Always My Babygirl A Billionaire Romance - Jane Henry Page 0,47

napkin. My hand rests atop hers, as we answer a few questions. Shane usually orchestrates this, but with him occupied, the reporters are more pushy than usual.

“How long have you two been dating?”

“Are you a couple?”

“Will she be joining you for your Parisian tour?”

Thankfully, Darius steps in as Shane’s substitute, and after a dozen or so questions and over a hundred pictures, we’re left alone at the table.

I can see exhaustion written in her features, and I know Miranda wants answers.

“It’s time for us to go,” I say, pushing up from the table.

“I agree,” Miranda says with a yawn. She says goodbye to her friend, and takes my arm when I offer it to her.

“You don’t have to worry about the escort service,” she says quietly. “It’s not under my name, but incorporated, and there won’t be anything connected to me with that.”

I nod. I’m not worried about that anyway, but I could see that she might be.

My phone rings. Shane.

“Hello?”

“Found out what was going on.” I don’t need to ask how he found out.

“Yeah?”

“You know her sister’s fiancé?”

“Not personally, but yeah.”

“She caught him cheating on her when she got home earlier than usual from visiting her mom. I guess she’s had her suspicions but ignored them until now. Wedding’s off. That’s why she was asking about relocating her mother. She doesn’t want to be anywhere near her ex. Poor girl’s a wreck.” Shane’s voice is full of empathy. He’s got an uncanny ability to put himself in someone else’s shoes—yet another thing I love about the guy.

My own heart sinks for her. Being cheated on sucks. “Jesus.”

“Tell Miranda to call her sister.”

I nod. “I will. Thanks, man.”

I hang up the phone as we walk toward our ride. “Call your sister, baby.”

Chapter Fourteen

Miranda

My hands shake as I pull up her number. What is wrong with Lexi? Was moving Mom to the home too much? Should I have stayed longer to help?

The phone rings and rings. With each metallic echo my guilt grows. I should have stayed longer. I should have helped more.

On what feels like the hundredth ring, she picks up. “Hello?” She sounds small, shaken. I can hear the tears in her voice.

I want to reach through the phone and pull her into me for a hug. “Lexi. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, Miranda. I didn’t want to tell you. Everything’s going so well for you and you already had to come down here once to help me…” She bursts into sobs.

What is it? What could possibly have my sister so torn up inside? My mind searches frantically, flipping through what I know of her current life. Tom. The only thing that could possibly have her this upset is something happening to Tom.

“What happened? Is Tom alright? Has he been hurt?” Visions of him in a car crash, or bandaged and unconscious on a hospital bed flash through my mind.

My words only make her cry harder. Am I right and he’s hurt? Or is it worse?

She says a jumble of things that are nearly incoherent, but I think I hear the words “Tom” and “dead,” and I fly into a panic.

“Oh my God! Is Tom… dead?”

“No, but he’s going to be if I get my hands on him. And when I’m done with him I’m going after her. I’ll pop those silicone implants and then I’ll… then I’ll… oh, who am I kidding? I’m not going to do anything.”

So, Tom’s not dead. He’s fine, but she wants to kill him and… silicone implants? “What are you talking about?”

“I can’t take it.” Her angry voice turns to a whisper. “I just want out of here.”

Making my heart break. “Lexi. What happened?”

Finally, she gathers herself enough to tell me the story. The words come out fast and hard. “Yesterday afternoon I came home early from visiting Mom. I felt bad I’ve been spending so much time over there, so I was going to get home before he did. Bake him his favorite Triple Chocolate Cake. You know—that one I made him when he asked me to be his girlfriend? Anyway I don’t want to go into it, I can’t—it hurts too much—but let’s just say, he wasn’t alone.”

Tom? Cheated on my sister?

But Tom is… perfect. He’s the man I’ve measured all other friends’ fiancées and husbands to. He’s kind, loving, considerate. Always putting Lexi first.

Or so I thought.

“And the wedding?”

“Off. And it’s too late to get the deposits back. I’ve wasted all your money. Not to mention wasting the past two years of my