Maggie’s mouth dropped open, then she closed it with a snap and narrowed her gaze. “The one-night stand where the guy was cheating on his girlfriend and you were pissed about it.” Of course Maggie remembered.
“Yes. It was Marc.”
Maggie brushed her hand over her hair, her eyes wide, her gaze unfocused. “What?” She folded her arms and unfolded them. “What?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. At first when I saw him at the bar I thought he didn’t remember me.”
“Did he?”
“Well, yes. But he didn’t want you to know he and I knew each other. I told him we should tell you that we met way before you and he got together. It was one night, Maggie. We barely knew more than each other’s names. It didn’t mean anything. I never wanted to see him again.”
Maggie gaped at her. “Because he’s a cheater!”
Rose softened her voice, trying to soothe Maggie. “But that doesn’t mean he’ll cheat on you. He’s committed to you. He asked you to marry him. He wants you and a family and the life you two talked about. Nothing has changed. He and I are nothing to each other. You’re with Marc. I’m with Gray.”
Maggie sat up straighter. “Does Gray know?”
“About the one-night stand, yes. But I didn’t tell him it was Marc. I wanted to tell you first. Gray texted that he’s coming to see me tonight. I’ll tell him then.”
Maggie sat for a long moment, quiet and contemplative. Rose gave her all the time she needed to absorb the news andwork it out in her mind on her own. “That’s why he seemed so taken with you.”
Rose drew her lips back in a half frown. “I suppose there’s a familiarity between us because of that night.”
Maggie eyed her. “But you don’t really like him.”
It had to be hard for Maggie to realize her best friend and fiancé weren’t friendly.
“I don’t know Marc the way you know him, Maggie.”
“But you know what he’s like in bed,” she shot back.
Rose didn’t know what to say.
Maggie sighed. “I’m sorry. That was out of line. You met him before I met him and never saw him again. You had no idea I was seeing him.”
Rose caught Maggie’s gaze. “But he knew I was your best friend while he was seeing you because he saw my pictures in your apartment.”
“That’s why he didn’t want me to post or send photos. He knew you’d see them—him.” Maggie’s eyes went wide. “You don’t think I should marry him.”
Rose didn’t want to influence or upset her best friend by confessing that she thought there was something definitely off about Marc’s behavior. “You’re the only one who knows what’s right for you.”
Maggie pressed her lips tight, annoyed by Rose’s non-answer. “The two of you—”
“There is no two of us. Even without finding out about the girlfriend, I was prepared to leave him that morning and not look back. I wasn’t infatuated with him. We were both justlooking for some company at the end of a night out at a bar. And while that wasn’t my usual thing, that night, I thought why not. That’s all.”
“Is that how you explained it to Gray?”
“We were talking about past relationships. I told him about my dating disasters in college, relationships where I learned to be a better me and girlfriend, and yes, that I had a one-night stand a year ago that made me stop dating because I’d made a mistake in trusting someone I didn’t even know.”
“What do you think he’ll say when you tell him it was with Marc?”
“I hope he’ll understand that Marc didn’t mean anything to me then or now, except that he’s someone I’d like to get to know as the Marc my best friend loves. I hope I’ve shown Gray how much I want to continue to get to know him better. I want to build on this budding relationship because he means so much to me already and I’d never do anything to hurt him.” Rose slid her hand across the table toward Maggie. “I hope you know that I’d never do anything to hurt you. I wanted to tell you right away, but when the initial moment passed and I missed it, it seemed harder to bring up. Not because there’s something between me and Marc, but because I didn’t want you to think there ever could be. I’m telling you, I am so deep in this thing with Gray, there’s no one else I see. And my love for you is so great that all I want is for you to be happy.
“I mean it, Mags, I’d like to get to know Marc as the man you love, because you see all the great things about him. I know through your eyes I will, too.”
Maggie brushed away a tear. “That really means a lot to me. And I know you’d never go after a guy I’m seeing.”
“Mags, you’re marrying that man. And he’s lucky to have you.”