Page 140 of He Loves Me Knot

“I have to tell you something. Miranda sent me a message earlier today.”

Oh.

Liddy’s pulse slowed.

Shit.Now I really feel like a jerk.“I was going to tell you, Rebecca, I just?—”

“Then you know?” Rebecca gripped her arm. “Oh my God. I’ve been wrestling with whether I should tell you. I hated for you to find out from me, but I also couldn’t stand the idea of you being cheated on.” She furrowed her brow. “Did Callum tell you?”

Just what did Miranda tell her?

It sounded as though Miranda had simply divulged that Callum had kissed her. Her next breath came more easily.Thank goodness Miranda didn’t say anything more.

“He did.” Liddy hugged the dress Hunter had given her closer to herself as a sprinkle of rain hit her forearm.

“I can’t believe he’d do that.” Rebecca shook her head, anger flickering through her face. “You deserve so much better than that. He’s such an?—”

“Actually, he’s not,” Liddy breathed. She’d had enough confessions for one day, but Callum didn’t deserve this.I can’t do that to him.

“We’re not really together.” She didn’t want to tell Rebecca all of Callum’s private matters, but maybe there was a good compromise. “We hooked up on this trip. And I promise—there’s a reason I didn’t tell you the truth. It all seems dumb in retrospect, but Callum wasn’t dating me when that incident with Miranda happened.”

Rebecca was silent for a few beats. “I . . . um. All right, then.”

Liddy bit her lip, feeling more awkward than ever. “I’m sorry, Rebecca?—”

“You don’t owe me an apology. If you say you have reasons, I believe you. That’s enough for me.”

Unexpected tears burned in Liddy’s eyes. “Really?”

Rebecca laughed lightly. “Of course, I fully expect you’ll eventually tell me those reasons—when you’re able to.”

“I will.”

“All right.” Rebecca slowed as they drew closer to Liddy’s bungalow. “You’re my friend, Liddy. The only thing I worry about is that you’re putting yourself in a position to get hurt, not who you might sleep with. I will say, it doesn’t make Callum look good—for him to snog with Miranda days before this. My gut tells me Miranda likely wanted something more to come from that and she’s smarting over it, but Callum showed some serious lack of judgment. Though I suppose we all knew he was a knave.”

“He’s not, though.” Liddy stepped under the porch, away from Rebecca. “Really. He’s . . . sweet, if you can believe it. Surprisingly thoughtful. And getting to know him has been the best part of this trip.”

“Getting to know him or having good sex with him? There’s a difference, you know.”

Liddy smiled. “Both were great. But I meant the non-sexual one.” Liddy looked over her shoulder toward the darkened bungalow. “But too many people found out the truth about our arrangement, and it’s over now. He’s ended it.”

“And you don’t want it to be.” Rebecca searched her face. “Right?”

“Yes.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“He didn’t give me a choice.” Liddy rubbed her fingertips into the small of her lower back, where a dull ache was forming. “I really like him. It feels as though there could be something worth exploring between us. But I think he’s scared to let it go anywhere.”

Rebecca practically snorted. “Of course he is. He’s an emotionally stunted man-child. Look, at best, we can hope that men stagnate somewhere in adolescence, but Callum appears to have been served his trauma early, given the way he’s internalized it all . . .” She grinned. “Don’t mind me, I’ve been inhaling true crime specials with loads of psychological analysts.”

“I can tell.”

Rebecca shook her head. “But that’s not the point. The point is,everyonehas been talking about how clearly captivated Callum is by you, Liddy.”

Captivated?

Stupid hope.It flared within her despite her best effort.

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