Page 130 of Marrying Off My Husband

Eve’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just my bad luck.”

“Oh, darlin’, I am so sorry about this. I just feel so responsible for this whole mess.”

“Oh, no,” she said, her features pinching as she took my hands in hers, determined to soothe me. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” I answered, my consternation growing. “I started this. I pushed Spencer to date. And I forced him on you. And he broke your heart.”

“He didn’t mean to. He doesn’t even know he did. I…I never told him, but after our kiss–”

“The one at the park?”

Eve scrunched her features as she shook her head, her gaze focused on the tissue in her hands. “No, that…that wasn’t bad, but the one in Vale.”

“You kissed in Vale?”

“We did. It just…happened.” Eve pressed a hand to her forehead. “We had too much to drink, and we were playing cards, and…”

“Go on,” I said, stroking her hair.

“We were laughing so much.” Her features pinched. “And we stopped and…our lips came together.”

“Is that when you realized you loved him?”

Eve raised her glassy eyes to mine with a shake of her head. “No. I…I enjoyed our time together probably right away, but definitely from our arcade date on. I just…when that kiss happened, I thought maybe he was experiencing the same thing. Well, I guess I’d hoped he was. This was the best relationship I’ve ever had.”

My heart broke for her as she sobbed through her statement.

“Well, correction. This wasn’t a relationship at all. That’s my mistake. I…I just kept falling for him instead of stopping myself.”

“Darlin’, you can’t stop love. That’s just silly.”

“I wish you could,” she said, her voice breaking as she fell into me in tears again.

“I know, sugar. I know. I’ve had my heart broken, too. And I know how badly it hurts.”

“I’ve just…never connected with anyone like this before. Normally, I just get ghosted or dumped. Well, I guess I did get dumped again…this time I never had a boyfriend to begin with.”

Her words made my insides twist into a tight knot. “Shhh, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

I rubbed her shoulder in a desperate attempt to console her, but I knew nothing could help her broken heart.

“I’m going to fix this, I promise,” I said.

“Oh, Lou, you don’t need to do that. Honestly, it’s probably better this way. I’m no good at love. I told you I was unlucky in it. This is…well, it’s just my luck to fall for a man who has no interest in me.”

I pressed my lips together, rubbing her arm as she wiped at her cheeks. “Well, you just cry, darlin’. I’ll be right here with you.”

And cry, she did. For at least another fifteen minutes before she finally quieted.

I couldn’t stop my mind from berating myself over this. I should have paid more attention to the signs. This was why they’d been so coy with me, so interested in my progress with Theo.

Spencer had been waiting me out, lying to my face. My nostrils flared as I silently seethed until Eve’s breathing turned rhythmic.

I waited a few more minutes until I was sure she was fast asleep before I wiggled out from under her, propped her up with a pillow, and covered her with a blanket.

Her red nose and puffy eyes broke my heart as I glanced down at her.

I winced as my phone chimed, afraid it might wake her, but she seemed completely exhausted from her experience.

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