Page 116 of The Friend Situation

Yep! Eating breakfast. Hungry? Easton just left. I have extra!

Carlee

I only have five minutes.

Lexi

Perfect amount of time.

I pull my hair back into a tight bun as whispers of self-doubt take over, but I have no choice. It’s either I deal with Lexi or Mr. Martin, and she’s easier to handle than him. As I walk around the penthouse, I realize Weston already left for the day.

In a rush, I take the elevator to her floor. I knock urgently, andshe answers with a smile. Her tiny pregnant belly is showing, and she’s glowing.

“Aww, you’re so cute, Mama,” I exclaim.

The sight of her brings a smile to my lips.

“Aww. Thanks.” She beams back at me, but her expression shifts. “Is that a hickey on your neck?”

Before I can think, I slap my hand over the mark, embarrassment flooding my cheeks. “I need makeup. I didn’t pack any for this. Just have my travel bag.”

“Who’s responsible for that? Sam or Weston?” she asks, eyebrows raised.

“You know I don’t kiss and tell,” I say, refusing to answer as she guides me up to her bathroom.

“It was Weston. Those damn Calloways. Easton tagged me so many times.”

Lexi rummages through her cosmetics and pulls out some concealer, dabbing it on my neck with practiced care.

“Do you know if Weston is seeing someone secretly?” I ask and almost immediately regret it.

She bursts into laughter. “He’s not. Trust me. If he was serious about someone, Easton would know.”

I don’t know why that stings a little. Do I want Weston to tell his brother about us? What are we even?

“What’s going on?” she asks.

“Last night, this very pretty woman came to visit him at three in the morning. I walked in on them hugging, very closely,” I explain, my voice barely above a whisper. A creeping thought invades my mind. “What if there is someone, and …”

My words falter.I’m the decoy.

“What?” Lexi looks at me with alarm on her face.

“Nothing.” I force a smile, pushing the thoughts away.

Weston has always been two steps ahead of everyone. He’s a master strategist when it comes to how his life is portrayed. He has a team that watches everything said about him onlinebecause his reputation is important. But would he usemeto feed the media a false narrative that I’m not aware of? I’d like to think not, but doubt gnaws at me. I don’t want to get caught up in his web.

“I canguaranteethose blind items are about you and Weston. Why are you trying to convince yourself they’re not and there is someone else?”

“You can’t guarantee that,” I counter, shaking my head. “Sure, it’s convenient, but maybe it’s a planned cover-up for something greater, and I’m just a distraction in Weston’s ultimate game of chess. Lexi, there was a beautiful woman who looked like a supermodel in designer clothes, standing in his penthouse, and he was comforting her. When I appeared, her surprise was obvious, as if I’d interrupted something. It seemed serious, and she apologized and kept saying she didn’t know he wasn’t alone.”

“What did she look like?” Lexi asks.

I sigh, my heart sinking with the memory. “About my height. Dark brown hair, light-blue eyes.”

“Was it Billie?”

“No, it wasn’t his sister,” I reply. “She’s familiar though, but I can’t pinpoint her yet.”

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