How to Steal Your Best Friend's Fiancé - London Casey Page 0,64
knew, a leather folder was opened and he was an inch from me.
His cologne tickled my nose.
It was like someone mixed skunk and cat piss, then sold it for two hundred bucks a bottle. All because some shirtless dude rode a horse in a TV commercial, up to a mansion, then fucked some model that hadn’t eaten a meal in six weeks.
“I found the perfect spot for your bakery,” Jeff said. “Great foot traffic. Great location. There’s parking. There’s…” He looked at me. “I’m doing too much again, aren’t I?”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“She doesn’t want this,” Jeff said. He closed the folder. “Dan, this is dumb.”
“Emily,” Elise said.
“What?”
“Just listen to him.”
“What did I do?”
“Your demeanor,” she said. “He found a spot for the bakery. You can get out of here.”
“I can’t break this lease,” I said.
“Why?” Elise asked. “Because of Miranda? Screw her.”
“We can help with that part,” Dan said. “There are ways.”
“I’m willing to take on the building,” Jeff said. “Personally. If I do that, I break the lease. Then you move.”
It was too good to be true because the fine print of this little deal was I had to sleep with Jeff. Or date Jeff. Or entertain the idea of being with Jeff. And with him hanging saving me over my head, I would never escape that relationship.
And all Elise wanted was for me to fall in love, get married, and have kids.
We grew up taking care of each other and this was the first time we were on different paths. She wanted me to have the same life as hers. But I wasn’t there yet.
“I told you she would hate it,” Jeff said.
“I didn’t say that,” I said.
“See?” Elise said. “Let me talk to her a little.”
“Sorry, Emily,” Jeff said. He smiled.
It was so fake.
I could read his eyes.
Piece of garbage…
“Come on, I’ll buy you a drink,” Dan said.
“It’s morning,” Jeff said.
“We’re in the city,” Dan said. “Someone is serving booze somewhere.”
“Don’t you dare come home day drunk,” Elise said.
“Emily, can I crash on your couch later?” Dan asked.
“Me too?” Jeff asked.
Jeff made the funny joke with my brother-in-law, creepy.
When they left the bakery, I looked at Elise.
“A guitar?” she asked like a judgmental mother.
“What?”
“When was the last time you played guitar?”
“Are you really turning into a judgmental bitch, Elise?”
“I’m trying to help you.”
“I didn’t ask for your help.”
“I’m watching my sister struggle and it fucking sucks,” she said. Her eyes filled with tears. “I couldn’t stop you from getting involved with this place. But maybe I can get you out.”
“And pawn my ass off to a guy like Jeff? No.”
“Then who? Who, Emily? I just…”
“You just, what? This is where you tell me what you want.”
Elise touched the corners of her eyes. “I thought you’d at least show some excitement.”
I had no idea what to say.
She wanted to dive deep into this… she wanted to talk about family, feelings, and the future. And I understood why. Our family was all about drama and arguments.
Not that I was much better…
Hey, sister, guess what? Remember Liam? Yeah, he’s the one engaged to Miranda. Well… I’m falling for him. Again.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said. “I’m trying to figure it out myself, Elise. There’s so much happening. I want to tell you…”
My phone buzzed with a text message.
I instinctively grabbed my phone to look.
Because my happy world wasn’t the bakery or my sister.
I thought it was Carla and Faye.
But it was Liam.
I grabbed for the table to balance myself as I read his text message.
He and Miranda broke up.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Liam
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be upset or if I should celebrate.
The first thing I had done was get drunk and end up at Jackson’s. I sounded like a drunk fool, stumbling around his apartment, telling him I couldn’t marry Miranda. That was music to his ears (of course). Then I explained why I couldn’t marry Miranda. Which was some dumb poetic statement of how we broke up over the phone.
For the first time in my life, Jackson offered me water instead of more booze.
Callie joined the conversation at one point, telling me no matter how anyone felt, she was sorry to hear the news.
Jackson smacked her on the ass and she smacked him across the face.
They were great together.
I wanted something like that.
And definitely not with Miranda.
I knew the look in Jackson’s eyes. He would have rather been with Callie in bed than with me in the kitchen.