“Please don’t say that. You were in love. I… hate what happened, but I understood because I knew how badly you wanted something good in your life. What better good could there have been than your high school sweetheart coming back to you. You thought he was the one who got away. Although I hate him, I understand where you’re coming from.”
I consider her reasoning and appreciate her even more. “Thank you for considering that.”
“It’s true, so I had to.” She picks up the little blue box resting by the jug of lemonade her maid brought out. She’d gone inside to get it a few moments ago. My lips part when she holds it out to me. “This is yours.”
“Mine?” I can’t imagine she’d have a gift for me.
“Yes.” She places the box in my hands.
“What is it?”
“All the letters I sent you over the last few months are in that box. Hunter sent them back to me. Asshole.”
What the actual fuck? I bring my hand to my heart and gaze back at her, utterly flabbergasted.
“You wrote to me?”
“Yes. I called and messaged too, but he got those and told me not to call you again. That was after you and I had our last argument.”
And after Hunter conveniently lost my phone. That fucking asshole. I’m assuming he threw it away. My God, that man put me through so much.
“I can’t believe he did that.”
“I wish I could say it was love, but it couldn’t have been. No one who loves you would treat you that way. I would have emailed, but I thought I’d have the same shit, so I decided to write. When he returned my letters, opened, I knew the only choice was to see you in person.” She releases a heavy sigh. “I was meant to fly back to Chicago a few weeks ago, but I got sick.”
She’s smiling even though she just said she was sick.
“Sick. You look happy.”
“I am because I’m pregnant.”
I gasp as joy bubbles within me and I hug her. “Oh my God, Paige. This is the best news.” It truly is and I’m so happy for her. “Congratulations to you and James.”
When I pull away, she looks at me teary-eyed.
“Thank you. I was so worried I wouldn’t get to tell you. My Mom’s flying over in a few days.”
“I can just imagine how happy she is.”
“She cried with joy.” Paige laughs, then brings her hands together. “Enough about me and enough about Hunter and the past. How about we talk about your guys.”
My cheeks burn. “I know you’re going to tell me I’m crazy. No one can be in love with three people. Right? It’s just crazy and one of those wild things you’d hear at the club that rich people make up.” Although I laugh, I sound off-key and on edge because I don’t believe a word I’m saying.
Paige giggles. “If anyone was going to fall for three people, it would be you.” We both laugh then the seriousness returns to her face. “And you are in love, aren’t you?”
When I think of Cristiano, Knox, and Levi, I can’t deny my love for them.
“Yes.”
“Then it can’t be crazy. It’s just different. That’s all it is. If different works, then who can judge you and call you crazy? I don’t know how the hell you’d arrange your life with each of them, but if it works, it works.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am very serious. I know I got off on the wrong foot with you when it came to Hunter. I won’t do that again. Not when I just got you back.”
“So you forgive me?”
“Of course I do. So my first act as best friend in our newly reformed relationship is to tell you to try and sort this thing out with Cristiano, Knox, and Levi. Sounds like you have a good thing going. That’s worth something.”