Page 117 of The Love Haters

I sat with this idea for a moment, giving it the benefit of the doubt. Then I said, “Okay, so, if you’re not lying—if—why would Rue being sick mean that I have to go along with all this?”

Cole nodded as he answered. “Because Friday is the anniversary.”

“The anniversary of what?”

“The anniversary,” Cole explained, “of the accident.”

OF THE CARaccident.

Cole studied me to see if I got it. Then he nodded. “It’s a big day in our family. And every year, no matter where we are or what we’re doing, the three of us find a way to spend it together. We hand out flowers to strangers in honor of our mom, and then we eat an Italian dinner in honor of Rue’s husband, and then at the end, we give our waiter a hundred-dollar tip, in honor of our dad. And all through dinner, we tell stories about them, and remember them, and let ourselves miss them.”

“That’s actually lovely.”

Cole nodded. “Except after Hutch stole my fiancée—”

“He didnotsteal your fiancée—”

“—I stayed away. Last year, I didn’t go. And I wasn’t planning to come this year, either—until Rue called and told me about her diagnosis. She declared she wasn’t putting up with any nonsense this year.It’s time to stop wasting time, she said.” Cole shrugged. “So here I am.”

“You’re here because Rue wanted you to come.”

Cole nodded. “She just wants to spend some good time together. And she wants to be together on the anniversary like we should be. And she wants me to, and I’m quoting here,quit being an ass and get overitabout my fiancée. She wants Hutch and me to make up. She called it her dying wish.”

That did sound like Rue.

I said, “Sounds like a good plan.”

“I don’t disagree,” Cole said. “But if we come clean about us now—”

“There is nous!” I protested.

“If we tell the truth—”

“Ifyoutell the truth,” I corrected. “I amnota part of this.”

“The point is,” Cole said, “if I tell Hutch that I lied to him about you, he’s going to beat the hell out of me. I mean it. He might really put me in the hospital.”

I studied Cole’s face.

“All Rue wants,” Cole said, “is for us to get along for one night. To have a good time together on a very bad day. But I guarantee: if Hutch finds out I messed with him, she will not get that wish.”

“Hutch isn’t going to put you in the hospital,” I said, likeCome on.

“You think you know him better than I do?”

“All I know is, you’re the biggest liar I’ve ever seen. Even just now, when you were lying to the whole group about a dating situation”—I gestured between the two of us—“that does notin any wayexist, you seemed to be enjoying yourself. A lot.”

Cole nodded solemnly. “This situation does have a few personal upsides for me.”

“Like?”

“Like not having to show up tonight divorced and sad with nothing good in my life. You get that, right? You’ve been jilted. I got jiltedfor my brother.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“You want the truth? Here’s the truth: I did enjoy that moment earlier. I did enjoy taking you away from Hutch like that. I did enjoy a little taste of revenge. I did want to win, for once. Even if it’s fake. Even if it’s temporary. And even if he will—definitely—eventually pummel me for it. For a moment there, it felt good. That’s not a lie.”

I looked back toward the party.

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