Arden found Elena and Kinsley in Kinsley’s office forty-five minutes later. Elena had a box of tissues in her lap, tears still marking her pretty face.
“Oh, my gosh, what happened?” Arden asked, closing the door behind her.
Elena looked up, face stricken with emotion. “What happened? I’ll tell you what happened. Lucas Albright the third.”
Arden blinked, then cast a questioning glance to Kinsley, who could only shrug at the mention of the man’s name. “Sweetie, who is Lucas Albright?”
“Lucas Albright the third,” Kinsley corrected.
Elena swiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. “He’s the man who told Scott I’m not good enough for him and that we shouldn’t be getting married.”
Arden pulled up a chair between Kinsley and Elena and sat down. “Well, why would Scott listen to something so dumb? None of this makes any sense.”
Elena sniffed. “I know, but Lucas is Scott’s best friend. He was supposed to be the best man at our wedding. I only met him a few times, so I don’t know why he doesn’t like me. But he convinced Scott that we shouldn’t be getting married, and that I would only be holding Scott back from a lucrative future with Google and wasn’t…” She swallowed. “He said I wasn’t educated enough. My job couldn’t bring anything to the ‘marriage table.’ Scott apparently agreed.” More tears began streaming down her face.
Arden’s temper flared. Of all the most ridiculous reasons to call off a wedding. If she ever saw or came in contact with Scott Coban or this Lucas the third character, they’d both live to regret it. “Honey, that is absolute nonsense. Love is love, and it shouldn’t matter how much money you have, how much education you have, or what you do for a living.”
“Hear, hear,” Kinsley agreed. “You want a man to love you for you. Not for superficial reasons.”
“But I thought I had found someone who loved me for me.” Elena looked at her friends. “I thought we all did.”
Arden shifted uncomfortably. “Well, I don’t know about all of us.”
Elena rolled her teary eyes. “Oh, please. I saw how happy you and Kinsley have been lately. And look how fast you and Wade got engaged. It was like kismet for you two. It made me believe everything was falling into place for all of us.” She snorted. “All of us except me. I feel so stupid.”
Arden looked guiltily at Kinsley, then decided to come clean. She’d been honest with Wade, she might as well be honest with Elena as well. “Elena, Wade and I aren’t engaged.” She wondered if they could even still be friends and that cut went even deeper.
Elena blinked and another tear dropped from the corner of her eye. “Oh no. Did you guys break your engagement, too?”
“Well…no, not exactly. We were never engaged in the first place.”
Elena glanced at Kinsley, then back to Arden, her brows furrowing. “But I don’t understand. You’re wearing an engagement ring. I saw the news on Facebook. Everybody has been talking about it.”
Arden’s cheeks grew hot as she glanced down at the ring on her finger. “I know. It was only for show. Wade and I made this deal to pretend to be engaged, so I could land a wedding account and he could get Judy Tavish and the other matchmakers in town off his back for a while. It was a ridiculous deal, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but we felt the fewer people who knew the less chance of people seeing that it was fake.”
Elena blew out a breath. “Wow. I must be dumber than Lucas Albright thinks I am, because I really thought you and Wade were in love for real.”
“Hey, you are not dumb,” Arden said, shaking a finger at her. “And don’t let anyone tell you that you are. Besides…not all of it was fake.”
After all, she was in love. And a part of her had begun to believe Wade was in love with her, too.
Kinsley nodded. “Yeah, it’s not totally fake because Wade and Arden really are dating. Well, temporarily dating, right?”
She forced a smile. “Sure. That was the deal. Until your wedding.”
Kinsley nodded. “Well, good. I’m glad it’s all worked out. What a relief.”
Arden glanced away. Yeah. Relief.
A few knocks sounded and then Chef Rick poked his head in. “Can a male presence be tolerated at this time?” he asked with a worried look on his scruffy face.
Elena gave him a wobbly smile. “Of course, Rick. You’re always a welcome sight.”
He nudged the door wider with his foot and strode in carrying a tray of chocolate-frosted cupcakes. “I thought maybe you could use these,” he said, placing the tray on Kinsley’s desk. “Coffee is coming any minute, too.”
Elena stood and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re very sweet. Thank you.”
He blushed through his graying beard and dipped his head. “You know if I could do more, I would.”
Kinsley placed a hand on his forearm. “Thanks, Rick. That was very thoughtful.”
After he left, Kinsley took a cupcake in her hand and held it up to propose a toast. “To the good men out there,” she said, raising the cake high.
Arden and Elena each mimicked her action. “To finding a good man,” Elena added.
“You will, Elena,” Kinsley assured her. “And not only will you find a good man but one who won’t want anything more from you than your heart. That’s a gift that, when offered up freely, should be treated with precious care. Aren’t I right, Arden?”
Arden swallowed. “Oh, uh, right.” She suddenly wasn’t in the mood for cupcakes. Kinsley’s words were true. Love was a gift. And if Wade didn’t want to accept hers, then there would be no point in trying to force him. She refused to find herself in another one-sided situation like she had been in with Colin. If they had any chance at a real future, then he would have to willingly offer his heart right back. She wouldn’t settle for less. Not now.
Elena smiled. “Thanks, guys. You’re the best. If I don’t have Scott, it’s nice to know I always have you.”
“Don’t give up on love entirely, though,” Kinsley said. “I wanted to, also, but then Damon came into my life when I wasn’t even looking. You’ll have that again. I know it.”
With a heavy heart, Arden absorbed Kinsley’s advice for herself. After everything she’d been through with Colin and now Wade, she knew what she had to do. True lasting love was out there waiting for her, maybe not today or tomorrow, but it was there for her.
And, unfortunately, that meant giving up Wade to find it.
Chapter Thirteen
Wade felt awful over the way he had left things with Arden the other day. Damn, he was an ass. She’d said she loved him and he’d treated her declaration like she’d just complimented his pajamas. But her words shocked him, and he didn’t know how to deal with them. Guilt still tore through him.
He had to try to make things right between them. Even if he couldn’t give her what she wanted, what she deserved, he still wanted her in his life. He wanted her friendship. He wanted their deal to continue on for a while longer. He wanted…her. Which was why he found himself on her front porch.
He knocked on her door and a few beats later, she appeared before him. She looked beautiful—maybe not in a traditional way—with her hair piled high on her head, no makeup, and wearing a light-pink turtleneck, but he stood there greedily drinking in every ounce of her. Her expression was grim as she stared back at him with cool, clear blue eyes.
Not a promising sign.
“Wade, I wasn’t expecting you tonight,” she said with a frown.
“Yeah, I know.” He shifted the pizza box he had in his hands, giving her a little grin. “I didn’t think friends needed an invitation.”
For years they could always stop over at each other’s houses unannounced. So when she continued to stare at him, his stomach bottomed out. “I just got off from work and thought I’d bring dinner over, so we could talk,” he added. “It’s Hawaiian pizza.”
She bit her lip, hesitating another moment, then stepped back to allow him to enter. He breathed in deeply, rel
ieved she wasn’t turning him away. Maybe there was a chance they could come to another agreement. But as he placed the box down on her kitchen table, he noticed a piece of paper lying there with scribbled notes and checkmarks. It looked to be a packing list.
With alarm, he looked up. “Going somewhere?”
She glanced at the list then to him and nodded. “Yes. I’m heading to New York City this Sunday.”
“Girls’ trip?”
“No. I’m taking on a job up there for a little while. Milena recommended me to two friends of hers who are getting married. One of them is even putting me up in a condo for free. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
“I don’t remember you mentioning that before. When did this all happen?”
She looked away. “Recently.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not entirely sure. Most likely a few weeks to a month. It really depends on schedules and the appointments I can make while I’m there. I’ll come back for Kinsley’s wedding, obviously.”
His entire body went rigid. A month. She was leaving for a month, but it felt much longer and more final than that. “But that means you’ll miss the Fur-Ball fundraiser,” he blurted.
“Yes, I know,” she replied evenly, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as if she was trying to give herself support. “My assistant Jessica will be there to run your event. You don’t need to worry.”
Your event. Not our event. “I’m not worried about that,” he said, trying to keep his voice level. “What about our deal? Won’t people think it’s strange that my fiancée left town and won’t be attending the ball with me?”
“Wade, the ball wasn’t part of the arrangement. We agreed to break up after Kinsley’s wedding.”
“I know, but—”
“We’re getting what we both wanted. You’re being left alone, and like I said, these New York weddings are a wonderful opportunity.”
Was this what he wanted? It should be. No commitments and no ties was what he’d always wanted and enjoyed in the past, but for all this space she was now giving him, he only felt suffocation.
“You know how important my business is to me,” she added. “It’s something I need to do.”
“Something that you need to do all of a sudden, you mean. So, you tell me you love me and because I don’t say it back, you just pack up and decide to leave?”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “Wade, you make it sound like I’m trying to punish you. That’s not the case at all. It’s business. But to be fair, you’ve given no reason for me to stay, either.”
His mind frantically churned to combat that statement. But she was right. He was just being selfish. He’d given her no real reason to stay. He couldn’t. Even though he hated the fact that he felt she was pulling away from their friendship.
“The timing is perfect. Our deal has taken a path we both didn’t expect—and that one of us didn’t want—but our scheduled breakup was about to happen anyway. There’s no need to hang around each other anymore. Not now. Milena is thrilled with the work I’m doing for her wedding, so there’s no chance she’ll suddenly pull her account once she learns we’ve broken up, and no one will rush to match you with another woman so soon after our broken engagement. With me going to New York, this is probably the perfect time to make a clean break, if you think about it.”
That was the point. He didn’t want to think about it. Because it made him feel sick.
He clenched his jaw. “So that’s it then?”
She sighed. “Yes, that’s it. I’m sorry, Wade. I know our pretend-relationship deal is Kinsley’s wedding, but our real relationship is over now. Thanks to you, I now know I want the real thing. Commitment. Love. The happily ever after. All of it. I didn’t think I was made for it before—I thought my career was enough. But I now know it’s not. Not anymore. Real, lasting love is out there, and I don’t want to pretend that we have it or hope that you might change your mind and want it, too.”
He pressed his fingers to his forehead. There was a buzzing in his ears. “I told you. I…can’t.”
“It’s not that you can’t. You won’t. You don’t have the courage to love someone again, because you’re afraid they’ll leave you one day. Yes, Wade, that is a risk. But life has all kinds of risks. I’m just sorry you don’t recognize that what we have together would be so worth taking a chance on.” She turned and walked over to the door. “Thanks for stopping by, but maybe dinner isn’t such a good idea after all,” she said, her voice raw.
“But we’re friends, right? I still want you in my life.”
She slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry. That’s something I can’t do. It’s…too hard right now.”
His gaze lifted and he looked at her for a long moment. Seeing her eyes fill with unshed tears felt like someone laying a heavy brick on his chest. Panic rushed through him. He didn’t know what to do or where to turn. So what he did next was what he’d always done since Miranda’s death. He left.
Arden was doing him a favor, he reasoned. He’d always believed that if he was the first to leave a relationship, he’d avoid any attachment and thus any pain. He wouldn’t have to worry about losing anyone again. He’d protect himself. Protect his heart. He never dreamed there’d be something even more valuable at stake. Their friendship.
As the door closed behind him with a quiet and final click, his heart squeezed painfully. He rubbed his chest, trying to soothe the ache. He never wanted to hurt Arden. But in trying to protect his own heart, he broke Arden’s.
That’s what this pain has to be then. Guilt. It had to be that. And if it wasn’t guilt, then he was in serious trouble.
Because this feeling he was experiencing resembled something strangely close to a broken heart.
…
The rest of the week had gone by in a blur, which Arden was most thankful for. Between finalizing the fundraiser for the shelter and securing deposits and dates for Milena’s wedding and a few other parties that had come in, she kept busy.
And busy was the perfect balm to a broken heart.
But now that the work week had ended, she dreaded going home to her empty condo. Over the past few weeks, Wade had made it a point to come over on Friday nights even if he was volunteering at the shelter. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since he walked out Tuesday night. And as she pulled into her driveway, she was already missing him terribly.
She cut the engine to her car and sat there, staring into space. Maybe she should go to the Harbor Light and check out if they had a mah-jongg game going on. Maybe I should adopt a pet at the animal shelter as soon as I get back. But that meant she might run into Wade.
A tap at her window startled her. When she looked left, Kinsley and Elena were waving. Arden opened her car door. “What are you guys doing here?” she asked, grateful to see them.
Kinsley held up a grocery bag. “Elena needed an ice cream night. We figured you’d want in.”
“I brought my own spoon,” Elena said, holding up a utensil.
Arden laughed. “That’s not a spoon, honey. It’s a soup ladle.”
Elena sniffed. “I call it a time-saver.”
“Come on in.” Arden gestured them to follow. “Unfortunately, I could use a few ladles of ice cream myself.”
“Oh? Why?” Kinsley asked, walking into the condo. “My brother working too much?”
I wish it were as simple as that.
Arden removed her coat and flopped down on her sofa. “No. But apparently, we aren’t working out anymore.”
“Wait.” Kinsley looked confused. “What do you mean? Are you saying you guys broke up already?”
Just hearing the words out loud made Arden feel as if a weight was crushing her chest. She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Oh my gosh! Men!” Elena shoved a carton of chocolate peanut butter ice cream in Arden’s hand and stuck a spoon into it. “Now I’m doubly depressed. What did Wade do?”
Kinsley folded her arms. “Hey, why would you think it
was something my brother did?” She then peered at Arden. “It was something Wade did, wasn’t it?”
“More like something that he didn’t do,” Arden said with a sigh. “I told him that I loved him, and that news was received about as well as a case of lice in a preschool.”
Kinsley stood speechless for a moment then blew out a breath. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” Sadness seeped through her, and she handed the ice cream back to Elena. “But whatever you do say, please don’t let it be I told you so.”
Kinsley shook her head. “No. I won’t say that. But this…this isn’t good.”
“I knew he wouldn’t take it well, either, but I told him anyway. It was a mistake to say anything.”
“No, you were honest with your feelings and that should never be considered a mistake,” Elena said. “What you did took courage. And I’m sorry, Kinsley, but if your brother doesn’t want to take a chance on love again and spend the rest of his life with this woman, well, I think he needs his head examined.” She cleared her throat. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Kinsley said. She sat down next to Arden and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “I hope this doesn’t affect our friendship.”
Arden leaned her head on Kinsley’s. “Never. At least, not our friendship.”
“What does that mean? We can all still hang out together, right?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll manage to get through your wedding for you,” she said, evading the answer.
Kinsley closed her eyes. “Oh gosh, I’m having middle-school flashbacks.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I feel like I ruined everything. You warned me that I was no good for Wade.”
Kinsley turned to her in surprise. “Hey, I never meant that. I just didn’t want things to change. You and Wade are so special to me. I wanted things to be like they were since high school.”
“Then I should probably tell you that I’ve had a crush on Wade since then.”
Kinsley’s eyes widened. “You did?”
Catch Him If You Can Page 17
