Page 47 of Trust Me
I kiss her lips one last time and whisper, “I love you,” before I leave her bedroom.
After a quick detour into the kitchen to prepare the coffee, I head out to my truck to drive home. As I’m backing out of the driveway in the middle of the night, I decide that I’m going to take the chance on a relationship with Avery. I’m done sneaking in and out of her house during the night or taking her to other towns for dates so no one sees us. This weekend, I’m going to tell Jake about us. I want to be with her, and while that scares the shit out of me, not being with her scares me more.
My chest actually feels lighter at the decision to come clean with Jake. I just hope he’smore forgiving than he’s ever been in the past because if it comes down to choosing between my best friend and the woman I love, I choose her.
I will always choose her.
Chapter 26
Avery
It’s already quarter after eleven on Sunday morning, and Holly is very impatiently waiting in the living room with Brooklyn for me to finish getting ready so we can head out. I haven’t heard much from Maddox since I fell asleep Friday night. We shared the most beautiful night together before I woke up alone. I know that’s how it has to be right now so Jake and the rest of the family don’t find out. But part of me can’t help butwanteveryone to find out. Then it’ll be out there in the open, and maybe Maddox and I can have an actual, normal relationship.
He’s working this weekend, nine in the morning to nine at night both days, so I haven’t seen him at all. He had made plans to go out with Jake last night so I spent the evening baking cookies and then eating half of them with Brooklyn. He did send me a text message last night when he got off work telling me good night. Though I enjoyed our brief conversation through texts, it was not even close in comparison to having him at my house with me. I didn’t hearfrom him for the rest of the night, which worried me at first. I spent the night feeling guilty I had that slight lack of trust in him. Maddox has never done anything to show me I can’t trust him. I do trust him. Sometimes, some of my insecurities rear their ugly heads at the worst time. But it’s something I’m working on every day.
Holly, Brooklyn, and I get to the mall and set out for the children’s store first. I find some great deals on winter clothes for Brooklyn, and even a few things I can put back for Christmas.
As we’re walking toward another store, we pass the lingerie store that Maddox, Brooklyn, and I stopped at on Friday night. I notice the black lace corset and thong set Maddox pointed out in the window and without giving it much thought, I head inside the store to purchase it. Holly wanders around the store with Brooklyn, giving me a little privacy to purchase something sexy for my man. I’ve never worn a corset before. I’m already making plans to wear it on our next date night. I can’t wait to see the look on Maddox’s face when he discovers it underneath my clothes.
When we get back into the main hall of the mall, Holly and Brooklyn head into the toy store. I see the jewelry store out of the corner of my eye, so I tell them I’ll catch up with them shortly.
I head over to the window that displayed that beautiful chocolate diamond ring I saw the other night. The large diamond in the center is the perfect shade of chocolate-brown, the color of Maddox’s eyes, which is what drew me to it in the first place. The large stone in the center is surrounded by smaller circle diamonds, all set on a thick platinum band. It really is the perfect ring. My heart speeds up at the sight of it.
While I’m standing there fawning over the beautiful ring in the window, I hear a throat clear behind me. I straighten up expecting to see Holly there, but when I turn, the woman in front of me definitely isn’t Holly. She’s tall and thin with shoulder-length dark brown hair. Her hazel eyes are glaring daggers at me. “Yes?” I ask, the uncertainty evident in my voice.
“You must be Avery. I’ve heard so much about you.” She reaches her perfectly manicured hand toward me. I hesitate slightly and then take her hand in mind.
“And you are?” I ask, my voice dropping off at the end as if waiting for her to fill in the blank.
“I’m Vanessa. Maddox’s girlfriend,” she says very matter-of-factly. The room starts to tilt and a buzzing fills in my ears.
Did I just hearher correctly? She’s Maddox’s girlfriend?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply.
“Maddox and I have been dating for months. In fact, we’ve been dating the entire time he’s been entertaining you on the side.” She glares her wicked eyes into my teary ones. “See, I know how he is. Everyone knows how he is. So, I let him go out and have a little fun on the side ,so he gets it out of his system. When he came over last night, he told me he was almost done having his fun with you.”
The room spins and I find it hard to catch my breath. “He was with you last night?”
“Of course he was! We left Jack’s together like we do almost every weekend! You don’t really think he goes home after he leaves your house in the middle of the night, do you?” Vanessa raises her perfectly sculpted eyebrow at me. Then she takes her phone out of her purse and shows me a picture of her and Maddox at Jack’s Pub, her pressed tightly up against his body, both smiling at the camera.
I can’t even look at this woman standing before me anymore. My mind is reeling, and my stomach is clenching so hard I feel like I’m going to throw up. “He goes home and gets his truck andcomes tomyhouse. So any fantasies you have in your head about playing house and a happily ever after with him are over. You see, Avery, you’re like the forbidden fruit. You’re his best friend’s sister. The one he’s not supposed to have. You were too tempting for him to ignore.” Vanessa puts her hands on her hips and looks at me very matter-of-factly. “But now we’re discussing our future together. He’s about to dump you like yesterday’s take-out trash. We were just discussing last night whose house we were going to move into. He knows I want a winter wedding, so we’re trying to tie up all the loose ends to make that happen within the next few months.”
I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience. I’m standing here watching this woman humiliate me as the people pass by without a care in the world, without realizing my entire life is crashing around me. Maddox has been with someone else this whole time? I fight the tears that are forming in my eyes. There’s no way I will give this woman the satisfaction of seeing me cry. As I stand here and stare back at this beautiful woman, I realize my greatest fears have come to life. It has happened again. I’ve been made a fool of again. Did they sit back and laugh at me?
Vanessa looks at me with pity in her eyes. “I’m sorry you had to get hurt in all of this.” She reaches out and touches my shoulder, and I pull back like she’s just burned me. “I’m done sharing Maddox with you and everyone else out there. He’s mine, and he will be mine forever. Check his phone and you’ll see calls from me. It’s time to get out of my way, Avery, or I will barrel over you without even a second glance back.” She turns on her fancy high heels and heads in the opposite direction.
I stare at her retreating body and feel a hand on my shoulder. I whip around and come face-to-face with Holly. She sees the tears brimming in my eyes and looks around me to the woman walking away.
“Avery, what’s going on? Who was that?”
“If she is who she says she is, that’s Maddox’s girlfriend.” I can’t help it, as I say those words, the tears start to fall.
“What?” she says, confusion and anger flashing in her eyes. She grabs my hand and starts to pull me and Brooklyn toward the exit of the mall.
When we get inside her car, I break down into sobs that I’m unable to control.
“What’s wong, Mommy?” Brooklyn asksfrom the back seat.
