Page 54 of If We Never Met

"I never looked Mandy/Amanda up. I stopped digging. I thought I was being paranoid."

"Maybe you weren't."

"Maybe I wasn't. Thanks for telling me."

"Of course. Keira…" He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure where to begin.

"Just say goodnight, Dante."

"I'll say goodnight, but I don't want to say goodbye."

"You will eventually."

"But that's not today. So, I'll see you around." He disconnected the call before she could say the word he didn't want to hear.

Chapter Thirteen

"I don't wantto hurt you," Hannah said as she came into Keira's boutique late Friday afternoon.

Looking into her friend's troubled gaze, Keira steeled herself for what was coming. "Let's go in the back." She motioned for Connie to take care of their sole customer and then headed into the sewing room. "I know you're worried about your dress, Hannah," she said, as they moved into the next room. "The wedding is a week from tomorrow, and I haven't finished it yet. But I can promise you that it will be done." As Hannah opened her mouth, she rushed forward. "If for some reason, you don't want to wait, maybe you've found another dress you like better, it's fine. You can tell me. I'm very aware that my inability to finish the gown is stressing you out. I won't be hurt."

"It's stressing you out more than me," Hannah said, walking over to the gown that was hanging in plastic on a rack by the wall. "I told you it was beautiful weeks ago. But you keep insisting there's something more you want to do."

"There is. I want it to be perfect for you, Hannah."

Hannah turned to face her, giving her a bewildered smile. "Keira, I'm not perfect. I never have been. I have red hair and freckles and skin that hates the sun."

"You're beautiful, Hannah."

"I'm just me. And this dress is me. It doesn't need more."

"Just give me the weekend. If I can't do better, I'll call it a day."

"I just hate that you're killing yourself over something that I love."

"I'm not killing myself, but I have a vision, and I want to make it happen. You're just being nice, saying the dress is okay."

Hannah sighed and gave her a pointed look. "Seriously? Since when am I just nice, Keira?"

"Well…"

Hannah laughed. "That's right. We've known each other for a long time. I can be snarky and impatient and hold a grudge way too long. Like I said, I'm not perfect. Neither are you. And you need to deal with whatever is driving you toward this quest for perfection."

"Honestly, I don't know what it is. I'm just feeling stuck. It didn't happen with Chelsea's gowns, or her wedding dress, or her awards dress. The bridesmaids' dresses have gone well, but now I feel blocked."

"Because you're exhausted. You can't do everything, Keira. Last I looked, you weren't wearing a cape."

She sat down at her sewing table. "I could use a cape right about now."

Hannah took the seat adjacent to her. "I hate to add to your burden, but since you're too busy to check social media, I feel compelled to share some information you might need, unless you already know?"

"Know what?" she asked warily.

"The photos from your threesome date at the Lakeshore Bistro are online."

"It wasn't a threesome."

Hannah grinned. "Well, whatever you want to call it, the three of you looked very good together. Although, I could see by your expression that you did not want to be there."

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