Page 13 of Always Be Mine

She typed in her reply to Mandi.

Always.

A moment later, her phone rang, and Mandi’s face appeared on the screen. “Hey,” she answered with a smile in her voice. “I don’t usually hear from you in the middle of the day.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a sigh.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Lucy, but?—”

“I already know.” Her good mood evaporated, Lucy moved to a bench and sat. “You’re calling to tell me about Ross and…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

“The baby.”

Lucy nodded.

“You knew?”

“I saw it on Instagram,” she admitted.

“Instagram? Lucy? Why would you—it doesn’t matter.” Mandi blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, Luce. I know you?—”

“I didn’t love him.”

It was a lie, and they both knew it. Lucyhadloved Ross. He’d broken her heart when she’d discovered the truth. For days, she wasn’t sure how she’d ever be able to get out of bed again. Let alone go to work. She’d used all her vacation time in bed crying.

“I was hoping to tell you before you found out another way,” Mandi said. “It’s all so gross, and she came into the restaurant the other day.”

“What?” That caught Lucy’s attention. In the entire time she’d worked there, she’d never once stepped foot in the restaurant. Or if she had, Lucy hadn’t known about it, nor had she known who she was.

Which was the whole problem.She hadn’t known.

“No. I don’t want to know.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to know anything. It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m over it.” She straightened her shoulders. “I’m over him.”

She forced a neutral expression onto her face, despite the fact that Mandi would be able to see right through it.

After a moment, Mandi nodded. “Okay. I won’t say another word, except I do need to ask about your plans work-wise.”

“Work-wise?”

“Yeah. I know you’re on a little holiday or whatever you’re calling it, but when you come back…are you…well…”

“Just say it.” Lucy tried not to sound impatient.

“Well, I don’t know ifsheknows about what happened.”

“She doesn’t.”

“Well, then this is coming straight from Ross. He told me to let you know that you probably shouldn’t think of coming back. Apparently, with the baby on the way, he’s trying to make changes.”

She rolled her eyes, and Lucy tried to pretend it didn’t hurt that she was the change. “I don’t think I could go back anyway.”

“There’s more.”

Lucy sighed. “Of course there is.”

“Apparently Ross married into the Flynn family, of the Flynn Group.”

The Flynn Group owned the majority of Vancouver’s hot spot restaurants and nightclubs. Mandi didn’t even have to finish what she was going to say before Lucy knew.

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