Page 119 of Hold Me Tight

None of them speak at first, and I don’t blame them.

“He also paid off the bakery loan,” I add. “All of it. Lakeshore Sweets belongs to me now. Free and clear.”

Rina is the first to recover as she sits up straighter. “That’s… unexpected.” Her expression twists into a frown. “And what about Gigi? Wasn’t she supposed to be the love of his reality TV life?” There’s a pause. “Hold up.” She unlocks her phone and starts typing. “I think Railers Rumors posted pics of them at a club after the game.”

I blink. “Are you sure it was taken last night? Maybe they’re old photos.”

She hands me the phone, and the second my eyes land on the first image, my stomach drops. His lip is split and he’s wearing the same clothes he had on after the game.

And there’s at least half a dozen of them. In every single one, Zane and Gigi are tangled up in each other, grinding against one another, laughing, kissing like nothing in the world exists but the camera and the attention it brings.

More confusion crashes over me as I stare at the photos.

Why would he go out of his way to lie to me?

I don’t understand any of this.

Lilah reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry, Callie. I know he said all the right things, but I just don’t think he’s being genuine.”

“No,” I murmur. “It certainly doesn’t seem like it.”

With a tilt of her head, Sloane asks quietly, “Are you one hundred percent sure he’s the one who paid off the loan?”

My head snaps up. “He told me he did when I asked about it.”

Rina and Sloane exchange a quiet, knowing look. It’s enough to send a ripple of unease through me.

“Callie,” Rina says gently, “I’d verify that information before you take his word for it.”

I take a sip of coffee to buy myself a moment, but instead of offering comfort, it scorches all the way down.

“Maybe what I need to do is talk to Zane,” I say, setting the mug down.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Lilah agrees.

“You’ve been asking him to step up for years,” Sloane adds. “And now, only after you’ve started something with another man, he suddenly decides to act?”

“Honestly,” Rina cuts in, “I’m not convinced he did anything except muddy the waters because he doesn’t like seeing you move on. It has nothing to do with Nora and everything to do with control.”

Lilah tears off another piece of croissant. “What does River think about all this?”

My throat tightens. “River’s been everything Zane never was. He’s steady and kind. Nora adores him. And I…” My words trail off. “I think I’m falling in love with him.”

Lilah rubs circles on my back. “Then let yourself fall.”

“It’s not that simple,” I admit.

“Sure it is,” Rina says, her tone blunt but not unkind. “Zane talks a good game. River lives it. One’s a performance. The other’s real.”

“You don’t need someone who says he’s changed,” Sloane adds. “You need someone who shows you every single day without asking for credit.”

I stare into my coffee as their words settle within me, heavier than I expected. “It’s hard to believe Zane would lie about paying off my loan. That he’d take credit for something another man did.”

Even as the words leave my mouth, doubt creeps in. If there’s one thing Zane’s always been good at, it’s bending reality to fit his narrative.

“That’s exactly what you need to find out,” Lilah says gently. “You deserve the truth so you can make a decision based on facts, not assumptions.”

The door opens, and my head snaps up, a spark of hope flaring before I can stop it. But it’s just the delivery guy, balancing a crate of milk and cream in his arms.