If you want me to go with you, I will.”
She set down her cup and blinked. “What?”
He glanced at the door Nina had left through and then looked back to her. “You told your sister you had a fiancé. So bring him. If nothing else, it will irritate your ex.”
She stared at him like he’d spoken a different language. “Are you nuts? That would be a disaster. I have to go for three days and stay at the house. No escape. They’d see right through us.”
He crossed his arms and smirked. “You think this is my first rodeo, doc? You know how many times I’ve had to play the new boyfriend for a divorcée? I’ve never done full-fledged fiancé, but believe me, they wouldn’t see through us. We’re sleeping together. I work at the same hospital as you do, so that part makes sense. We have chemistry. The only thing we’d have to get the hang of is acting like we’re in love.”