“Hey, the meeting is done. Jules is on her way to meet you,” I told Nolan as I approached them.
He looked confused as he responded. “No, she isn’t. We’re not spending the night together. I have to go out of town on a photo shoot early tomorrow, and she didn’t want me to wake her up.”
“Oh.” I snapped my mouth shut, wondering why Jules had lied.
“How’s your evening going?” Nick asked me, his blue eyes sparkling.
“It’s great.” I stepped forward. “Why did you donate ten thousand dollars to the auction for me?”
“Huh?” He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not really sure why you’re so interested in me. I mean it’s cool, and you’re handsome and all, but I haven’t seen you in years and you’re coming on so strong and this is … well frankly, it’s all a bit weird.”
“Betsy!” Nolan chided me. “That’s no way to speak to your admirer.”
“Hmm …” Nick looked uncomfortably at me and then at Nolan. “I’m not sure what to say. It’s true, yes, I had a huge, huge crush on you in high school, and I would have loved to have dated you, but that didn’t happen. I would like to take you on a date, but I never donated ten thousand dollars to anything in your name.” He shook his head in confusion. “I just took out a fifty thousand dollar loan from the bank to open my surf store.” He gave me a wry smile. “I don’t have any money to just be giving away.”
“Yeah, I remember you mentioned that.” I rubbed my temple. Nothing was adding up here. Why would the mayor say that Nick had donated the money when it was so clear that he hadn’t? I yawned. All I wanted to do was go to bed. I gave them both a smile and covered my mouth as another yawn hit me. “Hey, guys, good seeing you, but I’m tired. I’m going to call it a night.”
“You need a ride home, sis?” Nolan looked concerned, but I just shook my head and gave him a quick hug.
“I’m okay. I can walk home.”
“Hope to see you soon, Betsy.” Nick smiled. “Maybe we can figure out a good time for our date.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” I gave him a little wave before turning to walk home. I stared at the night sky as I walked down the street and I wondered what Jeff was up to. Maybe Veronica had shown back up at his house, and he’d decided to take her up on her offer. Being with her wouldn’t be as complicated as being with me. A tear rolled down my cheek. I’d tried to play it as cool as possible earlier, but I was devastated by what had happened. I felt used and dirty. Jeff had had his way with me and discarded me as if I was nothing. I couldn’t believe that he hadn’t called me or texted me and I refused to call him. I hated him for doing this to me. I hated him for being that guy. I knew that I would never forgive him for ignoring me. He was an even bigger asshole than I’d ever thought he could be.
Chapter 17
Jeff
Water dripped down my face as the doorbell rang. I wrapped a towel around my waist and headed to the front door, praying that it wasn’t Veronica back to seduce me. Momentarily, I thought it might be Betsy, but I knew that was just a wish. I felt like shit for not having been in contact with her in the last week, but I’d needed some time to figure things out.
I opened up the door and my jaw dropped. Jules stood there, glaring.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “Is Betsy okay?”
“She’s fine.” She made a face. “Well, she’s not fine, but she’s not sick or anything. You going to let me in?”
“You’re not worried someone else might already be here?”
She scoffed as she gazed at my wet body, only a towel covering me. “Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the hallway. “We need to talk, Evian.”
“Oh?” I was surprised at the stern tone. Jules goofed and joked around. I’d never seen this side to her.
“Yeah, and I need a beer. You got any?” She walked past me and into the kitchen, then pointed at my suitcase, which still sat in the hallway. “You going somewhere?”
“Nope.”
“Just got back from somewhere?”
“I spent the week at my parents’ place.”
“Of course, of course.”
“Of course what?” What the hell was going on here?
“Let’s get two beers, and then we can chat.”
“Um, okay. Does Nolan know you’re here?”
“No.”
“Betsy?”
“Ha, no.” She shook her head. “Betsy would kill me.”
“So, then, why are you here?”
“How are you a fucking cop?” She shook her head in disgust. “You have no clue, do you?”
“No, I have no idea why you’re standing in my kitchen asking me for a beer in the middle of the night. I’m not a mind reader, Jules, so why don’t you enlighten me?”
“I’m here because I’m Betsy’s best friend, and you need to get a bloody clue.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re a fucking idiot, by the way.” She shook her head and gulped from the beer I’d just handed her. “I suppose you went to your parents’ house to check out their marriage and see just how bad it really is.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. “How did you know that?”
“Because you’re transparent, Jeff.” She rolled her eyes. “And because I know men.”
“Ha, yeah, right.”
“I got Nolan.” She smirked.
“That boy has been in love with you since we were teenagers. You didn’t really get him so much as you always had him.”
“Yeah, whatever. You might not think I know a lot about men, but I do. I know how men love to be overdramatic.” She huffed. “Which is ironic because they always say women are drama queens. Trust me, men are so much more drama than women.”
“Where
