Page 121 of My Ex's Best Friend

He finally looks up at me. Frowning. "I never cheated on you. I never would."

"Don't you ever get tired of lying?"

"You never gave me a chance to explain," he says. "I mean, I get it. Things were presented to you in a manner—"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I know what Chris told you."

"So, you know I know now. Good."

"Yes, I do know."

My heart shatters. My feet stagger, and I almost stumble.

Panic crosses his features as he reaches for me to steady me. I hate the way my heart betrays me as soon as he touches me. I'm home, and my body knows that.

I smell his familiar musk, and I stop gasping from breath. He's my safe haven. Even after everything that happened, that hasn't changed.

He leads me to the bench and sits me down before taking the seat next to mine. He pulls his phone out and shows me a picture.

I have to squint down at it. It's not his grandmother even though she does awfully resemble her.

"That's Soledad," he says. "Sorry, should have lead with that."

Static fills my ears. "Who?"

"Soledad. The client I went to meet in Spain. She's seventy-six even though she likes to tell people she's seventy years young," Jake says. "She's my sweetest client. And she always calls me out on my crap, just like you do, Kiera."

"But… how?" I splutter. "I heard her voice. She's young."

"No, you didn't," Jake says, shaking his head. "That was Chris's girlfriend or whatever. He tricked you by calling her and switching my name with hers on his phone."

It can't be that simple.

"No, you're lying."

"I'm not. You can talk to Soledad right now. And I swear, Kiera, I'm not having an affair with her. She has grandkids my age."

"But… She told us you weren’t there."

He shakes his head again. "I guess she was telling the truth at least there. Because I wasn’t there. Ever."

"But how did Chris—"

"My friends know about my traveling plans. My clients. Chris must have found out that you're working with me at the firm. I kept turning down my plans with them, lost all interest in other women. He put two and two together and figured out we were a couple. He thinks that I led you to his room the night you found out about his betrayal, and he wanted to get back at me."

I stare down at my palms. "And he succeeded."

"No, he didn't."

"I pushed you away from me. I was keeping our baby from you." Tears flow down my face freely. "God, I'm such an idiot."

Jake puts his finger under my chin so that I have no choice but to look at him. "None of that is true, baby. I haven't gone anywhere. I'm right here with you."

Tears continue to stream down my eyes, clouding my vision till I can barely see him. "But Jake, I didn't let you explain. I let the past come between us once again. I let Chris ruin everything."

"He didn't ruin anything," Jake says firmly. "And you're not the one at fault. I should have been more transparent about my trip. I guess I didn't want you to worry or feel burdened when you were pulling long nights on the museum project. And you were pregnant. That was stupid of me."

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