Page 110 of Hello Heartbreaker

“Mags...” She held her hand over her stomach, even though she wasn’t showing yet.

“I know you’re having a baby, and I know you’re getting married, but it would have been nice to hear fromyouthat you were moving out on your wedding day or that your wedding day was onlytwo weeks away. I had no time to prepare myself or ask you any questions without having everyone staring at us!”

“I’m sorry I’m not perfect!” she cried out. “I’m pregnant, and my hormones are crazy, and I have my mom telling me not to get married and Cooper’s mom saying we’ll disgrace the family if we don’t. I shouldn’t have to worry about whereyou’regoing to live on top of everything else! You’re a grown adult, and I’m not your mother.”

My jaw dropped, my heart stinging from her words. “Seriously? I’m not asking for you to mother me! I’m asking for some basic communication, Cam! Like were you wanting out of the lease? Were you going to pay your half of the rent even when you were living with Cooper? Or did you really just plan to leave me high and dry?”

She let out a frustrated groan that just made me angrier. “Didn’t you hear me? I have a baby on the way. I’m making appointments for sonograms, finding an OB, planning a freaking wedding, and all you can think about isrent?”

“I’m happy for you, Cam, I am, but I didn’t think you’d drop me the second you decided to get married! But then again, I also didn’t think you’d be hanging out with Rhett formonthson end behind my back! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because he asked me not to!” she yelled, gesticulating wildly. “I don’t know why you’ve been so freaking hard on him. He’s a good guy, Maggie!”

Her words continued to slice through me. “So you’ve just been silently judging me this whole time?”

“Of course I have! I can’t say anything to you about him, or you lose your ever-loving mind!”

“Because he hurt me!”

“Fifteen years ago, Maggie. Grow up.”

My mouth fell open. “You’re tellingmeto grow up?”

She flattened her hand over her chest. “I’m trying to move on with my life. I’m sorry I can’t be your live-in bestie forever. I want to get married and have kids and live my own life without messing around with you all the time or hearing you complain about a man who’s been nothing but good to you since you moved back home!”

Hot tears welled in my eyes, sliding down my cheeks. That’s what she thought we’d been doing all these years of friendship?Messing around? “Get out of my car.”

“Maggie,” she said, but I cut her off.

“Get out of my car!”

She let out an angry groan and left, slamming the door behind her. Her pink nightgown swished behind her as she walked away.

I was still crying as I whipped out of the driveway, refusing to stay in the house with her tonight.

I drove half the speed limit, but I made it to Rhett’s place, my skin raw and stinging from all the saltwater tears.

I had to look like a mess as I walked up to his door, where the paper he’d made was still taped up.

No fucking around. (Unless you’re Maggie. Then fucking is encouraged.)

For some strange reason, I started crying more as I knocked on his door.

A few moments later, he opened it, shirtless and wearing sweats slung low on his waist. As he took me in, confusion registered on his face. “What’s going on?”

I fell into his arms, saying, “I need you.”

54

RHETT

Cooperand I rode four-wheelers through the pasture, checking on the cattle. We hit a level path and slowed down. With the engines quieter, Cooper yelled over, “Did you hear what happened with Maggie and Camryn?”

I glanced over at him. I’d heard the entire thing last night, holding Maggie as she cried from it all. “Sounds like it was pretty bad.”

“Really bad,” he echoed.

I nodded.

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