Page 116 of One Time in Paris
Because we lied to him.
“Callum, we wanted to tell you.” Isla turned toward him and gripped his elbow. “And you can’t be angry with anyone else who knows. We didn’t try to tell them and leave you out of it. It was all accidental, and both of us asked them for the chance to tell you ourselves.”
“It’s a sad day when the only person who tells me the truth about my own sister and best friend is Lola Salas.”
Isla’s eyes widened.Lola? She knows? How in the hell had she found out?
Of all the people to break the news, it had to be Lola.
Not Aiden. Not me. Not even Elle.
The woman who’d once torched Aiden’s heart and still somehow held the match to hers.The shame hit hard and fast like she'd swallowed a mouthful of glass.
“How...”
Callum gave Isla a cool look. “Of course, she didn’t do it out of goodwill. She let slip that she’d seen you and Aiden in Vegas—after a long night of drinking, apparently. Said something about how you threw up on her suitcase after leaving Aiden’s room in the morning.”
Humiliation burned in her cheeks. She couldn’t really say nothing had happened that night even though she was tempted to. Because somethinghad happened.Something bigger than hooking up.
“And then there was that morning I called, and you were clearly waking up together. Or this morning, when your boots were lying on the floor of Aiden’s kitchen. Andknickers. Have to admit, that wasn’t the most pleasant way to start the day. And for Aiden to suggest they belonged to some stranger from before he went to New York? That burned, Isla.”
She wanted to laugh. Or cry. Maybe both.
Of course he’d noticed.
Of course he’d been paying attention—because that was what Callum did. He protected. He saw what others missed.
And she’d treated him like he was blind. She couldn’t imagine how much it must have hurt him toknowAiden was lying to his face. How he wasn’t raging right now showed a side of him that neither of them deserved.
Tears pricked her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Callum. We were going to tell you. We just didn’t know how you’d take it and wanted to wait until after the party.” She swallowed hard, then added, tenuously, “But, I mean, it’s a good thing you know now, and we can talk openly about it. And it’s a relief to know that you’re not opposed.”
Callum chuckled without mirth. “I might not have been opposed.Before.But now? Now my enthusiasm is...definitely tarnished.” He leaned closer. “That sort of thing happens when you realize everyone around you is lying.”
Her hand tightened on his sleeve. “It’s not their fault, so please don’t blame them. Most of them are angry with us, actually—which is why this party has been so awkward for me.”
“Wonderful. Just the sort of drama I love.” Callum released a strangled sigh. “I just don’t understand. Am I a terrible brother? A monster who would resort to caveman antics of beating his best friend? Or is there something I’m not seeing here? Are you just hooking up? Is he blackmailing you into sex or something more nefarious?”
Isla dropped her hand to her side. “No.” At least he clearly didn’t know about the marriage. He might be angrier if he did, though.
“Maybe I deserve this after what I did with your production and Tomas.”
Isla set her glass down on the balcony ledge, then slipped her arms around him. “No, no. That’s not it. And I’m so sorry, Callum. I truly am. You’ve always been the best brother in the world, and I hate that I’ve put such a horrible damper on your happy day.” She wiped her cheeks.
She should tell him about the marriage now and be done with it. The only way to get over thisthingshe and Aiden had created—this monstrous lie—was to gothroughit.
And now that Callum had admitted he knew, the news about the Vegas marriage was a ticking time bomb that anyone might let slip.
Her hand trembled at her side. Tell him now. Rip off the bandage. You already jumped the first fence—what’s one more confession?
Aiden might not be right beside her to tell him together, but Callum was her brother, and this was the only way forward now. “I have to tell you something?—”
“Callum! There you are,” Brenda, Liddy’s mother, stepped out onto the balcony. She waved him toward her. “The event planner is looking for you. They’re moving the party to the dining room, and she wants you to be introduced with Liddy.”
Callum held Isla’s gaze for a moment, then looked away and nodded at Brenda. “Coming,” he said. He squeezed Isla’s hand. “We’ll talk soon. I’m going back to all the pretenders. Liddy deserves a nice day, and I don’t want this to be the focus.”
Isla watched him go with a heavy heart.
Dammit.
