Page 51 of My Ex's Best Friend

He takes a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "I guess I just got a little defensive back there. I know it shouldn’t have happened.”

“But why?”

He gives me a strange look. “Isn’t that obvious?”

“Not to me.”

He gives me a painful smile. “Can we at least eat?”

“Are you trying to change the topic?”

“I swear I’m not,” he says. “But I’m really hungry, and I think you are, too.”

Jake breaks the silence by pouring wine into the two glasses.

I watch him, the play of emotions on his face a mystery to unravel.

He hands me a glass, and we retreat to the balcony. The night air is cool against my skin as we settle into a comfortable silence, sipping our wine.

The sprawling garden looks beautiful under the night sky.

“Why did you bring up the past yesterday?”

Jake practically freezes. “I was being an ass.”

I shake my head. “No, you need to be honest with me, Jake. I know how we left things back then. You broke my heart and—”

He shakes his head. “No, Kiera. You don’t understand.” He sighs. “Look. I never blamed you for how we left things.

But I want to make things right in whatever way we can. I didn't mean to hurt you back there. Please believe me. That was always the furthest thing from my mind.”

I swallow hard, the lump in my throat refusing to dissipate. "What happened broke me," I say, my voice barely a whisper.

“I have been trying to maintain my professionalism and not cross a line, knowing or unknowingly.”

“You haven’t been inappropriate with me.” Does he think there’s something off between us because we slept together years ago?

“Not that you know of,” he mutters.

My heart flutters in my chest. What’s that supposed to mean?

“It’s difficult when you’re around. I make bad decisions.”

My pulse quickens. I can’t look away from him, drawn to him like a moth to the flame. My brain screams at me to turn away, that it’s a bad decision. But I can’t walk away from him. It’s the same way it was all those years ago at the party. I wasn’t that drunk. I knew exactly what I was doing.

But there’s still a question at the back of my head, something I’ve held on to unanswered.

"Jake, I... I need to know something."

"What is it?"

"Why didn't you tell me the truth about Chris?" I finally voice the question that has haunted me for years.

Jake shifts uncomfortably, his eyes meeting mine. “I didn’t know.”

“Please don’t lie to me.”

He catches my hands in his. “I’m not lying, Kiera. I didn’t know, I swear. Chris mentioned wanting to party and live life a bit before he chained himself to anyone, his words, not mine. As far as I knew, he loved you, so I didn’t think he was serious. It wasn’t until I saw him heading upstairs with the two girls at the party that I realized he was about to cheat on you. And I was too shocked to do anything."

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