“I promise.” Her whispered reply hung in the empty apartment after he’d gone.
Her thoughts shifted back to Wentworth, and any butterflies in her belly disappeared as the heavy weight of anger replaced them.
Maybe it wasn’t her intent to get into trouble, but what if trouble found her?
*
When his lunchbreak hit, Eric swallowed the lump of dread in his throat that had been building all morning.
He grabbed his keys, shoved his wallet into the back pocket of his slacks, and made his way out of the bank.
Mentally, he was braced for it. The moment when he’d come clean with James. He had the words prepared. Could predict fairly well the reaction he’d get.
By the time he got to the restaurant, his palms were sweating. Hannah’s car wasn’t here yet, so he must’ve beat her. Not a surprise, since he’d left a few minutes early.
He went inside and spotted James right away in a booth.
Eric waved and made his way over to him, sliding across the bench seat on the other side of the booth.
“Hey,” James said lightly. “You made it.”
Why wouldn’t he have?
“Of course. How’s it going, man?”
James shook his head. “You know, not so good, Eric.”
Eric stilled. Was this about to blow up before they could even tell him the truth?
“I utterly blew my chance at the wedding to try and get Hannah back,” James blurted. “I’ve got an unhealthy obsession with my sister’s best friend. And my roommate is clearly trying to figure out how to break our lease and leave me hanging.”
Eric blinked, the air hissing silently from his pursed lips.
Did not expect that.
“Me being gone lately has nothing to do with me wanting out of the lease.” Eric paused and then decided to continue with that honesty. “Though I think we both probably know our time in that house is coming to an end.”
“Yeah, I’ve realized that too.”
Eric nodded and cast a quick glance at the door to see if Hannah might’ve walked in yet.
No sign of her.
Where was she?
“I have a confession.”
Eric’s attention snapped back to his friend. “What kind of confession?”
“I had a little moment with Tori in the tent at the wedding.” James sighed. “It just seems to happen. I swear it. I don’t know how or why. But we end up fighting, and then we end up kissing.”
It still pissed him the hell off that his friend could go from begging Hannah to come back to him to making out with another woman within an hour.
And this is why I have minimal guilt now about moving in on Hannah.
Speaking of... where is she?
He glanced at the door again, but there was no sign of her.