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I put on my best poker face, and then act like I have no idea what she’s talking about. “What do you mean? I’ve been sick and Rhett has been here taking care of me.”
“That’s kind of weird though, isn’t it?” She’s obviously suspicious. “You disappeared with a stranger and you’ve been a lot more quiet than normal. Even when you’re sick, you at least check in to let me know you feel like you’re dying. I’ve barely heard from you. Ishedoing this? Was I that overbearing at the Halloween party? I’m sorry if I was too much. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I shake my head, setting my hands on her shoulders as I look into her eyes. I can’t see Rhett, but I know he’s listening to every word. “This has nothing to do with the Halloween party. No, he’s not doing anything. I was sick, and now that I’m feeling better, I’ve been spending all of my time with him.” I let go, allowing my arms to drop to my sides. “And I really think he might be the one.”
Sloan’s eyes go wide. “Theone?”
I nod, giving her a soft smile. “Yes.”
Her waterline is wet, almost like she wants to cry, but she pulls me into another hug, squeezing me tightly. “You’re sure?”
“Yes,” I say as I step back. “I’m so sorry I didn’t say goodbye on Halloween. I suddenly wasn’t feeling very well and he made sure I got home safe. I should have let you know I was leaving.”
Sloan playfully pushes me, wiping away an almost-tear in her waterline. “Youshouldhave. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“I’m fine,” I say, biting my cheek as I work up the courage to tell her we’re leaving.
“You don’t seem fine,” Sloan whispers, looking around my shoulder to make sure we’re still alone.
“No. I mean, Iamfine, but I’ve been dreading telling you that I’m leaving for a while. Rhett offered to take me traveling with him, and I know it’s kind of crazy, but I said yes.”
“What about work? What about the shop?” Sloan’s words are filled with horror. “What am I supposed to do without you? Cara, this doesn’t sound anything like you. Are you sure this isn’t him? Is he making you do this?”
Each of her questions hit me like a ton of bricks. One after the other, making it hard to keep a poker face. Her concerns are valid, and normally I’d agree, thisdoesn’tsound like me. But I’ve changed. If these past few weeks have taught me anything, it’s that it’s okay for me to step outside of my comfort zone and take some risks. Even if we weren’t running from a drug cartel, I would probably take Rhett up on his offer if he wanted me to go traveling with him.
“Jeremy is going to keep running the shop. I’ll check in with him remotely to make sure things are going okay. I’ve been overwhelmed with work anyway, and it’s been forever since I’ve taken some time off. I feel like I deserve this. I just want you to be happy for me and not question what I’m doing,” I sigh. “Please.”
She looks me up and down, studying my facial expression, but I remain unphased.
“Please,” I repeat. “When will I have another opportunity like this to see the world? I have enough money saved to pay my mortgage while I’m gone. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay,” she slowly nods. “If this is whatyouwant.”
“It is,” I say, reassuring her. “I’m really excited about this and I hope you can be happy for me. I’m set on doing something for myself for once.”
“But you have to check in with me more. I can’t be left in the dark, wondering what my best friend is doing without me.”
“I promise I’ll check in more,” I laugh, giving her one last hug before we join everyone in the kitchen. “It’s almost time to eat. Let’s go get some food.”
Sloan and I wander into the kitchen to find everyone laughing and talking, watching as Rhett carves the turkey. They’re all standing there hungrily, almost salivating with their plates in their hands while they wait for Rhett to dish them up a thick slice of turkey. My eyes immediately land on Emily, who’s standing on the other side of Rhett. She’s standing too close to him, smiling up at him as he masterfully cuts the turkey into manageable pieces. Her hand is on his arm, gripping his bicep as it flexes with each cut.
A jealous rage sparks inside me, and it takes everything in me to not say something. She doesn’t notice me at first, but turns to look at me when I say, “I hope everyone is hungry. We’ve been working on this all day. Rhett did most of the work, but he let me help here and there.”
She looks me up and down, clearly annoyed with my presence.
Inmyfucking house.
Who does this bitch think she is? I didn’t even invite her. She’s Sloan’s friend.
I glance at Sloan, who’s completely unaware of what’s happening because she’s completely consumed with getting back to Alex. He’s almost done filling his plate when she joins him. By the look on his face, I have no doubt he’ll be going back for seconds or thirds.
And I really can’t blame him. It smells fucking delicious in here. Between the turkey and the pies Rhett made, I don’t know what smells better. He worked so hard on this to impress my friends and give us one last memory together.
He did this for me.
When I turn my attention back to Rhett and Emily, I find that she's gone back to ignoring me, and now she’s standing even closer to Rhett. Why is he letting her be that close to him?Does he know how far into his space she is right now? Or is he completely oblivious?
I’m fucking fuming watching this bitch throw herself atmyman inside my own home. Is she serious right now? I’m standing right here.
