Page 88 of The Love Hoax

“What have you got to lose at this point?”

“You sound like my dad.”

“Then it’s two against one.”

Only Zane could turn a chat about my love life into a competition.

“Just do it,” he says, like an athlete endorsing designer footwear.

The parking lot is nearly empty and Zane pulls into the spot closest to the trailhead. Cloud’s Rest.

The same place where I met Evie.

The early rays of morning are breaking, lightening up the sky.

“Okay.”

Zane turns to me. “Okay?”

I nod. Zane smiles then fist-bumps me.

I reach into the backseat for my pack. “First flight out tomorrow morning.”

The two of us zip up our jackets, don wool hats, and stretch. As we start our trek, despite the weight of the pack on my back, I realize my heavy load has finally been lifted.

Chapter Sixty-Three

Evie

Buzz. Buzz.

Someone is sitting on the doorbell. I know Jeffrey is out with friends and he has a key. That leaves only one person who would show up in Manhattan at ten p.m. unannounced. I want to ignore the bell but clearly Caroline isn’t going anywhere. I’ll need to have a chat with Paul and have him talk some sense into his employer.

Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen. Paul is as loyal to Caroline as a royal subject to his queen.

Caroline has to know I’m still livid. Even if what she said about Marco rang true.

“Would you leave me alone already!” I shout, stomping to the foyer and yanking open the door. I come to an abrupt halt.

Stephanie is standing in the doorway, her face as red as her hair. Brad appears to be hiding in the corner of the hallway, staying out of theline of fire.

“Stephanie?”

“I can’t imagine who you would be expecting with that welcome.”

“Sorry, I thought you were my friend . . . forget it. What are you doing here?”

Steph bites the inside of her cheek. “Brad and I are on our way to Madrid for our honeymoon. We have an overnight layover here in New York. Thought we’d use it to, well, stop by.”

“You’re spending your honeymoon looking for me?”

She must interpret my tone as more irritated than surprised as she begins to turn away. “Maybe it wasn’t the most thought-out idea.”

Brad sneaks up closer, placing his hands on Steph’s muscular shoulders and gently turns her body back to face me. “Steph really wants to talk to you,” he says to me.

I can’t fathom what this is about. “Please come in.”

I show them inside and they take off their coats, Steph assessing the surroundings. “Nice place.”