Page 90 of Fake Dating Adrian Hunter
Isabelle presses her lips together, fighting a smile. “I’ve always wanted to say it.” She instantly straightens her face, as if not wanting to appear too friendly. A few seconds later, she gives in with a sigh and meets my gaze for the first time. “You’re hard to hate, Verena Valentine. I’ve seen you on TV so many times that I feel like I already know you. Despite my anger, Adrian is a good guy. You should be with him.”
“I’m still not understanding the situation between you two.”
“Let me paint you a visual of what my relationship with Adrian was like. We met through his sister and dated for a while before we moved to London and decided to live together. That’s when I discovered his love for your show. Throughout our entire relationship, he never missed an episode. Sometimes I caught him watching repeats. I used to tease him about it and joke that he had a crush on you. Six months ago, he breaks up with me.”
“Wait, what? Adrian told meyoubroke up withhim.” And hang on… Six months ago? That’s when Jake and I broke up.
“I suppose he tweaked the details for you. It would have made his reason for a fake relationship more believable. Believe me, Adrian was the one who initiated the breakup. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t see it coming. We were having issues for a long time. Skip forward six months to this wedding and I see Adrian here, supposedly dating you. Then I hear all these stories about how he’s known you since you were kids. The two of you were best friends. Not once did he think to mention that to me in our three years? That’s why I’m angry. But whatever, I’ll get over it. We’ve met up a few times this week to clarify the situation.”
“I know how this must seem to you,” I say, feeling terrible for her pain, “but Adrian and I haven’t seen each other in seven years. We ended things on bad terms. There was nothing going on between us when you two were together.”
“Maybe not physically. And I guess…” She blows a lock of hair out of her face, frustrated. “Okay, yes, I’m just being bitter, because I know Adriandidlove me on some level, I’ll admit that. I’m not suggesting he was using me when we were together. But I also know he’s always held you in his heart. He loves you more than he ever loved me. I see it in the way he looks at you. Not once has he ever looked at me that way. I see it in you too.”
It’s like she’s repeating Tory’s words.
“As I said,” Isabelle continues, “he came clean about everything. It hurts, but I’ll be fine. I moved on months ago and have a new boyfriend. Seeing you two together was more a shock than anything.”
“Thank you for being honest with me.” A jolt of panic shoots through me when I catch a glimpse of the time on her watch. I retrieve my hands from the nail technician and stand up to leave. “I’mreallylate.”
“One last thing.” Isabelle looks up at me. “I do want Adrian to be happy. You deserve happiness too after the heartbreak of your last relationship. If you’re having issues with Adrian, sort them out because a love like this only comes around once in a lifetime… if you’re lucky.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you at the wedding.”
It’s closing in on midday and I know time is running out for me to get dressed for this wedding, but I have to find Adrian and fix things with him. I head for the exit, stopping short when I notice Jannah enter the day spa, red-eyed and splotchy, and of course, dressed in a bikini. A group of friends are comforting her. Among their chatter I hear mention of Jake. Jannah comes to a halt when she sees me, being the only one out of her friends not death staring me. I’m expecting this interaction to turn ugly, regardless that Jake propositioning me is not my fault. Instead, Jannah nods at me with the hint of a smile.
“I heard you really gave it to that bastard,” she says.
“I… What?”
“My friend said she overheard you with Jake, telling him that you deserved better than what he did to you. Whatwedid to you. And that I deserve better too.”
I shrug, not knowing how else to respond. “Well, it’s true.”
“That was nice of you to have my back. I don’t deserve it but thank you. And I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t mean much coming from me. But I’m sorry for destroying your relationship.”
“Thanks. It helps a bit.”
Part of me wonders why I’ve placed so much hate on Jannah over this past week. Yes, she had an affair with my boyfriend, but if Jake’s behavior today shows me anything, it’s that once a cheater, always a cheater, and that he probably had more to do with seducing Jannah than the other way around. I can’t even blame her for talking to Adrian during the night of the strippers because that washisdoing, plotting to use her to make me jealous. I’m not saying she’s innocent, but that maybe Jannah is really just a Hannah, who I give zero shits about.
“If it makes you feel any better,” she says, wiping her nose. “I dumped Jake’s sorry ass the moment my friend told me about him propositioning you. He’s packing his bags as we speak and won’t be at the wedding.”
I’m about to dive into a speech about how terrible Jake is and that it will be a relief not to have him around for the remainder of this vacation, but I pause, coming up with something better. “You know what, I have more important things to worry about than Jake, and so do you.”
“Vera!” someone calls in the distance. I don’t take much notice since that isn’t my name, until I realize the voice belongs to Stacy and she’s looking at me, furious as she hurries through the day spa in a dressing gown and a head full of hair rollers. “Where have you been? Tory needs you for bridal photos. Oh goodness, your hair and makeup aren’t done.”
She clutches a hand around my wrist, her nails digging into my skin as she drags me out of the day spa at such high speed that I don’t have a chance to duck beneath overhanging palm leaves on the walkway.
“Ouch! Stacy, let go of me!”
“That’s not an option. You are so late. This wedding will probably be delayed becauseyoucan’t stick to a schedule.”
She keeps tugging me, but I yank free of her grasp, wincing at the scratch marks on my wrist.
Stacy throws her arms in the air with a growl. “Vera, I don’t have time for another one of your tantrums. Your sister is about to get married. I need you to pull yourself together and support her.”
“It’sVerena! My name is Verena. Why do you have such an issue pronouncing it? Or better yet, why do you have such an issue with me? You’ve been rude to me this entire week. It’s like you resent me for being the maid of honor or something.”
“Of course I resent you!”
