Page 29 of An Inevitable Marriage

“You know Liam?” Made sense, I guessed. Her father—may his soul never rest in peace for all the shit he’d done to her—had been huge in the hotel industry, and he was known for his elaborate dinners.

Then there was Zach. The man had more money and casinos than he knew what to do with. So, it was a given their paths had somehow crossed. There may have been a billionaire’s club I wasn’t aware of.

I barely had time to laugh at my joke when Natalie spoke.

“I don’tknowknow him, but Zach just signed a contract with Nouvelle Femme. They will make an exclusive hotel range for a few of Zach’s casinos.” She dragged her hands over her still-invisible bump. “He says Liam is a decent guy.”

“How would he know? They probably just grunted at each other.”

Her eyes narrowed into thin slits, and if I hadn’t known her so well, I might have been intimidated. Still, I drew my shoulders to my ears. “What?”

“Zach does not grunt.”

This made me laugh. “No, sweetie, he growls. Or so you’ve told me.”

“You’re a horrible friend.”

“You still love me, though.”

I was wrapped up in a hug barely a breath later. “Always. Don’t ever forget it.”

If she’d pulled away at that very second, she would’ve seen my eyes had the same glassy appearance as hers. I held on a little longer, a little tighter. Just until I had my emotions in check. She was already all sorts of bent up, and if she saw me crying, she’d just end up with a heap of worries.

I didn’t want that for her.

Swallowing the burn inside my throat, I composed myself enough for us to push apart.

“All right, I know being fashionably late is a thing, but somehow, I don’t think the king of the jungle would appreciate tardiness."

A wide smile spread across Natalie’s face. “I was late on my wedding day, and look how great that turned out for me.”

“Oh no, no, no, sweetie.Thisis notthat.”

I swear I could practically see a lightbulb lighting up above her head. “What if—”

“Stop,” I interjected before she could even think about finishing the sentence. I didn’t want to hear it. “This is nothing like you and Zach. I’m not going to find the love of my life and live happily ever after. Liam is a means to an end, nothing more.”

“He could be something more, you know?”

I opened my mouth, but she held up her hand to keep the words from tumbling out.

“I’m not talking about love, Evie. You said it yourself: The man is ridiculously handsome. You could just have some fun.”

My jaw nearly hit the floor. “Is this my innocent friend telling me to sleep around?”

“Not so innocent anymore.” Natalie’s mouth curved into a mischievous grin.

I had the good sense to hold up my hands and mutter, “Spare me.”

“Seriously, though. I’m not saying you should sleep around, but you can make the next five years interesting. Might be good for you after everything that happened with Anthony.”

A sharp pang shot through my chest, filling me with a whole host of emotions I didn’t want to put a name to. How could I admit to my friend what a number that entire ordeal did on me?

Insecurities I thought I’d buried long ago were back, stronger than ever. My mind and body were riddled with thoughts and feelings I wasn’t entirely sure how to process. All because Anthony couldn’t keep it in his pants.

It would have hurt less if he’d just been honest and admitted he’d wanted something else.

Or maybe it would have hurt the same.