Page 110 of Take My Heart
‘You could always go back to Cam.’
I stare at her. ‘You seriously think I’d do that? The asshole is suing us.’
‘He’s not. His parents are, and they’d drop the lawsuit if you married him. And if you did, you could go back and live in his apartment.’
‘I’d rather live on the streets,’ I mutter.
‘Kate, I don’t know why you can’t just be happy.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘You had everything you could ever want, a life other girls could only dream of, and you gave it all up.’
‘Because I didn’t love him. And honestly, I don’t think Cam loved me either. I think he just saw me as someone who’d take care of his house and his kids while he went off to pursue his political career.’
‘Yeah? What’s wrong with that? Love is overrated. Peoplefall in love and then it doesn’t work out and they’re left with a broken heart. Why put yourself through that? Why not just find someone who can give you what you want and be happy with that?’
‘Do you really believe that? That you can be happy with a man you don’t love?’
‘I know you can. I’m proof of it.’
‘After all the time you’ve been with Henry, you still don’t love him?’
‘I love the life he’s given me. To me, that’s good enough.’
‘But what if it’s not? What if being with Henry means you’re missing out on meeting a guy you actually love?’
‘I’m not taking that chance. I’ve seen too many of my friends fall in love, only to be disappointed later when the love goes away. And it always goes away. People get on each other’s nerves, fight about stuff, lie, cheat, and eventually break up. Henry is safe and secure and he’ll give me the life I want.’
‘I don’t want that. A life without love. That’s what I would’ve had with Cam and I didn’t want it. I want to be in love.’
‘Then you’ll probably be single for a long time. Love isn’t easy to find.’
‘I already found it,’ I say under my breath.
‘What did you say?’
‘Nothing.’ I’m not going to tell her. If I did, she’d tell me it isn’t true, that I just think I’m in love with Brody. She’d say it’s not possible to fall in love that fast. Then she’d tell me Brody isn’t good for me. That he doesn’t make enough money and didn’t go to college and has no ambition and no future. Myparents would say the same thing. My family wouldn’t care if Brody makes me happy or that I love him. That stuff doesn’t matter to them.
When we’re almost to Chicago, my phone rings. Gina’s name is on the screen.
‘Hey, Gina,’ I answer, panicking because I think something might’ve happened to Brody. Why else would she call me?
‘Hey, I was calling because I heard back from my friend. The guy who works at the hotel?’
‘Yeah, what’d he say?’
‘I showed him that picture you sent me and he said your ex was definitely staying there the week before the wedding.’
‘Is he sure?’
‘He’s positive. He even looked at the old security camera footage from that week. He said it’s the same guy from the picture.’
‘That doesn’t make sense. Why would Cam stay there but tell me he was staying with Dane?’
‘That’s the part you probably don’t want to hear.’
I sigh. ‘He was with a girl.’
