by Emma Hart
“Ugh. I feel like a pig heading to slaughter.” I sniffed and hit the reply button.
LAUREN: What time & where? I have to work until 8.
UNKNOWN: The train station at 8:15?
LAUREN: Okay, but that doesn’t give me time to change.
UNKNOWN: It’s ok. I’m coming from work too.
LAUREN: K, see you then.
“Okay.” I relayed the messages to the girls. “Are you sure you can both do this?”
They nodded.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tina asked me, concern flashing in her eyes. “You don’t look comfortable with this.”
“I’m not,” I admitted. “Something doesn’t feel right, but not in a jogger-in-a-dark-park kind of way.”
Madi snorted. “What kind of way?”
“Jogger-in-a-dark-park,” I repeated. “It’s always joggers who find dead bodies in parks. It’s why they can’t be trusted.”
“Fair enough.”
“It just feels weird.” I finished my glass and set it down. “I don’t know why. I just don’t think I like it very much, but at the same time, that’s exactly why I have to go.”
Tina hauled herself up with a sigh. “You’re gonna get yourself murdered one day, girl.”
“Yeah, well, as long as you don’t start jogging, you won’t ever have to find me.”
She snorted, hitting me on the side of the head as she made her way to the bathroom. “Lauren!” she called back to us.
“What?”
“Your cat is sitting on the toilet.
***
The more I thought about this, the worse the idea became.
Not because of Mason.
In fact, this was a good thing where he was concerned. I was going to swear that until I was blue in the face. We weren’t actually dating, none of this was real, and I could go out with whoever I wanted, right?
Right.
In theory.
In reality, the guilt was powerful. I felt as though I was going behind his back, and it was a hard feeling to shake off. I didn’t want to betray him, even though I technically wasn’t.
Was that why this whole thing felt ‘off?’
Because my stupid little heart had caught the feelings flu?
Ugh.
I didn’t even know anymore. My confusion was real. It was consuming, and if I didn’t pull up my big girl panties soon, I was going to be screwed big time.
I took a deep breath and leaned against the streetlight. The train station was lit up, bright and lively, and there was a slow but steady stream of people coming in and out. I had no idea who I was looking for, and I was counting almost entirely on them recognizing me.
I was wearing a hot pink sweater. It wasn’t going to be that hard to notice me.
I glanced over toward the train station café where Tina and Madi were sitting, each nursing a cup of coffee. Madi shot me a thumb up of reassurance, and I forced my gaze away from them.
God, what was I doing?
It was too late to back out of this now.
It was eight-fifteen, and my mystery date was about to show up.
I was insane. I’d lost my damn mind.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and looked down at the screen. There were no new messages, no missed calls, nothing. My stomach sank, and I didn’t even know why—it wasn’t like I was expecting anything from anyone.
Jesus, what was happening to me?
“Lauren?”
My head jerked up at the sound of a voice—a woman’s voice.
A familiar woman’s voice.
My gaze rested on a face I honestly never wanted to see again in my life.
Claudia.
Kill her with kindness, Lauren. Do not fling your shoe at her.
“Can I help you?” I kept my tone level.
“As a matter of fact, you can.” A smile that reeked of slyness spread across her face. “I’m your date for tonight.”
“I’m sorry?”
“The little ad you put up online.” Her smile widened, and she put one hand on her hip. “I’m the person who texted you.”
My stomach flipped. “I don’t understand.”
“How much clearer do I need to say it? I’m the one who texted you. Your ad is still up. The ad you conveniently posted right before my high school reunion.” Smugness flashed in her eyes, and she adjusted the strap of her expensive purse. “I know you and Mason aren’t really together. It’s all a ruse, for a reason I don’t understand. I’m not going to even try.”
“Why are you here?” I asked, a bite to my tone. “You don’t know anything about me and Mason. That ad doesn’t mean anything.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you, Claudia. You’re his ex.”
“You’re right. I am his ex.” She looked me up and down. “The ex who was at his apartment last night.”
I wanted to respond.
I really, really did. I had an entire arsenal of comebacks for women like Claudia—ones who thought they were better than everyone else, who thought they were the dog’s balls, who had themselves so high up on their horses that they could barely see the ground.
Yet nothing came out.
My lips parted, but no words escaped. Nothing. Not even a squeak of annoyance.
Her words were a sucker punch to the gut. Why? I couldn’t pinpoint that right now. I knew her type—they were jealous and manipulative, and chances were, what she was saying was a crock of bullshit.
Mason hated her.
In my rational mind, I knew that.
The rest of me, though? It stung.
I had no right to feel this way. I’d come here thinking I was going to be another guy’s date. I didn’t get to take the high road right now.
Claudia took a step closer toward me, and that was all I needed to find my voice again.
“Did you really?” I drawled. “And I’m sure he invited you in for cake and coffee and a good old catch-up, did he?”
“Not exactly cake and coffee, but a catch-up?” She smirked. “Let me tell you—that’s how I know you aren’t together.”
I wanted to claw out her eyes.
“I’m going to give you ten seconds to run before I slap that smirk off your face and catapult it into orbit,” I warned her. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Madi and Tina rushing over to me.
Claudia’s eyes flashed. “You wouldn’t dare. Your precious fake boyfriend wouldn’t like that.”
“Actually, he’d pay for a front row seat,” I said through gritted teeth. “Because before you run your mouth at me about our relationship being fake, maybe you should call him right now and see where he was until just before lunch yesterday.”
Her nostrils flared right as Madi and Tina joined me. “I don’t think so.”
“No, neither did I. Because regardless of anything else, you and I both know he won’t answer your call.” It was my turn to look her over head to toe. “Green isn’t your color, Claudia. Give it up.”
“I don’t have to give up. All I have to do is tell everyone your relationship isn’t real and show them the ad. Then this little relationship will be over.”
“Go ahead,” I replied in a withering tone. “Seriously. Be my guest. You’ll save us both a job of pretending to break up.”
With that, I turned my back on her and stormed past my best friends. They followed me without hesitation, but I didn’t stop until we were in the parking lot where we’d parked around a block away.
I unlocked my car and got in. My blood boiled—she’d tricked me, and now that was it. That was the end of it.
It was the end of me and Mason.
The end of anything that could possibly happen.
And that—that was the reason for the sinking in my stomach. The coiling I felt deep inside. That pure anger and frustration that threatened to boil over the surface.
Fuck me dead, I hated that woman.
How petty did she have to be? Could she
really not let him go? I’d understand if he’d broken up with her, but that wasn’t the case. She was the one who’d broken up with him. She’d done the dirty on him.
What was her problem? Was she really just that horrible of a person?
“That was interesting,” Madi said from the passenger seat.
“Who was she?” Tina added from the back.
I took a deep breath in through my nose before I huffed it back out. “Claudia. Mason’s ex.”
“Ohhh,” they both said. “That makes sense,” Madi added. “I could smell the estrogen from the café.”
I tutted and turned the key in the ignition. “She’s impossible. I don’t know what she thinks she’s playing at.”
Tina clicked her belt in. “What did she say?”
“She implied she was with Mason last night. Like, with-with him.”
“With him how you were on Saturday night? Bumping uglies? Sending the train into the tunnel?”
“Enough,” I snapped. “Sorry. I just—ugh. I don’t know why I feel like this. I don’t like her, but I feel like I could kick a wall right now.”
“Ah, jealousy,” Madi said, examining her nails. “Admit it. You have a lot more feelings for Mason than you thought. It’s not surprising since you get along so well.”
I wasn’t going to admit that right now. “She knows our relationship isn’t real.”
“We know,” Tina said. “We were there when you told her to tell Mason’s family.”
I dropped my head onto the steering wheel. It hit the horn, and the ear-screeching sound rang out until Madi leaned forward and sat me up again.
“She won’t do anything tonight, because she’s a manipulator. She’ll get you when you least expect it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up at his door in the next thirty minutes.”
I groaned, leaning back right in my seat. “What do I do?”
“You have to tell Mason. Right now.”
I pulled out my phone and brought up our last text conversation. She was right. I knew I had to tell him, even if I wasn’t looking forward to the part of the conversation where I told him how and why we’d come to have the conversation.
Being an adult sucked sometimes.
I pulled out my phone and brought up our text chat and typed four simple words.
LAUREN: We need to talk.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – LAUREN
“Ssh. Ssh. It’s okay. It’s okay.” I gently patted Cara’s back as she petered off with her tears. She’d already vomited on me twice and given me a poop explosion, and if I were a worse sister, I’d wonder what the hell I was doing here.
All right, so I was. I was wondering why I’d insisted on taking my baby niece for the day when I could barely look after myself at this point in my life.
Well, I knew why. My sister being diagnosed with postpartum depression was the whole reason for our emergency doctor visit on Sunday, and now, on this bright and airy Tuesday, here I was.
Lauren Poppins.
Mary was way better than I’d ever be.
Jared was away working, and Iz was so overwhelmed with everything that I’d basically shown up first thing this morning and demanded she pack up all the baby things so she could have a break. She’d already texted me that she’d taken a three-hour nap, a one-hour bath, and gotten the laundry done without being thrown up on.
Cara finally settled after another ten minutes of rocking and walking around the room. I was pretty sure there was a good about of spit-slash-vomit down my back, but I was a little past caring. She was quiet, and that was all that really mattered right now.
Even Henry had taken cover in the linen cupboard.
But she was finally quiet. She was down, sleeping soundly on my shoulder. I blew out a long sigh of relief. I knew babies were hard work—I did—but I didn’t realize just how much until right now.
Two knocks thundered at my door, and I both grimaced and winced at the same time. Thankfully, Cara didn’t seem to be bothered by it, so I rocked her as I made my way to the apartment door and swung it open.
Mason stood on the other side. He’d clearly come straight from work because his jeans were ripped and dirty and dusty, and there were flecks of sawdust in his hair. I couldn’t help but grin at the sight of him, especially when he caught sight of the tiny human resting against my shoulder.
He raised one eyebrow. “Something I should know?”
I covered my mouth before I laughed too loudly. “No, it’s my niece. Come in.” I moved back for him. “My sister’s appointment at the weekend was an emergency one. They diagnosed her with postpartum depression, so I told her I’d take Cara for the day until I have to work in a couple hours.”
“That’s sweet of you. Is she doing okay?”
Ugh, why was he so kind? “She’s fine. She’s not covered in poop or vomit unlike me, so she’s probably feeling better.” I grinned. “Let me put her down and change my shirt, and then we can talk.”
“Right. Do you mind if I make a coffee? Do you want anything?” He paused at the kitchen island.
“No, and yes, a coffee. Please.” I smiled and carried Cara through to my room where her bed was temporarily set up. After making sure she was safe, I changed my shirt and gave myself a quick once-over for traces of vomit.
Finding none, I sprayed myself with deodorant and pulled the door over behind me.
Look—vomit lingered, okay?
“Here.” Mason handed me a cup the second I stepped back into the living room. “You look like you need it spiked with whiskey, though.”
I laughed and leaned against the counter. “Babies are hard. Like really hard. And messy!”
His lips twitched.
“This is my third shirt today, and I don’t even have leaky boobs as an excuse. Nope. Just vomit. People tell you babies are hard work but fuck me dead.” I shook my head. “My poor clothes.”
“Of course they’re hard work. They rely on you for everything.”
“Obviously, I know that. You just underestimate how long everything takes. Getting my mail earlier took me twenty minutes, and I didn’t even have to leave the building!” I cradled my mug and raised my eyebrows. “You know what’s false advertising? Those baby commercials on TV where it’s all sweetness and light and chubby-toe kissing. It’s all shitty backs and spittle in your hair.”
He dropped his head. His entire body shook with silent laughter, and I pursed my lips.
“Thanks for the support.”
“You’re welcome.” Mason grinned. “What did you want to talk about?”
My smile dropped like a lead balloon. “Uh—you wanna sit down?”
His eyebrows shot up. “It’s like that, is it? Is this where you fake break up with me?”
“No! I mean, maybe?” I frowned. “You might fake break up with me.”
“Oh, shit. Okay.” He put down his mug. “What’s happened?”
I swallowed. There was a big lump in my throat, and it tasted a lot like regret, even though I had nothing to regret, did I?
I did, and I knew I did. Even if it didn’t bother Mason at all.
“Okay. Sunday night, when the girls were here, I got a text.”
“Right.”
“Apparently, I’m an idiot who forgot to take down my ad from the internet.”
“I think I see where this is going.” He leaned back against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “Did you fake cheat on me?”
“No! Can you let me finish my story?”
He waved his arm. “Go on.”
“So kind of you,” I snarked. “Anyway, I didn’t feel right about going, so I took Tina and Madi with me.”
“They’re your best friends, right?”
“Yes. I thought you were letting me finish.”
He just stared at me.
Men.
“We arranged to meet after I finished work last night. They said they needed a date for their dad’s engagement party.”
“And you didn’t think a M
onday night was a weird night to have an engagement party?”
I paused. “I didn’t think at all, to be honest.”
“Well, at least you can admit that.”
“Hey. There’s no need to insult me.”
He half-smiled. “Carry on.”
“Turned out, it wasn’t actually a date. It was Claudia.”
Mason froze. “What?”
“Yeah. It was Claudia.” I grimaced. “She found the ad and pretended to need a date to get me there. She told me she knew our relationship wasn’t real, and she said she was going to tell your family that we’re faking it.”
“All right.” He rubbed his chin.
“She also tried to tell me that she’d been at your place on Sunday night.”
“She was.”
It was my turn to still. “What?”
“She was at my apartment on Sunday night.” He put down his mug and gripped the edge of the counter. “It’s not the first time she’s shown up since the reunion. I know of three times for sure, but I think it was more.”
My eyebrows shot up.
I was pissed.
I had no business being pissed, but here I was, getting all kinds of angry.
“Three times, huh?”
Mason’s lips pulled to one side. “You look a little more bothered about that than I expected.”
“Bothered? I’m not bothered. You can do what you want with your ex. I think it’s a little shitty to sleep with us both on the same day, but that’s your prerogative.”
He stared at me for a moment before he laughed. “You think I slept with you both on the same day?”
I pursed my lips. “Well, not really.”
“Do you really think I’m that kind of guy?”
“No.” I sighed. “But it would be so much easier to justify this annoyance if you were.”
“What annoyance?”
“Why do you look so happy about me being annoyed?”
“I’m not happy. I’m pleasantly surprised.”
“That I’m in a bad mood? You’re a sick, sick man.”
He pushed off the side and walked over to me. “Listen to me, Lauren. Claudia is a master manipulator. She cheated on me, but she doesn’t want anyone else to have me. She’s showing up at my place, putting on puppy dog eyes, and hoping she can talk me into getting back with her. I’d bet that her relationship with her boss isn’t going too well, and she wants a backup guy.”
