Page 28 of Words We Didn't Say

Yvette’s eyebrows shot to the roof. “Say it isn’t so?”

I sighed. “It’s true.”

“I wasn’t expecting anything like that.” She cocked her head, humming as she thought the news over. “Now, there’s no doubt Zach’s a catch. Rich, gorgeous, and a hot bod. He could pull some serious pussy if he weren’t so damn shy—”

“Is this helpful?” Andie snapped. “What’s your point?”

“My point,” Yvette shot back, “is that despite all his selling points, Zach’s so socially awkward it’s a miracle he bagged one babe, but juggling two? Come on. When would he even have the time? The man’s chained to a desk.”

“It helps the side chick’s chained with him,” Andie said.

“He said they weren’t”—I waved a hand around, searching for the word—“dating.” Or fucking. Same, same.

“Anymore,” Andie added.

That reminder was worse than an elbow in the ribs. My eyes zeroed in on the roses dumped on the counter. A pink envelope was tucked in between the green stems. I grabbed the card, running my finger along the sharp edge, my pulse kicking into gear.

I didn’t want to admit it, but the words on the paper meant something. Oh, who was I kidding? The words Zach had written on the card meanteverything. An explanation, a promise, an apology—I wanted them all.

The card was light, a feather, air even, but somehow, the weight of the thin paper was enough to almost buckle my knees. I couldn’t read it.

I flicked up the card. “You read it,” I said to Andie.

She hesitated before plucking it from my fingers. “You sure?”

I nodded.

Frowning, Andie scanned whatever was written inside. She grimaced.

Yvette peered over Andie’s shoulder. Her eyes darted over the words. “Yikes on bikes,” she murmured under her breath.

“It can’t be that bad,” I squeaked. “Can it?”

“Ah…” Andie said.

“Well…” Yvette said at the same time.

I snatched the card from Andie. The message was typed because Zach couldn’t even be bothered to write a message himself. I read the card.

I miss your smile.

There had to be more. Therehadto be. I flipped the card over. Nope. The other side was blank.

Anger exploded in my chest. “That’s it?”I scrunched the card in my fist and pitched it across the room. It hit the wall and dropped to the floor in a crumbled pink mess.

No one dared to say a word. I rarely lost my shit and certainly never over a man. The only sound in the silence was my scratchy breaths. My chest was tight. I wanted to punch something. Yell at someone. No. Just one person. Zach.

The shrill chirp of the salon’s landline broke the silence.

Yvette cackled and tugged the wad of phone messages out of her cleavage. “I wonder who that could be!” She fanned themessages in my face before she strolled over to pick up the phone.

Andie was watching me closely. “You okay?” she asked gruffly.

“No.”

“He’s a thoughtless dick.”

“Yeah.”

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