Page 84 of The Holiday Ex-Files

Dang, girl, he just told it like it is. Now what are you going to do?

That was a good question.

While I was trying to think of the right thing to do, my phone buzzed again. I looked down to see a text from Annika. My heart stopped. I hesitated to open it, but I knew if I didn’t, I might go into cardiac arrest.

Annika: I know this might be awkward, but I need to know if you and Noah are more than friends. I thought maybe he and I were going to rekindle. Again, awkward.

I knew then what the right thing to do was.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hey, Ex-Filers, I know many of you have seen the picture of me with my FRIEND and CONTRACTOR, Noah. That’s right, we’re friends with a capital F. Add a P for platonic. I’ve known him for years. In fact, he is my ex-husband’s best friend and was the best man at my wedding. Awkward. And look at the man. Do you think I would leave the single life for someone like him? I know some might find him attractive—okay, a lot of you based on your salacious comments—but pictures can be deceiving. The bottom line is, we aren’t a couple. I’m more single than the number one.

Lots of love,

Cami

I stared at the message, there in the middle of gallons and gallons of paint. I knew I wasn’t telling the full truth, so help me God. But it was the right thing to do. Noah needed me to do this for him and Annika. I was probably just having feelings for Noah because he was safe, and I knew it would never go anywhere.

Seriously, stop lying to yourself. You know that’s not true. Own your life and your feelings, Miss Sparkly begged.

Fine. I care about Noah, but he’s in love with Annika. We will not be the other woman, ever.

Sparkles went silent. She knew better than anyone, the damage the other woman could do. Once I silenced myself, I clicked publish before I thought about it too much.

My head popped up to see Noah reading his phone. Maybe I should have thought about it more, judging by how he shook his head, his face getting redder by the second. But then he took a deep breath and let it out, his shoulders rising and falling. He shoved his phone in his pocket and made his way to me with Luna.

I braced myself for what he was going to say. He really should be saying thank you, but judging by the perplexed look on his face, I knew that wasn’t happening. Instead he sighed, then smirked. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

My mouth dropped and I spluttered. He was so, so right, but I couldn’t admit to that. I threw my hood on my head and cinched it up tight. “I probably shouldn’t be seen with you.”

Noah crinkled his brow. “You’re not that famous, Cams.”

“Yeah, well, famous enough.”

“More like infamous,” he growled.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I pleaded with him to understand. “I just did us both a favor, so you’re welcome. Can we go now?”

“Fine, Cams.” He was clearly unhappy with me, judging by the way he marched toward the entrance, leaving me in the dust.

I trailed behind him and Luna, feeling like there was a tail between my legs. What was I supposed to do? I’ll tell you what I didn’t want to do, and that was get in his truck. He didn’t open my door like he normally did. That was good. But watching him, sitting behind the wheel stewing, didn’t give me any warm fuzzy feelings. I didn’t understand why he was so upset. He had to know that picture of us hurt Annika. Maybe I should show him the message she sent me, even though it was totally embarrassing. And if he didn’t care what people online thought about him, he shouldn’t take issue with the fact that I basically indicated I didn’t think he was godlike. Maybe I would tell him he was pretty to try and smooth it over. Because the one thing I knew was that I couldn’t lose Noah as a friend. It pierced my heart even thinking about it.

As I approached the vehicle, I saw that he was taking a call. I stood by and watched as the blood drained from his face. Oh no. Annika was breaking up with him, and it was all my skanky fault. I wanted to rush to him to tell him I would make it all better and talk to Annika, but I felt as if my shoes were plastered to the asphalt. Maybe I was better off in hiding. Look how much I screwed everything up.

It didn’t take Noah long to get off the phone. As soon as he did, he started his truck and rolled down his window. He lasered in on me with his steely gaze. “I need to go. They think my sister’s in labor and they don’t know if they can stop it this time.”

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