Page 89 of The Wrong Promise

I turn, not expecting to see Penny. But then, as best friends, we always had a sense when one of our lives turned to crap—the other would know, and we would find each other here.

“Hey,” I murmur. “I was about to go home and be ready for you when you arrived.”

She’s panting a little from the one-mile hike up from the parking lot. She squats down on the rock beside me and removes her Jimmy Choo boots, hiking up the hem of her Armani skirt. I know the designers as I went on a shopping spree with her after she married Franklin, the first time she allowed herself to splurge.

Her bare feet dangle in the shallow water alongside mine as we stare out over the ocean, something we have done many times together.

“You’re avoiding Jobe,” she whispers. “He’s worried about you.”

I nod. “Remember the times when we knew someone wasn’t right for us?” I begin. “So we rip off the Band-Aid, the pain at its worst in the beginning, but then you heal?” She stares at me, but I don’t turn to meet her caring eyes. I need to finish telling her everything, even if it hurts. “It’s what I do. Why I rushed off to London even though it pained me to be away from you and Hugh. And that I wouldn’t get to see Summer for a while. In my heart, I needed a year to sort out my life, go somewhere new, be someone different.”

“Has it worked out for you?” she murmurs.

“It did for a while. Then Jobe happened. Completely unexpected.” This time, I meet her gaze. “I fell for him.” I see the shock in her eyes. “We weren’t faking it.” I make a noise in my throat and shake my head, feeling like an idiot. “We both know what an ass he is and that he’ll never commit to one person. But I saw a different man. A kind, caring man, and yeah, all those rumors were true.”

“Eww.”

I smile and look out to the sea and not at my friend. “We were good together. Only before I left, Piper and I had a misunderstanding. She attempted to warn me about Jobe. Mentioned people were talking about my preferential treatment at work. Questioned me about our relationship and if we had long and meaningful discussions. Of course, we never do. We’re different, and I can’t think of a single thing we have in common except we both like being single, and we love dining out, and sex fuels our souls. And neither of us…” I hesitate. I’ve never had the courage to tell Penny this before. “Neither of us wants children.”

She stares at me. “Oh. You never want…”

I shake my head. “Please don’t tell me that I just need to meet the right guy. I couldn’t bear you not believing me.”

“It’s… I won’t. There’s nothing wrong with being different. Many men don’t want to be with someone who is the female version of themselves. They need an escape and appreciate the difference. And I never thought you liked being single. You have grown to accept it. Even in school, you loved being in a relationship. What I disagreed with was how you tried to change yourself to be more of what the guy preferred in a relationship.”

Her green eyes hold understanding. Penny gets me.

“Have you changed for Jobe in any way?”

I shake my head. “But it’s pointless. It’s not going anywhere. I’m not a fool to believe he’ll settle for me. It hurts a lot. Even now. But time will heal the hurt. It just sucks that it’s a double hit with Piper.” My throat burns thinking about her. Tears fall onto my cheeks, and I swipe them away. “She was my closest friend in London, and I’m not sure I want to go back.”

Penny places her arm around me and pulls me close toher side, leaning her head on my shoulder. “I’m here for you.”

“I’m also late.”

She lifts her head. “What?”

“I’ve been vomiting, and I assumed it was stress, and then I realizedI’m late.”

She takes my hand and squeezes it. “What are you going to do?”

I shake my head. “Pray I’m not pregnant. I’m not ready, Pen. I’m not like you. And I’m not sure I’d even tell Jobe.”

“Whatever happens, you’ll have all of our support.”

More tears blur my eyes. “Thank you.”

“We’re not going to do this. Worry about something unnecessarily. We’re getting a testnow.” She stands and holds out her hand. “I’m doing this with you.”

“Are you going to pee on the stick for me?” We both giggle.

“No,” she says, pulling me to my feet. “But I’ll be there when you see the result. I’ll always be by your side when you need me. Always.”

Penny keeps an arm around me as we walk back to the cars. “I’ll buy the pregnancy kit and meet you back at Mom’s.” She hugs me before opening the door of her Bentley.

On the drive to Penny’s San Diego home, where I spent most of my childhood, I bite my nails and imagine the worst outcome. What will I do if I’m… no. Stop. I need to push out the thoughts until I know the result.

I park the car and wave to Penny’s parents who are outside with Summer enjoying the winter sunshine. Penny meets me at the gate. “We’ll talk to them later,” she whispers. “We’ll head upstairs to the bathroom.” She turns to her parents. “Zara and I will chat with you soon. She needs the restroom.”

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