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Tanner went back to the bar the next night.
But she didn’t turn up for work. No one had heard from her. And the look on Harry’s face told him that they didn’t expect her back.
That’s when he knew that their connection had been all one-sided. There hadn’t been anything there.
He’d been fooling himself.
She’d been using him. And now she was gone.
6
Present day . . .
Lilac stared down at the single piece of toast on her plastic plate. She should eat it, but she knew that if she tried to she was going to choke on it.
She’d lost weight in the last six months. A lot of weight.
Her brother would be so proud. For the first time. He’d always tried to starve her into being a size two. Unfortunately for him, his staff had always liked Lilac better than him, so they used to sneak her food when they could.
So, she’d always kept some pounds on her. After her escape, well, she’d eaten whatever the hell she’d wanted and she’d enjoyed all of it. Even though she hadn’t enjoyed having to buy new clothes.
Now, nothing fit her.
Who knew that meeting the love of your life and having to leave him was what she needed to drop fifty pounds?
So, instead of eating the toast, she slid it onto Ryleigh’s plate.
Ryleigh needed it more than she did anyway. Lilac wasn’t important. Ryleigh and Opal were.
She watched Opal and Ryleigh share a look. She knew they were concerned about her. If she was in their place, she probably would be too. Yesterday, a chunk of hair had fallen out while she was washing it.
She was pretty sure that wasn’t a good sign.
“You need to eat, Lilac,” Ryleigh told her worriedly.
She hated that Ryleigh was worrying about her. She had enough going on. But Lilac couldn’t seem to shake this depression. Only one person brought a smile to her face anymore.
Ryleigh slid off the end of the bench seat across from Lilac and kneeled next to her on the floor.
Lilac stiffened while Opal let out a shocked noise. “What are you doing?”
Ryleigh stared up at her. “I’m so sorry, Lilac. This is all my fault. I never should have asked you to search them out. To speak to them. I should have been braver, should have done it myself.”
Lilac glared back at her. “You listen to me. I wanted to do it. I volunteered.”
“I shouldn’t have let you. Look what’s happened. You’re . . . you’re fading away before our eyes. You don’t eat. You don’t smile. I’m so scared.”
Fuck. What was she doing? She was being so fucking selfish.
“Get up, Ry.” Reaching for the other woman, she attempted to lift her. But she barely had the energy to move herself around.
Wow. She really was in a bad way, huh?
Ryleigh took pity on her and climbed up onto the seat next to her. Lilac wrapped her arms around her, running her hand over Ryleigh’s dark blonde hair. She glanced over at Opal, who was staring at them both worriedly.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry I’ve been worrying the two of you. But none of this is your fault, Ry. I was the one who decided to . . . to sleep with Tanner.”
To fall in love with him.
