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“We’ve become friends,” I informed him just as the passenger door on my car opened, and Kennedy burst out, her hand outstretched toward East.
“Good Lord, you are good-looking. Do you have any friends?” Kennedy blushed, and I cringed, but Easton chuckled.
“None good enough for you. Nice to meet you, Kennedy.”
“Darn. My boyfriend just dumped me, and I was hoping to bring a total hottie to the party tonight.” She slid into the backseat of my car, and East held open the passenger door for me.
Kennedy slapped my shoulder as he rounded the front of my car, and I turned to her, catching a wink and cheesy grin. “Wow!” she whispered as he got in the car and shifted it into drive.
“Directions?” I showed him the route on my phone, and we fell into an easy conversation on the short drive.
“What are your plans for after college?” Easton asked Kennedy, looking at her in the rearview mirror. Our hands were linked on my center console, his thumb rubbing the top of my hand soothingly.
“Going back home to my parents, actually. They’re supposed to have some friend hiring at the local florist, which will give me time to figure out what I actually want to do because I am lost.” East chuckled, and Kennedy nervously giggled. “Sounds familiar, right?”
“I think every grad has the same idea. No harm in that. As long as you don’t get comfortable with that job and find your true purpose, I don’t see anything wrong.” I listened, wondering about my own future.
I hadn’t secured a job yet, and besides, all the local journalist positions were full at the moment.
“What do you do for a living?” Kennedy asked, and for the first time, I realized I didn’t even know what Easton’s been doing for the last week.
He coughed, his hand becoming tense in mine. “Construction.”
“Oh, so you’re really good with your hands.” She giggled, and I blushed, remembering just how good he was.
An hour later, Kennedy and I were sitting in our designated seats, but my gaze remained on Easton, who was grinning at me like I was some rare gem. My heart somersaulted at the way he watched me. When my name was called, he screamed, and Kennedy joined him. I nearly tripped going up the three steps on the stage, but when I looked out into the sea of people, I saw Easton standing, clapping his hands. And I knew deep down in my heart…
He was a good man.
The rest of the ceremony passed quickly, and before I knew it, we were saying goodbye to Kennedy and getting back into my car, heading to his apartment for the night. We’d eaten celebratory cake with Kennedy, and the urge to expel it from my body was bubbling in my chest.
I’d barely eaten the entire week to fit in my dress for tonight. And whatever I did eat came right back up. I wanted to be thin. I needed to have the perfect body for him.
As soon as we entered his apartment, I rushed for the bathroom, throwing the seat up. I retched into the toilet until everything I ate in the last hour came up. Quickly brushing my teeth, I wiped my mouth, fixed my hair, and unlocked the bathroom door.
Checking my appearance one last time, I didn’t see Easton standing right there until I slammed right into his broad chest.
“Are you sick, Harley?” Worry plagued his tone, and I stepped back.
“No, of course not. I just needed the bathroom real quick.” I reached for his hand, but he shook his head, stopping me.
“I heard you.”
“It isn’t what you’re thinking,” I defended, but his mouth settled into a frown.
“And what exactly am I thinking, Harley?”
“I’m not pregnant.”
“Didn’t think you were.”
Fear settled in my gut, and my hands grew clammy. “I must have eaten something bad earlier, that’s all,” I assured him, trying again to close the distance between us, but he shook his head yet again.
“Don’t try and play me the fool, Harley. I saw you last weekend and again today. You’re malnourished. I know what you’re doing.” Disappointment flashed in his eyes, and this time, I took a step back.
No. He doesn’t know. He can’t know. No one can.
I shook my head. I watched his lips move. I heard his words, but I refused to accept it. He didn’t know me. He didn’t understand. No one understood.
