One Tiny Lie – Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,52

you’re throwing her under the bus.” He pinned her with a look. “Why?”

Tears glittered in her eyes. “She’s no good for you.”

“I beg your pardon?” Irritation trickled down his spine. “Ava is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

“She’ll break your heart. Her feelings for you changed so suddenly. Aren’t you worried that the switch will flip back the other direction?”

Hudson felt like an invisible fist had socked him in the gut. “Why’re you doing this?” He had been worried, initially. But Ava had helped him put those fears to rest. Now Margot was resurrecting them. Apprehension clouded over him. Did he need to be concerned? His future had looked so bright before Margot came in here with her wrecking ball to demolish everything.

Tears rolled down Margot’s face. “You need to be with someone who truly loves you. Someone who has loved you for years.”

He flinched at the implication of her words. “Are you talking about you?” This conversation was getting stranger by the minute!

She gave him a pleading look. “Surely you know how I feel about you. I would never turn my back on you the way Ava has for years.”

A humorless laugh rose in his throat as he rubbed a hand over his forehead. Now he knew what this was really about. Margot had come here today to make a play for him. She was raising doubts about Ava to do it. He felt both anger and pity for Margot. “You and I had something for one brief moment, but that all changed the minute I found you and your pool boy cozied up together.”

“It was one tiny mistake. I told you I was sorry.”

“Yes, you did. And, I told you that I could never trust you again.”

“But I love you.” Her lower lip quivered. “I love you more than you could ever imagine.”

“Margot, the only thing I could ever feel for you is friendship. I’m in love with Ava.”

She cried softly, her shoulders shaking, tears running rivulets down her cheeks. She looked up at him. “I just thought I owed it to you to raise a concern.”

“I would think as Ava’s supposed best friend that you would owe it to her not to make a play for her soon-to-be-fiancé.”

She gave him a stricken look as she stood, wiping at her eyes. “You’re making a terrible mistake by not listening to me.”

Hudson clenched his jaw. “I don’t think so.”

“Please don’t tell Ava I came here today.”

He shook his head, unwilling to make her any promises. It would be a huge blow to Ava to learn that Margot had made a play for him. Maybe it would be better to keep this to himself. Hudson didn’t want to do anything to taint his relationship with Ava. Margot would like nothing better than to drive a wedge between them, and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

She sniffled as she went to the door and opened it. She stopped and turned back, her dark eyes shining with determination. “Something is going on with Ava, and I’m going to find out what it is, if it’s the last thing I do,” she snipped as she marched out.

14

Luna’s skin prickled with the feeling of being watched as she hurried up the sidewalk to Rosalyn’s house. Was Spencer Wellington lurking somewhere near, watching her? The thought made her stomach churn. She glanced around, not seeing anyone. Maybe her imagination was getting the best of her. Luna hadn’t been sleeping well. Last night, she’d dreamt of Douglas Wellington, but then the dream shifted, and she was standing over Ruth Wellington, shaking her lifeless body and begging her to wake up.

This morning, Luna had gotten a text from Ava saying that Ramsey Romeo had agreed to look into the situation with Spencer Wellington. That was great news. Hopefully, Ramsey could put a stop to the blackmail. With all of the turmoil going on, Luna had nearly forgotten about her appointment this afternoon with Isabela, Rosalyn’s granddaughter. Thankfully, Rosalyn mentioned something about it over breakfast this morning.

The row of modest houses with the chain-length fences reminded Luna a bit of Grandma Peach’s neighborhood. She rang the doorbell and waited. A dog barked in the distance. She could hear the chatter of a TV. The door opened.

“Hello,” Luna said with a friendly smile. “Isabela?”

The girl nodded. A brief smile touched her lips before she looked down shyly. Petite with long, straight, dark hair and matching eyes, Isabela was a whisper of a girl—the kind of