Page 124 of The Bachelor

“And I just found out this morning that I have to be in court, so I can’t go with Oaklyn. I have to cancel my part of the trip.”

Fuck.

Oaklyn was going to be crushed. As much as she hated that she was lying to her best friend, I knew she was looking forward to their vacation.

“That sucks—for the both of you,” I said.

“I just feel terrible. I locked her into these dates, and she moved all her meetings around to make it work, and now, I’m bailing.”

“Can you reschedule your court date?”

She shook her head. “I tried.”

“Then, Hannah, you really have no choice. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“But here’s the thing: we prepaid for some of the specialty spa treatments and excursions, and they have a no-cancellation policy. I don’t mind losing out on the money I forked over—this is my fault after all. I can’t help that work is taking precedence over play, but what about Oaklyn? She shouldn’t have to lose out—moneywise or funwise—because of me.”

My heart was aching for my girl. “Talk to her about it. See what she says. Maybe she’ll come up with a solution.”

“I hope so.” She leaned forward, almost holding her stomach. “Because I’m really feeling like the worst friend ever.”

TWENTY-FIVE

Oaklyn

“Hiii,” Hannah said as I answered the phone, holding it against my ear, trying to block out the noise from the terminal.

“Hey, you.”

“Are you at the airport?”

I scanned the faces of the people sitting near me at the gate. Everyone was either occupied with conversation or on their phone, the space around us so loud and busy.

I still attempted to keep my voice down as I replied, “All checked in and waiting to board.”

“I can’t believe I’m not sitting next to you right now.”

I took a deep breath to calm the flutters in my chest, where a mix of excitement and anxiousness was swirling like the center of a storm.

This was the first time I’d ever traveled alone for pleasure. I could have taken Camden—he’d certainly offered to go in Hannah’s place enough times.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want him here.

I did, more than anything.

I’d just worried that somehow, someway, Hannah would find out. I didn’t want her to. I wanted that conversation to go exactly as I’d planned, taking place the day after I got back from this trip, when Camden and I would drive to her house and confess.

A conversation I was dreading with every ounce of me.

But for some strange reason, my conscience felt the tiniest bit lighter by not having Camden join me on this trip. That even though we were doing everything behind her back, lying and betraying her trust, this vacation was honest.

It wasn’t deceitful.

It was one less thing I felt wrong about.

Oh God.

I hated myself.

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