“It’s not your fault!” I can see Dakota take a step toward me through the reflection in the mirror, indignation in her every move. “This is not on you. Don’t you dare blame yourself again.”
Her words hit closer to home than I wish. She’s right though. The first thing my mind did was wonder what I did wrong. What I did for him to move on to someone else the day after I left. I can’t help it.
“I just don’t understand. What did I do to deserve any of this?”
In two steps, Dakota is behind me, her arms hugging me tight like she’s trying to keep the pieces inside of me. She’s too late for that. “You didn’t do anything. Nothing at all.”
I drop my head, willing the tears to subside. “He’s probably the one who leaked the story too.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, I thought he might have done it for me… to help. Maybe he did it to hurt me. Like some sick and twisted game.”
“I don’t know…” I can hear she’s not sure about any of this, and I can’t blame her. My life is a mess. I have no idea what’s going on, where to turn, who to trust.
We stand like this for a while, lost in our own thoughts. My anger left as quickly as it came, leaving behind the hurt.
I wish I could get drunk. Go buy a bottle of Grey Goose vodka to help me forget today. Erase it from my memory and pretend it never happened, any of it. But the bastard already destroyed my heart, there’s no way I’m letting him destroy my career.
“It’s going to be okay. You’re strong, you can get through anything,” she says when she eventually breaks the silence.
“I wish I didn’t always have to be strong one.”
She lets me go and walks to the side table next to the door. “You should eat some—”
My phone vibrating interrupts her. I turned it to silent after calling Kade. Not in the mood to hear the song I associate with him. I slowly walk toward where I threw my phone after hanging up. I stare at the name, unable to compute what I’m seeing.
“Who is calling?”
I look at Dakota. It doesn’t happen a lot that I don’t know what to do. I’m a take action kind of gal, even if the plan is crazy and barely any thought has gone into it.
Without hesitation, she stomps over and looks at the screen. An expression I can only explain as apoplectic enters her face, something I’ve never seen on steady Dakota. Before I can react, she has the phone pressed to her ear. Her voice is that deadly quiet which is always a thousand times scarier than yelling ever could be. I stand there frozen in shock at seeing my best friend go to war for me, no questions asked.
“I fucking warned you, asshole.” I’ve never heard Dakota speak like this to anyone. But my battered heart and pride appreciate my best friend standing up for me. “We don’t want to hear your fucking excuses, Kade. But know, you just screwed over the best thing that will ever happen to you. Stay the fuck away from Montana, or I’ll make you regret it. I doubt I’ll have a hard time finding a way to hurt you like you hurt her.”
She stops for a second, her brows drawing together, before she interrupts whatever he was saying, “Bullshit. Fucking bullshit. Stay the fuck away from her or prepare to live without that appendage you clearly can’t control.”
Without giving him a chance to say anything else, she hangs up the phone and turns it off. She stares at my phone for a beat before she places it on the dresser next to where we’re standing.
“I can’t believe he turned out to be such an asshole.” Me neither, but it’s not the first time someone isn’t who they appear to be.
“That’s what we thought about Mark. We didn’t think he’d fuck Danielle either, and yet, I walked in on them doing exactly that. Men are all the same, fucking any willing hole they come across,” I say with vitriol, unaware of the effect the words must have on Dakota even after I say them.
“Not all of them,” she says, surprising me with the conviction behind the words. “Mav isn’t like that.”
I look at her and see the firm belief behind her eyes, in her posture, and I’m inclined to believe her. He didn’t seem to be like this, but then neither did Kade. Up until today, I would have bet money on Kade never breaking my heart like this. Sure, I thought eventually he’d grow tired of me and break it off. But I didn’t think he’d do something this cruel.
And yet, here we are. My heart destroyed by a man who swore to always protect it.
Despite my thoughts, I say, “You’re right. From what I saw, he isn’t. He clearly knows what he has in you and wouldn’t jeopardize that.” No need to taint her new relationship with my own issues. She doesn’t deserve that. “I’m sorry for putting my own shit on you, Kota.”
“No need to apologize. It’s understandable.” She pauses, and something I can’t decipher crosses her face. I’m not prepared for what she’s about to say next. “Maybe… Mon, maybe this is all a big misunderstanding. Maybe—”
I have no control over the anger surging through my veins at her words, as irrational as that might be. “Don’t you dare say it. I
