Page 64 of Please Remember

Her tactic seems to change as she falls to the ground, gripping my hand tightly. "I love you. I'm sorry for going behind your back. I just love you so much that I was desperate. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I'll do anything for you. You know it's true."

Yanking my hand back, I stare at her completely dumbstricken. "Are you desperate enough to stalk me and get information to show up places you're not invited?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Where have I been that I wasn't invited?"

Again, I want to mention the missing picture and the camera, but I don't want to let her in on the fact I know it was her. "My parents' cookout?"

"I was told about it—"

"No one told you about it, Laura."

"I'm in a group chat—"

"Stop lying!" I shout at her. "We all checked, and it wasn't a group chat. Sage was missed in the invite process, and there is not a single group chat you're in that she isn't. You found out somehow and weaseled your way in. It ends now," I say, walking to my pickup.

She runs down the steps, tears streaming down her face. "Jax! Wait! We can work this out!"

"And send something out letting everyone know the wedding invitations you mailed this week were a mistake. The wedding isn't happening. It was never happening, and you sending them out is just proof you're off your fucking rocker."

"There must've been a mistake at the post office—"

"Just stop! I'm done with your lies, and I'm done with you. As of right now, I don't ever want to see you again," I say and climb into my pickup.

Screams of protest call out, but I don't pay any attention. I drive away and pray she gets the message. I don't like being cruel, but she cannot seem to accept what's actually going on. She creates a world of her own, and she doesn't seem to understand that what happens in her head and what happens in real life aren't the same. I'm never going back to her. I never should have been with her to begin with. In fact, I never should have allowed her to be part of the group for anywhere near as long as I did. That should have ended when high school did.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Laura

Iwatch Jax speed away before picking myself up off the front step and walking inside. Shutting the door, I lean against it and furiously wipe away my tears. Allie. Fuck her. I was certain she'd tell Jax she was done after our last conversation, and he'd be devastated.

I could swoop in and tell him that he doesn't have to go it alone. I'll be here, and everything is still a go. I knew I shouldn't have sent those invites this week. I should’ve given it another week. Damn the post office for being relatively efficient. They can’t deliver a package on time to save their life, but when I count on them being delayed, they’re fucking on time.

"This is not going the way I planned. I've clearly underestimated my opponent. Allie's a bigger adversary than I gave her credit for," I say as I sigh and roll my shoulders. "No, she's not. I just didn't account for Sage. She's such a bitch."

The plan had been working. I just had to hang out in the shadows, always right there but not directly involved. Knowing things I shouldn't to help plant seeds of doubt in the relationship. Allie left Jax evenwithout my help. That was all him, and I knew I just needed to go in for the kill. End the relationship before it could go any further. I almost succeeded, too.

The downfalls in the plan were pretty simple. First, she went to stay with Sage instead of her mother. Her mother would have helped completely annihilate the relationship. That was mistake number one. The second mistake was letting the camera get found. I should have planned for a better hiding place. At least I was able to turn it off before Jax could figure out it was transmitting to my house. And third was assuming Allie wouldn't talk to Jax about what I said. I assumed she'd just leave, and that was probably my biggest mistake.

Being the shoulder to cry on when Jax was in despair worked last time. It had taken time, but I was sure it would work again. It should have been easier when he realized he couldn't have Allie to get him to come back to me. Especially if I was able to just be there when he needed without having to ask me. It should have expedited the process.

Sage has been a bigger problem than I expected, though. She's the type of bitch to get into other's business and ruin plans. Plans I so carefully worked out over weeks. She was never happy Jax moved on with me, and she'll just do whatever she can to ruin it. Probably wants him for herself.

Another knock comes, and I pray it’s Jax, ready to apologize. Every fantasy I have involves Jax coming to tell me he made the biggest mistake of his life when he broke off our engagement, and he's sorry. That he loves me, and he wants to take me to Paris to elope. Just the two of us, and if our friends aren't happy about it, we don't need that kind of negativity in our lives. We'll be happy. Together, we’ll be happy.

Opening the robe just enough to show off my cleavage, I wipe my face and open the door with a smile on my face. "I knewyou'd be back—"

Detective Parsons' eyebrows lift as the new partner with him—a woman I don't recognize—clears her throat. "Ms. Dawson," Parsons says.

"I'm Detective Shields," the pretty raven-haired woman says, and I close my robe again. "May we come inside and talk?"

"Sure," I say, moving to let them inside. "What can I do for you?"

"We just witnessed the fight you had with Jackson. This whole situation must be rather difficult for you."

Difficult? Is she serious? "What can I do for you?" I ask again.

"We came to ask questions about the night Allison Bennett went missing," Parsons says.

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