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Holly cocked her head disbelievingly. “What’s wrong is, it’s patronizing and hypocritical. You can keep a job you hate for complicated reasons, but I can’t choose my job for equally complicated ones? Maybe you should fix your own life before you decide to rehab your lovers!”

“Right back at you,” Tara drawled, drawing up to her full height. “You want me to leave my entire life so we can be together, but you knew I never would. You were looking for a reason to run. You can tell yourself you wanted to try with me, but you didn’t. Because that might ask something of you, for you to compromise or change or grow. Which you won’t because you had one failed marriage and made it your whole personality.”

Holly took a page from Tara’s book and wrapped herself in ice so she didn’t cry.

“Thank you for showing me that when I eventually fall for someone, it needs to be someone who actually likes me for me, instead of trying to make me into a project.” Holly rubbed her hands on her pants. “I think I’m going to go.”

Tara was right about one thing.

Running seemed like a hell of an idea right now, so that’s what Holly did.

Chapter 25

Tara

Blood was rushing in Tara’s ears, but from the other side of the swinging door she heard Miriam’s voice cry out, “You can’t talk to my friend that way. You need to get out of my house.”

Holly volleyed back, “Oh, you can treat her like shit, and her family can destroy her every day, but I can’t tell her the truth?”

Tara couldn’t hear what Noelle said after, just the rumble of her voice. Then they all tumbled through the door, Hannah and Miriam and Cole all pushing each other out of the way to get to each other.

“What are you all doing here?” she said, looking between them, confused.

Noelle snuck to her side and snagged a pfeffernuss off the counter. “We heard there were cookies so we came to get some before the reception starts and everyone eats them all. The Rosensteins are serious about their desserts.”

Of course they hadn’t come looking for her. That had been a ridiculous hope. Why would they go looking for the bride’s ex-girlfriend, all of them in a pack?

Levi snorted. “We came looking for you, you dork. Elijah said you were in here.”

“Why, though?” she asked, her voice so much smaller than she was used to.

“Because you’re Team Carrigan’s? And we need the whole team at the party?” Miriam sounded confused.

Not as confused as Tara felt. “But you’ll be late.”

“I don’t think they can start without us,” Noelle said. “Here. Have a cookie.”

The last thing Tara wanted was a cookie, but she dutifully took one, robotically eating it, and it did make her feel better, or at least more grounded.

“You didn’t have to kick her out. I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but…” Tara trailed off at the look on Miriam’s face. “What?”

“Of course we’re going to kick someone out who’s mean to you! Why don’t you believe we love you enough to choose you?” Miriam said, her fists on her hips, looking even more than usual like Peter Pan.

To her abject, undying horror, Tara started to cry.

“Did you hear everything we said?” She hiccupped, trying to save her mascara.

They all nodded.

“So you know we were pretending to date?”

They all nodded, but then Hannah said, “We kind of already knew. We were hoping you’d trust us enough to tell us the truth.”

“And why you thought you needed a buffer for us,” Levi added. “Although honestly I understand that one.”

“What if she was right about everything?” Tara whispered. “I guess… I don’t believe you love me because why would anyone?”

“Tara,” Cole said, taking her face in his hands so she had no choice but to meet his eyes. They blazed the same blue as hers, and it was like looking in a mirror, except that she’d looked at Cole’s face so much more than she had her own, so it was much more familiar and beloved. “I need you to hear something right now. Like, really hear it. Because I’ve been trying to tell you all our lives and apparently you still don’t believe it.”