Page 86 of Enemies, Lovers & A Valentine's Baby

Lila lets out a soft, conspiratorial laugh. “Yeah, about that. Greg isn’t an asshole; I promise you that. He would never do anything to hurt you, Sue. I’ve told you this a hundred times. This time I have proof.”

“What? You—”

“Just promise me you’ll keep an open mind tonight, okay? By the end of the night, everything will make sense,” Lila interrupts gently, her voice steady but firm.

Sue groans. “What does that even mean?”

“Just trust me, Sue.”

Sue huffs out a reluctant, “Fine, but even if Greg’s not an asshole, Cole certainly is. I can’t believe he really thought you—”

“Sue,” Lila says sharply, her voice dropping into a clipped tone. “What did we promise we weren’t going to do tonight?” Her voice is tense just at the mention of me. Does she hate me that much?

Sue lets out a heavy sigh, guilt creeping into her voice. “We said we weren’t going to talk about Cole.”

“Exactly,” Lila says. “It was your idea, and a really good one. So let’s stick to it. He can think whatever he wants about me. I know the truth, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Her voice is quiet but cold, the warmth I’ve come to associate with Lila stripped away completely. It’s like a punch to the gut. She’s hurt, and she has every right to be. I thought—oh, God, I thought the worst about her, and I was wrong. I’m the one who did this to her.

“I know. It’s just not fair how he—”

The sound of a door opening in the distance quiets both of them. Greg’s voice echoes through the hallway a moment later.

“Babe? What are you doing out here? Oh, Lila, you’re here too. I’ve been looking everywhere for you two,” Greg’s voice booms cheerfully, breaking the tension.

“Yeah, we just needed to use the restroom, but we’re finished now,” Sue tells him.

“You ladies should come back in then. There’s something I want to show you, baby,” Greg says.

“Okay. Let’s all go in,” Sue agrees, her voice brighter now. Lila murmurs something I can’t quite make out.

“Oh, by the way, have either of you seen Cole?” Greg asks as their voices fade, growing fainter with each step.

I don’t move until I hear the door shut behind them. Only then does my body finally give in, sagging even more against the cool wall behind me. The reality of what I just overheard overwhelms me, crushing every ounce of self-righteous anger I’d been holding onto.

I’ve been a fool. A blind, stubborn fool.

How could I have believed, even for a second, that Lila would try to trap me or manipulate me? I’ve known her for eight years. Even though we weren’t friends, I’ve always known the kind of person she was. Honest. Kind. Good. And yet, I let my own fears, my own baggage, twist her actions into something they weren’t.

The truth has been staring me in the face the entire time, and I refused to see it because it terrified me.

Because as much as I wanted it, there was a part of me that realizes if she wasn’t lying, then it meant this—us—was real.

It meant I was really about to start a family with the one woman who’s been in my heart since the moment I first saw her.

I can admit it; I’ve been in love with Lila Smith for eight years. Eight long years of pretending I didn’t feel this way, of hiding behind my walls and convincing myself that I was safer on my own, and in the process, I’ve managed to ruin everything.

I need to fix this. I need to tell her the truth, to convince her that we were meant to be together. To raise our child together.

I’ve never prayed in my life, but I find myself doing so now.

“God, please don't let me be too late.”

Chapter 37

The Perfect Valentine

Lila

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