Page 133 of A Ballad of Betrayal and Beauty

“Dusty,” I say. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I don’t know if you remember, but we’ve actually met before.”

I choke on the smoke. “We have?”

She nods. “In Vegas, at the diner? You gave me a tampon in the bathroom.”

My brain is too tired. Too scattered. But it does come back to me. “Oh my god, yes of course! That was the morning after I met Joel.”

She smiles. “He talked about this amazing girl he’d met for hours,” she says, exhaling deeply. “It was a long ride home.”

A warmth spreads through my chest. “He . . . he is very sweet.”

“Key was quiet and distracted. I don’t even think he registered that Joel had spent the night with you, he was so caught up in his own world. I thought at the time that he was just really,reallyhung over.”

I chew my cheek and look down. “I-I may have seen him earlier in the night—before I met Joel.” Then I realize why she’s talking to me about this. She’s trying to determine whose heart I’m going to break.

“Listen,” I start, “you have to believe me, I didn’t know they were friends. I was?—”

“I get it.”

My eyebrows rise. “Wait, get what?”

“Why they’re both attracted to you.”

My lips part, but I don’t know what to say.

“You’re exactly their type,” she says with a laugh. “Believe me I’ve seen them with their fair share of women, and you’re like, their perfect choice all rolled into one. They’ve always had the same taste. I think that’s why they’re so close.”

I close my eyes. “I never meant for this to happen,” I say into the wind. “I don’t deserve either of them. Key and I—there’s so much history and feelings there, but also so much hurt. And Joel? He’s too wonderful to ever consider breaking his heart. If I was a braver woman, I’d leave now. I don’t know what happens next, but if their friendship ended because of me? I’d never forgive myself.”

Izzy smiles and touches my arm. “And now I understand why they’re both in love with you.”

I thought I had no more tears left to cry, but one slips down my cheek as I take a final drag of my cigarette. “What am I going to do?”

“You’re going to go back in there and be by Joel’s side until he wakes up. The songs can wait. I know it feels like you need something to do, or maybe you’re thinking about a worst-case scenario of him waking up and not wanting you there. But I promise you, he does. Just be with him. Maybe try to sleep a little. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

With a nod, I sniff. Is she right? “And after?”

She smiles. “I can’t see the future, but something tells me everything is going to work out for all of you. You’ll see.”

What does she mean by that? In what world does this work out and we all end up happy?

“Come on,” she says. “I’ll deal with Dave, and Key will understand.”

I reach out and grab her arm as she turns for the doors. “Thank you,” I say. “I, uh . . . I don’t really have any girlfriends or . . .” I trail off, chuckling nervously. “Or friends at all, so I appreciate you being so nice.”

“We’re a family,” she says simply. “That’s what we do.”

CHAPTER38

The Things We Do for Love

JOEL

Everything hurts.

My face, my chest, my arms and legs. Where am I? The last thing I remember . . . wasn’t I at home? No, I was driving. I try to move but there’s something warm tucked into me. When I open my eyes sage green walls stare back at me and some kind of beeping sound bounces around in my brain.

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