Liars Like Us

28

Taylor nods. “My mom was madly in love with my stepdad too. All it got her was a broken heart and some broken bones to go along with it. The only love that works is in books.”

Vivienne says, “You guys are wrong. Not all relationships end up like that. Love is the only thing that really matters.”

Harper sighs. “Says the girl who’s never been in love before. Call me in a few years after you’ve had your heart broken several times, and we’ll have a good laugh about how naïve you were.”

Vivienne crosses her arms and leans back against the counter. “Well, I still believe in love. And I wouldn’t marry someone for his money.”

I say, “So two votes for, one against.”

“What does Dani think about all this?” Harper asks.

“She’s on team Marry for Money.”

Vivienne insists, “It’s a bad idea. What happens if you marry this guy, then in a year you meet the love of your life?”

I look at the paperwork in my hands. “I don’t know, but I’m sure there’s something in here about that. Callum’s nothing if not thorough.”

Harper says, “The more likely scenario is that they’ll get married, then she’ll fall in love with him.” She sends me a meaningful look. “And I think we can all agree that a guy that rich and good-looking could never be faithful. He has too many options.”

I’m disturbed by the thought of being emotionally attached to Callum. That would be like being in love with some exotic zoo animal that was always trying to escape from its cage and eat me.

“I’m not falling in love with anybody. And after what I went through with my last few relationships, I honestly hope I never will.”

Harper’s expression darkens. “That reminds me. We saw Ben last night.”

Stunned, I stare at her. My heart starts pounding. “My Ben? Mr. Disappearing Act?”

“Yeah.”

“Where?”

“At the club we went to, this new place in the Valley. He was there with a couple of his buddies.”

I’m so shocked by this news, I can’t form a coherent response.

After a serious year-long relationship, Ben broke up with me without a word of explanation, blocked my phone number, moved without telling me where he was going, and left me reeling in hurt and confusion, thinking maybe he was entering the witness protection program because that was the only logical explanation for his actions. And the whole time he’s been living in the San Fernando Valley, not even an hour away?

“Did he see you?”

“Yeah, though it looked like he wished he hadn’t. I could tell he didn’t want to talk to me.”

“You talked to him?”

“I wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass to tell him what an a*s he was for the way he left you! So yeah, I talked to him.”

My heart pounds so hard, I have to press my hand over my chest to catch my breath. “What did he say?”

Harper straightens and runs her hands through her disheveled hair. “After I gave him a piece of my mind, he just stood there all weird and nervy for a minute. Then he said he was sorry, but he had to go.”

I can tell there’s more by the way she and Taylor exchange a fleeting glance. “What are you leaving out?”

She hesitates, but then says, “He turned around and walked away, but after a few steps, he turned back. And he said, ‘Tell her to watch out.’ Then he walked away again. I didn’t see him after that. I think he left the club.”

I’m flabbergasted. “He threatened me?”

Taylor says, “It doesn’t mean anything. He’s a lying piece of s**t. He was playing games, that’s all.”

Vivienne nods in agreement. “Plus, he was probably drunk.”

But Ben never drinks enough to get drunk. At least he didn’t when we were together. And why would he choose to say that, of all things?

I think I might ask Callum if he’d let me borrow his private detective. I want to find out where Ben’s living and go knock on his door.

No, I don’t. What am I thinking? He left me! He broke my heart!

“Uh-oh,” says Viv, watching me. “The gears are turning.”

“I told you we shouldn’t say anything about it,” grouses Harper, who’s also watching me worriedly.

They start to bicker, but I tune them out, my mind consumed with thoughts of Ben. I can’t believe that after all this time, he was just a short drive away. And now he’s warning me to watch out? What does that even mean?

I try to be angry, reminding myself that he was a jerk for leaving me without any explanation. If nothing else, he should’ve at least had the courtesy of giving me closure. The way he broke things off was cruel.

Despite all that, a feeling of unease settles in my stomach. For all his shortcomings, Ben wasn’t a liar. And no matter what Taylor thinks of him, he also wasn’t one for playing games.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I know I need to do something. Sighing, I look down at the paperwork in my hands.

First, I have to decide whether or not I’m going to marry Callum McCord.