“Said like that, it is.” Jade wipes a tear of her own.
“Every letter any one of us gets asks us to make sure you move forward, Tessa. He wants that for you.” Phoebe holds my face. “So do all of us.”
“My kids won’t accept—”
“They will, Tessa. My God, they want you to be happy, too.”
“Harper is pregnant.”
“Even better reason to move forward. That baby will know if—”
“The ice princess is holding her?” I force a laugh, although it stings, so yes, the truth actually hurts.
“Yeah.” Jade rubs my back.
“ButLucas?”
“Who else could it be, Tessa?”
I don’t know how to admit it. I wasn’t sure. Well, I was. I know I always loved Lucas, butin lovewith him? I don’t think so.
“I don’t want anyone to know about what has happened with Lucas and I. I don’t know if I can be with him.”
“Collin says otherwise.” Phoebe holds up the letter, and I roll my eyes.
“Lucas changed for you.” Jade smiles at me.
“Not for me. How do you know it was for me? What if he went back to Ashley? She truly can’t be in love with that man.”
“Collin says so.” Phoebe holds up the letter again.
“I can’t trust Lucas.”
“Yes, you can.” Phoebe holds it up … again. “Collin says so.”
I snatch the letter out of her hand, and we all laugh.
“No one could ever be as perfect as he was, never.” I hold his letter to my chest.
“No one will ever replace him. He knew that. You would have never gone to Lucas while he was here. We all know that.”
“It still feels like I betrayed him.” I open the letter.
“He knows you haven’t. He knows it, Tessa. Let yourself off the hook. You loved him. Everyone knows how much.” Phoebe hugs me again, crushing the letter between us.
“Uh-oh.” I look at the letter.
“Don’t worry; we can make it appear perfect. Lucas will never know we saw it first.” Jade takes it and tries to iron out the wrinkles.
“He has to know. If this thing between him and me—” I stop and look at them. “I have to see him.”
“Now?” Phoebe laughs.
“Yes, now. I’ve been hurting him, and that’s not okay.”
“So, you and Lucas together again?” Jade grins.
“No. I don’t know. Maybe? But I’m not ready yet.” I throw my shoes on. “This is a secret. My kids don’t need to know anything until I’m ready, got it?”