Page 124 of I Love My Mistake

Chapter Sixty

Now That That’s Behind Us

Amber and I flank Jessica as we walk away. Amber whispers, looking back at Mark and David talking. “Can your love life get any wilder?”

Jess is still shell-shocked. “Nope.”

Chris and Josh leave together to get us drinks, giving us space. Me and my girls? We follow them, several steps behind, an unbreakable circle of three.

I touch her hair. “You okay?”

Jess looks down to the floor, frowning. “Yeah. I think so. It’s just…”

“What?” Amber asks.

Jess sighs. “I’m surprised how much I really needed to hear that.”

I share a look with Amber. “Well, you guys were in love.”

“And he hurt you really badly,” Amber sympathetically takes her hand.

“Yeah, he did. It feels really good… to hear it.”

I take her other hand. “Two powerful little words: I’m sorry.”

Jess looks up at me. “Hey, Nicole.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

I grin at her and Amber moans at the sweetness. “You guys!”

We join Josh and Chris at the bar and they hand us three glasses of wine. Chris picks up his chin, looking behind us. “Mark is coming back.” He asks the bartender for another.

I turn and see Mark walking to us, smiling, his eyes on me. “How’d it go?” I ask as he takes my hand and leans down to greet me with a kiss.

“Good.” Chris hands him a glass. Mark thanks him, but then he looks to Jess and cocks one eyebrow. “What’d you ever see in that guy?”

Jess shrugs. “I can’t even remember.”

Mark makes a sssssss noise, sucking air through his teeth. “Yeah, well, there’s no way I’m working with him on this.”

Eyebrows go up, surprised looks dart rapidly around. Everyone is completely surprised. I stare at him, slack-jawed. “Because of what he did?”

Jess gasps, “Are you serious?”

He shrugs and looks at me, his face calm and confident. “Remember what I said? It’s you and them, or just you.” He casually turns to the group, like what he’s saying is no big deal. “I don’t want to partner with someone who can’t be trusted. And I really don’t want to invite someone into this group who doesn’t belong. I’ll get someone else to invest.”

I am awestruck. “That’s pretty much the most wonderful thing you could have done.”

Chris raises his glass and we all join him. Looking at Mark, he says, “To loyalty.”

“To loyalty!” We clink glasses and sip with smiles on our faces.

Amber bursts out with, “We have to toast to Nicole’s first show, too!”

I frown, seeing Jack over the crowd, coming down the stairs from his office. “Hold that toast. Something’s wrong.”

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