Bad Boy (An Indecent Proposal) - J.C. Reed Page 0,72

stared at her in admiration.

Jude shrugged. “I felt like I needed moral support.”

I laughed. “Moral support?”

“Yeah, you know, it was pretty hard to see your best friend falling in love for the first time and then realize she had been used.”

“Which is why we’ve declared war. We’re going to make his life a living hell,” Alice chimed in.

“You can count on us,” one of my neighbors said. “Give us his phone number and we’ll make sure he gets the prank calls of his life.”

“Oh, God.” Laughing, I shook my head as I took the offered drink out of Alice’s hands. “Chase isn’t after the money. He’s actually trying to help me.”

“He is?” Jude frowned and everyone grew silent.

“And you’re not saying that because you’re under duress?” Alice asked.

“What?” I laughed again, then shook my head. “No.”

“So you guys worked everything out?” Jude asked. She sounded so sceptical I had to shake my head again.

“No way.” I noticed how thin my voice sounded. “We’re actually getting a divorce.” I plastered a fake smile on my lips that I knew wouldn’t fool most people, and definitely not Jude. I expected to feel relief at the thought of Chase and me being over once and for all, but deep down, my heart lurched as realization dawned on me.

I wasn’t going to see him again.

Jude didn’t buy my smile, as expected. She knew me too well, or maybe she was too perceptive for her own good. With a sense of impending doom, I watched as she grabbed a spoon from a nearby table and knocked it against her wine glass.

“Okay, guys,” she yelled, even though you could probably hear her voice from the street outside. “Would you mind giving us a few minutes? Or better yet, let’s meet at Freddy’s where the party’s starting. Woohoo.” She winked at me and ushered everyone out the door.

Eventually, it was just Jude and I. The moment the door closed behind the last visitor, she drew me into a tight hug again.

“I missed you,” she whispered, wiping a tear from her face. “I thought you said you’d be back home the day after our conversation.”

“I couldn’t, Jude.” I let out a shaky breath, ready to drop the bomb. “I read the letters.”

“Oh.” Her eyes fell on the pendant I wore around my neck. “Isn’t that your mom’s?”

I nodded. “Chase gave it back. You were right. He had it repaired.”

Her frown deepened.

“What’s going on with you two?” she said. “What happened? Why couldn’t you tell me, Laurie?” Her eyes were soft, but there was that glint of accusation that always appeared when she suspected me of keeping secrets from her.

I shook my head just as the tears I had been holding in began to stream down my face. “My mom.” I looked up and saw the compassion in her eyes. “Chase brought me her letters.”

“What did they say?” Jude’s voice was feeble, her face pale.

I closed my eyes. “Chase was right. Her last Will was inside. She wanted me to have the estate.”

“That’s awesome.” Her lips curved into a smile.

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“Just that I’m not sure. She said a lot of things. I feel so confused.”

“Is that the reason why you didn’t come home?” Jude asked.

“Yes.” I plopped down on the sofa. Jude sat down next to me, the party forgotten. “I needed time to think, to process.”

It was the truth.

After reading my mom’s letter I had decided to stay in Acapulco for another week. The time alone had done me good. It had helped me process. Helped me come to terms with the past.

Chase Wright was another story. That was one chapter of my life I didn’t seem able to close. Now that he had obtained the letters for me would forever tie him to me. He had helped me, just like he had promised. The gratitude I felt for him would continue to feed the guilt I felt at not helping him get rid of the demons of his past.

“It’s not just about your mom, is it?” Jude remarked softly.

I nodded. “My father’s still alive.”

“I can’t believe it,” Jude said shocked.

I shook my head grimly. “Me neither.”

“Then, why are you crying?”

“I don’t know.” I wiped my hand over my face. “A few years before my mom had me she had a boy. She gave him up for adoption. Chase has a brother who’s adopted. He has the same first name as mentioned in my mom’s letter. It’s such an unusual name—” I