Chapter 3
“The best way toget back on the horse is to just do it.” Jewel rolled her eyes as she snuggled into the couch, her feet resting on Lea’s thighs. They’d been sitting in Lea’s living room since early that morning when Jewel had woken up before dawn. She’d gone down to the donut shop, gotten each of them their favorite cappuccino and sugary treat, and then woken Lea up before bribing her with sugar to stay awake.
“Are you saying you want to date already?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think I should hang out here every weekend and wallow in self-pity.” Lea grimaced, and Jewel clenched her jaw. “I didn’t mean that like it came out.”
“I know you didn’t.” But the hurt tone in Lea’s voice didn’t convince Jewel all was forgiven.
“I love spending time with you, you know that, but Brady’s already moved on.”
“He what?” Lea’s eyes widened in surprise.
Jewel nodded. “Yeah, rumor is he’s already dating someone, not sure who though.”
Lea’s lips pressed hard together and every muscle in her body tensed. Jewel canted her head to the side, trying to figure out exactly what was going through that beautiful brain. Something had clicked. Jewel shifted so she could sit up a little and grabbed the last of her cappuccino as she studied Lea. Why was her friend taking this harder than Jewel?
“You really think he’d be so callous to date someone so quickly? It’s probably just a rebound.”
“Maybe.” Jewel shrugged. Her relationship with Brady hadn’t exactly been going well in the past few months. Surely Lea could have figured that out. They’d spent almost every weekend in the last three months together because Brady was suddenly always busy. Jewel wouldn’t be surprised if he had been dating someone else before he’d officially dumped her. It wouldn’t take long for that one to get around on the rumor mill and for her to have an answer, either.
Lea scoffed. “Seriously?”
“Seriously what?” Jewel sipped her drink.
Lea stood up and moved into the kitchen. Her movements were rigid, tense. Confused, Jewel got up and followed. Lea stood at her sink, turning on the water to do the dishes from the past week. Jewel grabbed a towel to help. They stood in silence except for the running water and clinking of dishes as Lea cleaned and scrubbed until each one was pristine—she focused on it more than her norm.
Jewel let her stew in whatever was going through her head. It had officially been one week since the argument in the grocery store parking lot, and for some reason, outside of that first fateful day, she felt free. It still hurt, yes, but all the stress from the relationship was gone, which was a blessing.
Lea handed over the last dish, and Jewel dutifully wiped it dry and settled it in its proper place in the cabinet next to the sink. Lea stole the towel and dried her hands off before leaning against the counter, her hands grasping onto the edge of it on either side of her body. “You have no idea who he’s dating?”
Jewel snorted. “Well, there was a rumor it was you, but that’s just stupid.”
One single thin brown eyebrow went up, but Lea refused to make eye contact. Her gaze locked onto the floor in front of her. Jewel cocked her head to the side as she studied Lea. She’d tossed her brown fluffy hair into a haphazard bun at the back of her head. She had no makeup on whatsoever, but unless they left the house that day, Lea wouldn’t bother, and her makeup was always subtle anyway, unlike Jewel’s.
But, the browns Lea usually chose did bring out the light blue of her eyes even more. It took her a moment to notice the strain in Lea’s shoulders, the sharp lines of her jaw, the tension in the muscles along her neck, the way her knuckles were white as they gripped the counter. It couldn’t be true, could it? Lea wouldn’t do that to her.
“You’re not…” Jewel started.
“Hardly,” Lea answered. “He was my student.”
Jewel’s heart moved into her throat. Her cheeks heated as anger spurred into her chest. Well, perhaps it wasn’t anger, but more a sense of utter and deep betrayal. Lea hadn’t exactly denied everything, and if he’d asked—Lea had been single for a really long time.
“Tell me what happened,” Jewel demanded.
Lea sighed, grinding her molars to the point Jewel could hear it. She swallowed, her eyes full of something. Jewel couldn’t put her finger on it. When Lea finally turned and looked at her, Jewel knew exactly what swam in those blue orbs. Guilt. Shame. Fear.
“I can’t believe you would—”
“I’m not, to make this completely clear,” Lea stated, suddenly standing straight and strong in front of Jewel. “I’m not dating him, nor would I ever. Outside of him being a former student, he is your ex-boyfriend. I would never—how could you think I would?”
“I…I don’t know, but when you react like that, what am I supposed to think?”
“React like what?” Lea’s face pinched.
Jewel shook her head. “Like you’re guilty of something.”
“Oh, that. Because he did ask me out.”