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“Okay.” Heather felt tears hovering.Definitelynot going the way she’d planned. “You’re really not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

“Not everyone’s as easy as Noah,” Chloe said.

“Wow. Okay. Listen, I know you and Paige are best friends and everything, but…I always considered you my friend, too. And I honestly just wanted to reconnect, find out how you are, hear about the kids. Find out what Matt’s been up to.”

Chloe nodded knowingly. “You know exactly what Matt’s been up to.”

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t think you were actually fooling anybody with that little stunt you pulled last week, did you?”

Heather felt the color drain from her cheeks and was glad she’d applied that second layer of blush while waiting for the rain to stop. “What little stunt?”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Really? You’re going to play dumb?”

“My dumb one,”Heather heard her father say.

“I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about.”

Chloe reached for the door handle. “Then I don’t think we have anything else to discuss.”

“Wait,” Heather said, grabbing Chloe’s arm, and feeling the other woman instantly recoil. “Okay, yes. I assume you’re talking about the phone call.”

“Not so dumb after all,” Chloe said. “Just…mean.”

“I wasn’t trying to be mean.”

“No? Whatwereyou going for?”

Heather took a few seconds to regain her composure and gather her thoughts. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure why she’d phoned Chloe with the news that Matt was on multiple dating sights, except as possible payback for Chloe choosing Paige over her. Plus, she’d been high, and it had been kind of fun. “I just thought you deserved to know, that’s all.”

“And you thought that an anonymous phone call was the best way to tell me.”

“I didn’t think you’d appreciate the news coming from me.”

Chloe shrugged. The shrug told Heather she was probably right.

“I just know that I would want to know if Noah were cheating on me.”

“Oh, I think you can pretty much count on that happening.”

“Now who’s being mean?” Heather asked.

Neither woman said anything for several seconds, the only sound coming from the rain beating against the car’s windshield.

“So, whatdidhappen with you and Matt?” Heather heard herself ask.

Chloe’s laughter filled the small space. “You’re unbelievable.” She shook her head. “You know, you might actually be considered charming, if you weren’t such a bitch. What the hell? There’s no big secret,” she continued before Heather could react. “I confronted Matt; we had a big fight; I kicked him out; I’m talking to a lawyer and probably filing for divorce. Satisfied?”

Heather wasn’t sure what she felt. “I just thought you should know,” she said, her voice a whisper.

“Look. The truth is, whether I like it or not, you probably did me a favor. So…did you get what you came for? Are we done?” Once again, Chloe moved to open the door.

“Wait,” Heather said. “At least till the rain lets up a bit.”

“So, we’re not done,” Chloe said. “There’s more going on inside that devious little mind. Let me guess: your mother told you that Paige would be bringing a date to your father’s party…”

“Paige is bringing a date to my father’s party?” Heather interrupted, opening her eyes as wide as three layers of mascara would allow.


Tags: Joy Fielding Thriller