Coffee Cup Confessions - Trish Williford Page 0,52

sick. The door pushes open, and I don’t look over. “Jake, I can’t do this right now.”

“Misha, what’s wrong?” Mandy asks, genuinely concerned. “Look, I know I’ve been a bitch, but I can tell you’re really upset. Talk to me.”

I put my hand over my mouth and shake my head. The words can’t form on my tongue. She hugs me to her, and I begin to sob.

“It’s okay. Whatever it is, we’ll work it out,” she says soothingly.

“Jake. Everything I thought I knew about us is a lie. I just found out he’s …” The words won’t leave my mouth without making me physically sick.

“You found out he’s an escort,” she says.

My head snaps back to her. “How did you know?”

She shrugs her shoulder as if it’s not a big deal. “I’ve known Jake for a long time, Misha.”

“What? How?”

“He’s my coworker. I work for the same company.”

This isn’t real. She’s just screwing around now.

“Right. You’re an escort too.”

“Yep.”

Am I the only one who finds this appalling? “Mandy! You sleep with people for money? That’s so damn disgusting!” Now, I feel even sicker to my stomach.

“I’m not a fucking prostitute. I just go on dates for money. There’s a difference,” she bites out. “Look, I should have told you this a while ago, but Jake begged me not to. Remember that blind date that you were stood up for? It was a lie. It was all premeditated, so Jake would be the knight in shining armor and save the day. I had known you’d fall for his charm and good looks, so that’s why I picked him.”

I press my back against the wall for support. “You hired Jake to take me out?”

“Honey, someone like Jake wouldn’t ask you out in a million years; it’s common sense. We go on paid dates with the less fortunate, such as yourself. I hired him, so he could get you to get over Noah enough that I could start bringing him around to family functions. Jake’s not really your boyfriend, Misha. You’re his job, a paycheck. He’s not in love with you.”

“You’re a liar.”

“Why would I lie? What do I have to gain?”

“There’s no way Noah knows about this.” I state the obvious.

She laughs harshly. “Try to tell him. He’d never believe you.”

The door opens again, and this time, Drew and Jake find us. Drew runs to me and holds me to his side, but Jake is frozen in place.

Jake glares at Mandy. “What did you do?”

She puts her hand over her chest. “Me? Oh, I just told my sister the truth about how you two met. And that your entire relationship has been fake.” Mandy looks to Drew and smiles. “To catch you up, Jake is an escort who I paid to pretend to be interested in Misha, so she’d get over Noah faster.”

“You’re such a bitch.” Drew seethes.

“Never said I wasn’t,” Mandy agrees. She exhales and smiles. “I feel so much lighter now that I’ve gotten that confession off my chest.”

Mandy has the door open to go back inside to the party when Jake speaks up, “Why?”

“Why what?” Mandy asks.

“Why do these terrible things to Misha? She’s never done anything to you to deserve any of this.”

Mandy glares at me with disgust. “Her life has been perfect. Everything she’s ever wanted was just handed to her. I’ve just given her tough love. Shown her that not every single moment in life is easy. That heartbreak is real. Sometimes, there isn’t a happy ending at the end of the story. God knows that I’ve learned the hard way.” She walks into the building and slams the door behind her.

Jake takes two steps toward me, and Drew growls, “Stop. Don’t you fucking dare come another inch near her.”

Jake’s eyes grow wide at Drew’s harsh tone. “Drew, I need to tell her what actually happened. Mandy isn’t telling the entire story.”

“Not tonight. I’m taking her home.”

Drew and I walk to his car, and when we drive past Jake, he’s still standing in the same spot, watching us with his hands fisted in his hair.

I lean my head against the window and close my eyes.

“Do you want to talk?” Drew asks.

“No.”

My brain is loud enough.

Is this true?

How could he do this?

Was everything fake?

Did he really love me?

I wish I could put my thoughts on mute.

24

Jake

Gone.

Everything that I’d gained back since meeting Misha went up in flames in the matter of two minutes, thanks to Mandy.

Happiness.

Trust.

Hope.

All fucking gone.

I’ve never felt so much rage and hatred for a