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Brianna
H e’s been acting strange since our anniversary dinner, and I know why. Because I’d told him I was falling in love with him.
Damn it. Why’d I have to open my big mouth and say anything? Michael isn’t looking for a long-term relationship—a wife—or a real fiancée. But why did we even celebrate an anniversary dinner then? And why did he start talking about the future and the next steps?
The whole thing confuses me. I slide over on the bench when I see Deb. She carries two coffees I can see steam rising from as she enters the park.
“Special delivery,” she says.
I hold up the bag sitting next to me. “I brought scones.”
“Yum.” She passes over the coffee and joins me on the bench. “So, Miss Business Woman. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
“I know. I’ve been busy.”
Deb wiggles her eyebrows. “I know what that means. Late nights. Hot sex.”
Normally it would have made me laugh, but this time I only shrug and sip my coffee.
“Uh oh,” Deb says. “What’s wrong? What happened? What did he do?”
“Nothing. I mean, he didn’t do anything. It’s…me.”
Deb shifts to face me. “You did something?”
“Yes. The stupidest thing I could have done. You’d think I’d learn after Chet. I’m…I don’t even think before I talk sometimes. It’s a really bad habit.”
“You’re honest and open. That’s not a bad thing.”
“It is when you tell someone you’re falling in love with him and he doesn’t say it back.”
“Ooohhh.” Deb nods. “I get it. So, wow, you really care about him that much?”
“I didn’t—I mean, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not like I’m fully down the rabbit hole. In love. I just…I knew I was heading that way. Fast. And he took me out for dinner for our anniversary and everything was perfect and he started talking about the future. I told him I was starting to fall in love. It didn’t seem like a big deal when I said it—and I didn’t expect him to say anything. It’s fast and he’s—he’s Michael Parsons. Like…famous bachelor or whatever. But since then he’s being weird. Distant.”
Deb bites into her scone, thinking. “Seems kind of contradictory if you ask me. He takes you to dinner but then clams up when you tell him how you feel. If this is all just an arrangement to him, then why did he take you to dinner? Why does he care?”
“I don’t know. I—oh, shit.”
Alarmed, Deb looks around the park. “What? What is it?”
I nod my chin toward the path nearby, clenching my hands tight around my coffee cup. “It’s Chet.”
And he’s walking right toward us.
“What does the asshole want now? Doesn’t he know when to leave well enough—holy hell, what happened to his face?”
Chet stops in front of our bench, and I see what Deb’s talking about. He’s got a black eye like he got punched, and a split lip—maybe from the same thing. He looks a little rough around the edges too.
My eyes widen. “You didn’t get mugged, did you?”
He shakes his head.
Deb crosses her legs and rolls her eyes. “He got in a fight most likely. Sounds just like you, Chet.”
Chet actually looks sheepish. “I did, but it’s not my fault. That’s why I’m here.”
“What?”
Chet puts his hands in his pockets. “I was minding my business last Friday and your—your fiancé shows up at my job and starts causing problems.”
“Michael?” I straighten, shock coursing through me. “Michael came to your work?”
Chet nods. “Ask anybody. They all saw him. He starts causing problems, telling me I don’t ever have a chance with you again, a whole lot of bullshit.”
“I don’t…” I glance at Deb. “He didn’t say anything about seeing you.”
And part of me doesn’t believe Chet. He’s lied to me before.
“Like I said,” Chet answers, “you can ask the rest of the guys. They were all there. So I tell Michael, let’s go outside so we don’t disrupt the whole place. Once we’re out the doors, he’s in my face telling me what a loser I am. Then he hits me.”
My mouth drops open. “No. He didn’t—”
“Seriously?” Chet asks, voice rising with emotion. “Does this look like an accident?” He points to his eye, then his lip. “He was out of control, Brianna. He’s dangerous.”
I swallow hard. Anger, fear, confusion—all of those emotions make a swift circuit through my body.
My hands—no my whole body—shakes when I stand. “I don’t know why Michael would go there. I…” I don’t know what to believe.
I trust Michael. More than I trust Chet. But if Chet has evidence, if other people saw Michael there, I have to believe him, right?
“Listen,” Chet says, “I’m not trying to ruin anything. I still care about you, and that’s why I came to talk. I don’t want to see you hurt. And if you stay with Michael, you’ll get hurt.”
Chet seems to realize he’s said enough. He starts to turn, and then angles back. “Just…think about it, okay? And if you need anything, you have my number.”
Once he’s gone, Deb stands as well. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I mumble, gathering my things. “I need…”
I need to talk to Michael. What Chet said rocked me, but Michael will have the rest of the answers. He’ll have a good explanation and it’ll fix everything.
I give Deb a hug and head to my car. I’m going to Michael’s office.
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I try to keep calm when I reach the top floor, the elevator doors opening to release me into the lobby. After all, I don’t know the whole story.
Michael is in a meeting but he’s supposed to be finishing up any time because it’s the end of the lunch hour. I spent the entire morning working in his office and I had no idea what had gone on last week.
The anger returns, pulsing through my body, and I bypass Ms. Brown’s desk. She opens her mouth, probably to warn me Michael is still in his meeting, but when she sees my face she shuts it again.
I open the door and he glances up, jaw clenched. When Michael sees it’s me, part of his face relaxes, but I can’t read what’s behind his expression.
Derek is the only other one in the room, so I feel free to walk in.
“We’re almost finished up here,” Michael begins, but I cut him off.
“Did you see Chet last week?”
The way his face closes off so immediately, I know it’s true.
“Brianna, can we talk about this—”
“We’ll talk about it now,” I snap. “Did you see Chet last week or not?”
Michael glances at Derek, then gives a stiff nod. “I did.”
Disappointment floods through me. I thought maybe Michael would say Chet was lying or that maybe Chet came after him instead. Either way, he hadn’t told me the truth, and that hurts the most.
Derek stands, flattening his hand on his tie. “I think I’ll be going.”
“I just have one more question,” I say, ignoring Derek. I meet Michael’s eyes. “Did you touch him?”
“Brianna—”
“No. I want an answer. Did you put your hands on Chet?” I ask.
Michael releases a measured breath. “Yes, I did.”
I swivel on my heel and walk for the door.
“Brianna, wait.”
I keep going. I can’t deal with Michael right now. I can’t deal with liars.
That was the whole reason I’d stayed with him. Because I thought he’d be honest and open with me. Because I was a total fool and decided to trust again, when no one is worth trusting.
With Michael yelling after me, I step into the elevator and press the button. I made a mistake in trusting him. In trusting everyone.
I will never, ever make a mistake like that again.