How to Steal Your Best Friend's Fiancé (How to Rom Com Series Book 2)

by London Casey

  “You missed out on it,” Miss Crabapple said. “What about now? Track him down?”

  “I know where he is,” I said.

  I swallowed hard.

  “So?” Buzzy asked. “It sounds so romantic.”

  “He’s with someone,” I said. “Engaged to be married.”

  “Screw that,” Miss Crabapple said. “You break that wedding up and get your man back.”

  I laughed. “It’s not that easy. And I don’t think we should be talking about this with Buzzy. She’s confused as it is.”

  “I love this story,” she said. “Tell me more.”

  “I wish there was more. There’s not. Time… you know what? This is about you and Oliver. Not me and Liam. If you like Oliver, then keep texting him. And see where it goes. Don’t go by what other people say or do. That’s my best advice, okay? You will never be able to make everyone happy, Buzzy. So make yourself happy.”

  “That’s solid advice,” Miss Crabapple said. “I’ll drink to that.”

  She took another sip of wine.

  Then she began to cough.

  She slowly leaned forward and kept coughing.

  I took the wine bottle from her hand and watched her.

  She didn’t like when someone offered her help.

  When she reached for my hand, I knew that was her version of asking for help.

  “Ready to go home?” I whispered.

  She nodded.

  “It hurts tonight,” she whispered. “Everything.”

  “Should I call someone?”

  “No,” she said. “I just need rest.”

  “Okay,” I said. I looked at Buzzy. “We’re going to get going. I’m tired.” I winked at Buzzy.

  “Me too,” Buzzy said. “I’m going to finish my homework and text Oliver.”

  I helped Miss Crabapple to her feet.

  She paused and looked around.

  I hadn’t even taken in my surroundings yet.

  The top of the building.

  The view of the other buildings.

  Some bigger. Some smaller.

  The stars in the sky.

  The sounds and smells.

  All of this I took for granted.

  For Miss Crabapple, she took it all in because she wasn’t sure when her last time to see it would be.

  That hit me hard in the chest.

  Buzzy held the door for us and we walked her to her apartment.

  Then I slowly walked Miss Crabapple back to hers.

  At the door, she looked at me.

  “That Liam story,” she said. “Your voice changed. You think about it a lot, don’t you?”

  “Oh, stop,” I said.

  “I can see it,” she said. “You should find him. Tell him what you’re really thinking.”

  “He’s happy.”

  “He could be happier with you.”

  “I’m not the kind of woman that breaks up an engagement.”

  Especially when it’s my best friend.

  “Don’t live with regret,” Miss Crabapple said. “Because one day the hourglass appears before your eyes and you realize… shit… I’m actually going to die.”

  “Well, I hope for both of our sakes, we live for a little while longer,” I said.

  “You more than me,” she said. “Thanks for the help.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just need some rest.”

  Miss Crabapple shut the door.

  I waited for a few minutes just to make sure nothing happened.

  I should have never brought up Liam to her and Buzzy.

  Maybe it seemed romantic on the surface, but it wasn’t.

  He was engaged.

  I was single.

  Time moved forward.

  Our paths just weren’t meant to collide and stay that way.

  Chapter Nine

  Liam

  I stood behind my desk and flipped through the papers Maria, David, and Jacob had been working on.

  I nodded.

  “This is solid,” I said. “It’s good writing. Protects them but doesn’t give it all away. Who wrote it?”

  “We all did,” Maria said.

  “Bullshit,” I said. “Who wrote it?”

  They all looked at each other.

  Maria and David pointed to Jacob.

  Jacob’s face turned red.

  “It was collaborative,” Jacob said. “I typed it. But Maria had great notes. And David had great edits.”

  “I could have typed it myself,” David said. “I didn’t want them to feel left out.”

  “You’re a prick, you know that?” I asked David.

  “That I am,” David said. “And I’m going to be a prick making six figures knowing how to navigate this industry.”

  I grabbed the papers and flung them at David.

  I curled my lip. “You want to be a prick? Rewrite it. All of it. All three of you do it. I want three copies on my desk.”

  “Are you serious?” Jacob asked.

  I looked at him.

  I knew his first thought was his fiancée. All the time he was going to miss with her while working on something he had already completed.

  But that was life.

  Sometimes you worked your ass off and get thrown a shit hand anyway.

  “Get the fuck out of here,” I growled. “Three versions on my desk.”

  “Yes, sir,” David said.

  “Stuff that up your ass, David,” I said.

  Maria looked ready to cry.

  I felt like a big asshole as I stood there.

  I needed them to realize what the real world was like.

  There had been countless times where I worked on a project only to have it thrown out the window for no good reason.

  Plus, David was going to eat the other two alive. I needed Maria and Jacob to stick up for themselves and show they could compete with David.

  I pressed the button to my secretary - Betty.

  She appeared in the office a few seconds later.

  She looked at the mess on the floor, then at me.

  “Rough morning,” I said. “I need this cleaned up and shredded.”

  “Can I get you something to drink or eat?” Betty asked. “You look stressed.”

  “I am stressed,” I snapped. I put my fists to my desk. “Sorry about that.”

  “I understand,” she said. “There’s got to be something I can do.”

  “Answer a question.”

  “Sure.”

  “How long were you engaged for?” I asked.

  “What?” Betty asked.

  “You and Tom have been married, what, thirty years?” I asked.

  “Thirty next year,” she said.

  “How long were you two engaged for?”

  “A year,” Betty said. “He proposed to me on Christmas Day. We were married in October. So less than a year.”

  I nodded.

  “Why do you ask…?”

  “Just curious,” I said.

  I walked around the desk and helped Betty clean up the papers.

  “Shred them all?” she asked.

  “All of it,” I said. “Make it go away.”

  I stood up and leaned against my desk.

  “Make it go away,” I whispered after Betty left the office.

  Oh, I wish I had the ability to make some things go away…

  I was taking notes with earbuds in my ears when I caught sight of something moving from the corner of my eye.

  When I saw it was Miranda, I took my earbuds out and stood up.

  She ran into my office and threw her bag to an empty chair and slammed the door.

  She opened her arms and started to dance.

  The smile on her face was contagious.

  I started smiling, eyes wide, wondering what the hell was going on.

  Secretly, there was a part of me that wished she was going to tell me she quit her job. That she told that old bastard Harry to go fuck himself and that she was done. Now
that would have been worth celebrating for sure.

  “What’s happening right now?” I asked.

  “I got the call,” she said. “We’re going…”

  “Going?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” she said. She made a fist with her fight hand and waved it. “We’re going.”

  “Where are we going?”

  Miranda stopped dancing around. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No. What’s going on?”

  I kept smiling.

  “You know what, Liam? Screw you.”

  Miranda moved for the door.

  I ran as fast as I could and shut the door as she opened it.

  “Hey,” I said. “Wait a second. I’m lost here. Sorry.”

  “Lost?” she asked. “I talked to you about this. Boston?”

  “Boston,” I said.

  “The conference, Liam.”

  I shut my eyes for a second. “Shit. That’s right.”

  Miranda sighed. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Give me a break,” I said. “You mentioned it two months ago.”

  “Yeah. And it’s important to me. It was a long shot they’d send me. But they are. We talked about this. You said you were going to go with me. We were going to make a trip out of it.”

  “To Boston,” I said.

  “You’re an asshole.”

  Miranda pulled at the door.

  “I’m swamped right now,” I said. “Okay? And I’ve been staying focused on our wedding. I’m not sure if you remember that or not?”

  “Don’t you dare try to blame me for you forgetting something important to me,” she said. “I thought I was coming here to celebrate. I guess not. This means something to me.”

  “Does it advance you?” I asked.

  “Screw off,” she said. “Move your hand. I’ll see you later at home.”

  I moved my hand and Miranda hurried out of the office.

  I shut the door and put my head against it.

  I certainly was an asshole for what just happened.

  But I also wasn’t wrong.

  I hadn’t seen Miranda lift a finger for our wedding in months. All she wanted to do was work. That I could go along with. And now she wanted to go to Boston for a conference. A conference that was going to do nothing for her career.

  I punched the door and turned toward my desk.

  There was nothing quite like the feeling that when you left work and went home, you’d be walking right in on the middle of an argument.

  Then again, that’s what the entire engagement had been for us.

  I walked to the bedroom and got changed without saying a word.

  Miranda was in the kitchen with a drink and her laptop.

  When I exited the bedroom and walked toward the kitchen, I saw the glow of the screen on her face.

  We’ve changed. We’re different. You’re going one way. I’m going another. Is this going to work?

  “I just want to know one thing,” she said.

  “What?”

  She looked at me. “Are you going with me or not?”

  “To Boston?”

  “No. To fucking Jupiter.”

  I swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Miranda. I can’t go to Boston right now. I’d probably lose my job if I tried. We’re in the middle of this patent lawsuit and-”

  “That’s fine,” she said. She slammed her laptop shut. “I’m leaving. The day after tomorrow morning.”

  “Two days away?” I asked.

  “Day and a half. I have to fly out at eight.”

  “If that’s what you need to do…”

  “It is,” she said. “It’s important to me. And, no, it doesn’t advance me. At least not right away. But you know what? My boss decided to send me. That means something to me. And him. I’m sorry that doesn’t fit in with your narrative.”

  “I don’t have a narrative, Miranda. I’m sorry I forgot about it. You brought it up a while ago. And I know you didn’t want to talk about it because you didn’t want to jinx yourself. I shouldn’t have forgotten.”

  “That’s it?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “You sure? You look like you have something else you want to say.”

  “Miranda…”

  “Just say it, Liam,” she said.

  “We’re both busy. That’s all.”

  “Here I thought everything was in the open with us. What I was trying to do. And you’re just always against it.”

  “I’m not against anything.”

  “Yes, you are. You’re filling out quizzes… lost in the past…”

  “It’s called being a part of our wedding,” I said. “You should try it.”

  I put my head back after the words spilled out.

  Miranda let out a ha sound and walked by me.

  “Nice thing to say,” she said.

  “What else am I supposed to say?” I asked.

  “You know what, Liam? Nothing. It’s all taken care of.”

  “What is?” I asked.

  I turned my head and watched as Miranda stopped at the couch and looked back at me.

  “I knew you weren’t going to go with me. I knew you were going to forget. I get it. You’re busy too. Your work is important to you. Just like mine is to me. So don’t worry about it.”

  “I don’t want to argue with you. I liked seeing you celebrating today. You looked happy. I miss that.”

  “Well, you can miss me more when I’m in Boston,” she said. “I’m going to get some sleep. I have a busy morning. And believe me, I have everything under control.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  Miranda smirked at me. “You’ll see soon enough, Liam… goodnight.”

  Chapter Ten

  Emily

  “Miranda wants me to stop over at her apartment,” I said out loud as I read the text message.

  “That can’t be good,” Ember said.

  “Why not? She’s my friend.”

  “Do you go over there often?” Ember asked.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Sometimes? That’s not confident sounding.”

  “No, it’s not that. We usually have plans in advance. This is kind of…”

  “Spur of the moment,” Ember said. “Damn.”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said.

  “What’s nothing?” Lucy asked as she walked into the back of the bakery and took off her apron.

  “The bitch wants to see Emily in person,” Ember said.

  “Hey,” I said. “Come on. Don’t say that.”

  “Sorry,” Ember said. “Miranda wants Emily to come over.”

  “When?” Lucy asked.

  “I guess now,” I said. “She probably wants a glass of wine and to vent.”

  “I’d rather listen to someone put nails through a paper shredder,” Lucy said.

  “Would that even make noise?” I asked. “Wouldn’t the nails get stuck and the shredder would just turn off?”

  Lucy rolled her eyes. “Fine. Whatever the most annoying sound in the world is, I’d rather hear that than hear Miranda’s voice.”

  “You two need to see Miranda the way I do,” I said. “Not the business side of her.”

  “You mean, the side that constantly screws you over?” Ember asked.

  “We know about the money she wants,” Lucy said.

  “Your point?” I asked.

  “That’s insane,” Ember said. “This place is barely making it as it is.”

  I waved my hands. “If I go to her house, it’s personal. We know how to separate the lines between business and personal.”

  “And I’m sure whatever she wants will benefit her,” Lucy said. “Even if it is just to vent. She texts and you’ll show up.”

  “That’s what a friend does,” I said.

  “If you texted her, would she show up to let you vent?” Ember asked.

  “Of course she would,” I said.

  “When was the last time she showed up to your apartment?”
Lucy asked.

  I looked left, then right. “You know what? You two suck right now. Don’t go cornering me over Miranda. If I needed her, she would be there. Have I asked her for anything? No. I like to keep to myself. That’s my personality. Plus, she’s the one with the busy job and she’s planning a wedding. She needs someone to vent to.”

  Lucy shrugged her shoulders. “Okay. I’m leaving. Sorry I said anything.”

  “Hey,” Ember said. “We’re your friends.”

  I laughed. “I know. A pain in the ass and honest.”

  “And we don’t steal your money,” Lucy said.

  “That’s not fair to say either,” I said.

  “If you say so,” Lucy said.

  I hurried to the office and gathered up my stuff.

  Then I made my quick pitstop to hand out some of the baked goods that didn’t sell.

  Once that was done, I used my phone to get a ride to Miranda’s apartment.

  The apartment she shared with Liam.

  “Don’t worry,” Miranda said as she poured me a glass of wine, “Liam won’t be coming home drunk this time.”

  “You hope, right?” I asked with a grin.

  Miranda shook her head. “That’s not funny, Emily.”

  “Oh, I’m just messing around. I didn’t think anything of it. I’ve seen Liam drunk many times.”

  “Well, it matters to me,” Miranda said. “I don’t need him fumbling around with my friends and looking like a complete asshole.”

  “One night though, right?”

  “Are you defending him?”

  “No,” I said. “You know what? He’s an asshole. He’s the worst ever. Let’s bash him.”

  Miranda finally smiled. “I get your point. So… what happened with Jon? I never got the full story.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “He just showed up to the bakery and announced he was breaking up with me. Like I told you. That was it.”

  “Did you hear from him?”

  “Nope.”

  “Did you text him?” Miranda asked in a scolding voice.

  “Nnnnoooo…,” I said and cringed.

  Miranda put her head back. “Emily. You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” I asked. “I wanted a real reason. Don’t I at least get that from him?”

  “Sometimes you don’t,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to walk the hell away. Like, screw him. Don’t give him the power. Every time you text him, it makes him smile.”