Page 58 of Bad Boy Done Wrong
Chapter Fourteen
Carrie dragged through the rest of the week, working and then crashing on the sofa, eating too much ice cream. Ally was sympathetic and supportive, but when she suggested maybe talking to Zach would help, Carrie retreated to her room. Ally didn’t understand letting someone go. She still clung to the hope she’d get back together with her ex-boyfriend from college. The only thing Carrie looked forward to was the Happy Endings Book Club meeting at Something’s Brewing Café on Thursday night. She needed their support. She was sure her friends would understand the pain of the betrayal, sure they’d have all the right words to reassure her that she’d done the right thing by ending it with Zach.
Thursday night finally rolled around. The first sign that things weren’t going to go her way was the choice of book. The hero was a real alphahole, and as the discussion flowed over her about his redeeming qualities, all she could think about was how much Zach wasn’t that kind of bad boy and how lucky she’d been to have him initiating her into erotic pleasures instead of some guy that was only in it for himself. Even pretending to be a bad boy, he’d been good to her. She felt herself softening toward him, but then she reminded herself he’d flat-out lied when she’d asked him about his job and what he was doing in Indonesia. Lied about never doing long-term too. Those were only the lies she knew about. Maybe there were more.
She looked to the ceiling, blinking rapidly at the threatening tears. She couldn’t believe how attached she’d gotten to him in such a short time. It had been three days since their breakup and the emotional pain was getting worse not better.
Hailey, sitting next to her, reached over and put a hand on Carrie’s arm. “What’s wrong?”
She looked at Hailey—perfectly put together in a dark green designer dress with matching heels, her perfectly made-up face etched with concern, her long strawberry blond hair perfectly smooth and straight—and thought she’d never look as put together as this woman because Carrie was a mess. Inside and out. Her emotions were a tangled mess, her hair was a mess, her clothes weren’t even matching. Her wholelifewas a mess and everything sucked.
Carrie looked around the room at the women who were like sisters to her and realized half of them weren’t even single anymore. They were beyond this kind of heartbreak and she had a whole future full of it. There was Lauren (engaged), Mad (engaged), Charlotte (married and pregnant), even Ally was gearing up for a committed relationship with her ex. Never mind that Hailey, Missy, Sabrina, and Lexi were currently single, they’d probably all find the love of their lives before Carrie did.
Her lower lip wobbled. Ally rushed over to hug her. Hailey handed her a tissue.
“I’m sorry,” Carrie said, wiping her eyes with the tissue. “It’s just been a rough week.”
“What happened?” Missy asked. She was a tough practical woman but great at support. “It’s better to share the burden.”
Suddenly she couldn’t bring up Zach. Hailey had told her all along that Carrie was the one who was going to get hurt by the stupid fling idea. She couldn’t bear anI told you so, even if said with love. Instead she focused on the other shitty thing. “You guys remember about my ex? How we were together for six years?”
“Yes,” the women said in near unison notes of sympathy.
“Well, I just saw him and he’s getting married and she’s pregnant!”
“Oh, Carrie.” Hailey stood and pulled Carrie into a hug. Then she announced, “Group hug!”
The women surrounded her, murmuring sympathies. A few moments later, they pulled apart and returned to their seats.
“Thanks, ladies,” Carrie said, her voice wobbling.
“Fuck him,” Mad snapped, probably the toughest of all the women. She’d been raised with a posse of big brothers and a cop dad. Her brown eyes blazed with fury on Carrie’s behalf. “I mean it, Carrie. You say it too.Fuck. Him. He treated you shitty and you wouldn’t want to be his pregnant wife anyway.”
“Yeah,” Ally chimed in.
“Fuck him,” Carrie said, her lower lip wobbling again. She bit it.
“It’s okay,” Hailey said, stroking Carrie’s hair. “You’ll find the person for you, and when you do, you’ll be his pregnant wife.”
“Geez, not everyone wants the husband and kids,” Missy said.
“Carrie does,” Hailey returned. “Right, Carrie?”
She couldn’t speak past the ball of emotion lodged in her throat. For the longest time that was what she’d wanted most of all. Now she had too much baggage to be willing to try again. Not for a long time. This only reaffirmed that she’d done the right thing calling it off with Zach. It was time to focus on her own well-being, on her dreams, her career.
She looked around at all the concerned faces of her best friends in the world and blurted, “Zach and I aren’t seeing each other anymore.”
“Because of your ex?” Mad asked.
Some of her previous anger returned, the pain of betrayal still fresh and bitter. “Because he lied.”
Mad stiffened. “What do you mean he lied?”
Carrie shut her mouth. Zach was one of Mad’s honorary brothers. Carrie should’ve known Mad would take his side.
“I’m sorry, Carrie,” Mad said, “but Zach’s not a liar. He’s a stickler about being honest. You must’ve misunderstood.”
“No, I didn’t,” Carrie snapped. “What, do you think I’m an idiot?”
