Page 129 of Marrying Off My Husband

“That couldn’t happen,” Louise said as she rubbed my arm. “Now, tell me.”

I pressed my lips together, tears threatening again as I raised my eyes to meet hers. “I…Spencer and I…”

“Yeah?”

“Louise, we…we were never really dating. We faked the whole thing.”

Her expression turned blank as she stared at me. “What? But you were perfect together.”

My features pinched. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. Spencer…he told me on our first date that he wanted you to find happiness, and you wouldn’t date unless he did. He said he didn’t want to go through meeting all the people you’d throw at him, so he asked if we could…

I hesitated, swallowing hard and slowing my voice. “He asked if we could fake date. Just…agree to date until you found your happiness with someone.”

“Did he?” Louise’s voice was pensive as her brows knitted and she stared at my marred coffee table.

“Yes. And I agreed to it. I…went along with it.”

Tears fell to my cheeks again. “I was so stupid.”

Louise snapped her gaze back to me. “It wasn’t fake for you, was it?”

Ruefully, I shook my head, sniffling as I desperately tried to stop myself from crying. “It started out…sort of like that. I didn’t… think much about it but then…we got closer and…I…”

I couldn’t continue. My voice broke, and I hung my head.

Louise rubbed my back as I wept before I grabbed a tissue from the small box on my table and pressed it to my eyes before blowing my nose. “I was so stupid. I really set myself up for a fall. I shouldn’t have let myself fall for him.”

“Now, darlin’, this isn’t your fault. This is Spencer’s.”

I shook my head as I glanced at her. “As much as I’d like to be angry with him, Louise, it’s not his fault. I agreed to his plan. I knew he’d walk away from me in the end. If he wouldn’t have been so…special, and I wouldn’t have been so stupid.”

“You aren’t stupid. And I think Spencer has feelings for you. He just won’t admit it. He’s scared. I think…I think he feels the same way you do.”

I huffed out a laugh as my tears stopped for a moment. “This isn’t a romance movie, Lou. I wish it was. But…it’s not. He more than happily walked away from me tonight. He’s the one who brought it up.”

I wagged my finger at her. “Please don’t be mad at him. He was very clear with me about what was going to happen.”

“I’ll bet he was,” she answered, her jaw tight. She flicked her gaze to me, pulling me into a hug. “Well, darlin’, you have everyright to be upset. No matter what you agreed to, you hoped for a genuine connection because you are a genuine, sweet person. And now you just cry your little heart out on my shoulder. I’m not going to leave you, darlin’. And I’m going to make sure you find happiness. I promise.”

I settled against her, my heart aching. I knew she meant well, but after this, I wasn’t certain I ever wanted to date again.

CHAPTER 32

LOUISE

My mind whirled as I tightened my arms around a sobbing Eve. After her confession, she’d wept again, but I hadn’t cared about the dishonesty, I cared about her broken heart.

As I suspected, she’d fallen for Spencer. Why wouldn’t she? They were perfect together.

She’d opened her heart to the man, and he’d stomped on it.

My lips tugged into a frown as Eve heaved a shaky sigh next to me, another whine escaping her. “Gosh, I’m so sorry, Lou. I’m really okay. Why don’t you go on your date with Theo?”

“Now, darling, I am not leaving you here to cry yourself to sleep. I just won’t do it. And Theo wouldn’t want me to, either. You heard him.”

“You are both very kind. But…really, Lou, I can nurse my own broken heart. It’s my fault anyway.”

“I have had just about enough of that talk,” I answered, a fake scolding in my voice. “This isn’t your fault, Eve, any morethan it was mine when I’d found myself heartbroken in the past. I remember the pain all too well, and I can’t bear to see you go through the same. ”

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