He had to wonder if that was why he’d kept quiet and not told her the truth about himself sooner. The dreams she had of a life together weren’t ones that Sean O’Neill could fit in to.
“My version...well, it’s different now,” she said as Lyle pulled to a stop in front of her building. He started to reach for the door but she shook her head at him.
“Don’t get out.”
“When can I see you again?” he asked.
“I’ll text you.”
Lyle opened her door and offered her his hand, and Paisley took it, getting out of the car without a backward glance. The driver escorted her to the door of her building and Paisley disappeared inside. He could only watch her go and he knew that he had to make a choice. Either fix this and find a way to win her back or...let her go.
Paisley walked through her apartment like she was in a trance. She kicked off her shoes, dropped her cloak and bag on the floor and just kept moving, but she didn’t know where she was going. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she unzipped her evening dress, then let it sit where it had fallen and started to put on the sweats she’d been using when she worked from home. But they had been Jack’s. The tears she had been holding back finally started to fall, and she let it all out.
She’dtrustedhim. Or come as close to trusting a man as she could, but this... She should have seen it coming. Except she’d thought she’d been wise.
Paisley walked into her bedroom, ignoring the unmade bed where they’d made love that morning, and went to her walk-in closet. She found a clean pair of leggings and her favoriteNightmare Before Christmassweatshirt.
After throwing them on, she sank down on the floor, drew her knees up to her chest and rested her forehead on them. She was so mad. Like she wished she could punch him in his perfect face. How could she have been so stupid? There were so many men in the world and she had to get knocked up by a guy who was pretending to be someone else.
She was glad he wasn’t a criminal, but honestly, lying wasn’t that much better in her estimation. But it would have been easier. He could have told her the truth.
Paisley angrily scrubbed away her tears. She was so unsure of everything right now. The baby... Another innocent life that she had to protect. She was strong enough to do it—after all, she had protected her younger siblings when she’d been growing up. But a part of her had started to think maybe she wouldn’t have to always be the one keeping everyone safe.
Why, oh, why had she let him into her life?
She’d started to feel like she’d finally shed the skin of the girl she’d been. That she had finally become a woman who was strong enough to make smart decisions. Yet now...all her old self-doubt came crawling back. For the first time, she had an inkling of how her mom had found herself married to a con man. And she finally had some sympathy for her mother.
Her doorbell rang, but she didn’t want to see anyone. Not now.
The doorbell chimed again, followed by loud pounding, and then she heard the door open.
“Pais? Where are you?”
Olive.With a weary sigh, she pushed herself to her feet. At least she didn’t have to put up a brave front with Olive. She could just be herself.
She walked to her bedroom doorway and saw Delaney following Olive through the front door, using the key she’d given both of them in case of emergency. Neither of them said a word—they just walked over to her and hugged her. She cried even harder as her best friends embraced her. Her heart was broken, her trust shattered and her self-confidence at an all-time low as she stood there, but they had faith in her, loved her and made her feel better.
“I feel so stupid and mad.”
“You’re not stupid,” Delaney said. “But I’m pissed too. He’s about to see just how crazy the Dish Soap Heiress really is.”
“Stop it, Dellie. This is Paisley’s pain, not yours,” Olive pointed out. “We brought ice cream, vodka and cranberry juice...and our pj’s.”
“Thanks. I can’t drink.”
“That’s right, you’re pregnant,” Delaney said.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Fuck,” Delaney said.
“Oh,” Olive said at the same time.
Then they both stepped back to look at her. The sympathy in their eyes made her feel...well, certainly not great. “I know. It wasn’t planned and now I’m shook. I mean the guy I thought I knew doesn’t even exist.”
“Jerk. What do you need? Obviously, we will be by your side through this entire thing. I did think he was too good to be true,” Olive said as she went into the kitchen and started dishing up ice cream. “But I hoped I was wrong.”
“Me too,” Delaney added.