Page 81 of Meant to Be

“Is that really so hard for you to believe? That someone would love me?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying it’s oddly coincidental that she grew up with this crush on you…and is nowdatingyou…. And for the record, Dottie agrees.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sakes, Berry! You showed mymotheraNational Enquirerarticle smearing my girlfriend? Really?”

“We just want what’s best for you, Joe. We just want you to be careful. You can be too trusting—”

“Don’t tell me to be careful!” I shouted at her. “It’s condescending and insulting.”

She started to say something about always having my back and being on my side, but I was no longer listening. Instead, I got up and walked back into the house, slamming the porch door as I went.

If Berry wanted to talk aboutsides,I could pick a side. In fact, I already had.

—

A minute laterI was outside Cate’s door. I knocked once, then walked in before she could answer and saw her standing by thewindow, wrapped in a towel. She looked so beautiful, and for one second, I forgot my anger. Then she asked if Berry was okay—and I knew in that instant that we had to go. We couldn’t stay here.

I took a deep breath and said, “Not really. But it’s sort of a long story. I’ll tell you everything in the car…. I want to go—”

“Go where?” she said, walking over to me, finger combing her wet hair.

“Back to the city.”

Frowning, she said, “Wait. What? You want to go home?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you in the car. Just trust me. We need to go.”

—

About ten minuteslater, Cate and I were both changed, packed up, and in the car, with Thursday and our bags in the backseat. Fortunately for my mother’s and Berry’s sakes, I didn’t see them as we left the house. Otherwise, there might have been a scene—which they couldn’t stand. They much preferred to talk shit behind people’s backs.

As Cate and I got on the main road, it occurred to me that in leaving I was ratcheting up the drama. I also knew I was being hotheaded and stubborn. But it felt like my only choice. I had to stand up for the woman I loved. What Berry had implied about her was so unbelievably unfair, and I wasn’t going to hang around and take it.

Several minutes of silence passed before Cate spoke. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

It was the last thing I felt like doing, but I knew I had to tell her the truth. We were a team, and that was how it was going tobe.

I gripped the steering wheel, took a deep breath, and said,“Apparently there was a hit job about you in theNational Enquirer.”

“Oh, God,” she whispered. “What did it say?”

“I didn’t see it. But Berry said there’s some quote from your mother,” I said, glancing at her.

Cate looked horrified. “Mymother?”

“Yeah. But they make stuff up all the time. Including quotes.”

“What did my mother say? What was the quote?”

“Herallegedquote…” I said, glancing over at her face and seeing her expression of pure anguish.

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