Harper walks in and asks for another tray and another round of toast.
“You should bring in the other. I don’t think we have …”
Lucas stands up with one in his hands, and Harper laughs.
“How do you know where things are and she doesn’t?”
“I’ve been around a long time.” He winks as he butters the toast.
“What would we do without you?” Harper giggles as she takes the tray.
I stand at the frying pan, thinking about what I just did. I betrayed my love for Collin by sleeping with Lucas. And I ruined a twenty-year friendship. Nothing will ever be the same. Not ever again.
Feeling tears running down my face, I turn the stove off.
“Be right back,” I say, turning to hide in the bathroom. However, Lucas is in my way and sees my tears.
He grabs my shoulders and stops me. “Tessa.”
“No, no, don’t.” It’s too late, he’s already hugging me.
“You’ll be all right.”
“I have ruined everything. I ruined our friendship and betrayed my love for Collin,” I whisper through my tears. “I don’t deserve—”
He pulls back and looks down at me. “I did this to you, and I am so sorry.”
“You didn’t. I was hurting, you were hurting … It was supposed to be—”
“We fucked, Tessa.”
“Lucas.”
“That’s it. Bad call on our part. We’re still friends. We move past it. Got it?”
I nod as he wipes my tears.
“Now, go get yourself together, girl. People are waiting.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Never.” He winks and gives me a quick kiss on the top of my head. “Go.”
TWENTY
TWO MONTHS LATER…
Sitting in my office, I stare at the computer screen, something I’ve done every day since I last saw Tessa fall apart.
The day everyone celebrated Collin’s life was a long one. I watched Tessa smile and laugh, and then I would see her struggling when she thought no one was looking. When she caught me the first three times, she rolled her eyes and kind of laughed it off. The next few times, she seemed irritated when I noticed. After that, I stopped looking at her. I just couldn’t bring myself to cause her any more pain.
Later, Tessa, Jade, my kids, Tessa’s kids, Luke, Maddox, London, and that Zach fuck sat around the fire on the beach. I had just cleaned up bottles and cans and was doing my best to avoid watching her. I walked down to the lighthouse and sat on the rocks. I wasn’t gone long when Tessa snuck up behind me.
She sat down and handed me a bottle of water. She knew I hadn’t been drinking, because I was driving back to the hotel. I thanked her, and she asked what I was doing out here by myself. I still couldn’t look at her. And God knows I couldn’t lie to her, so I simply said thinking of all the good times here.
She huffs and that’s when I look at her.
“Funny place to sit.”