Page 76

HALLIE

T he door to the penthouse opens and I crack open my eyes. The hangover headache is already setting in.

“Good night?” I croak to Lily.

She holds up a hand.

“This is the most shame I’ve ever felt on a walk of shame, Hallie.”

When I laugh, it hurts my chest.

“That good?”

“I mean, his dick was good, yes. But then I sobered up and ran as fast as I fucking could before he woke up.”

I can’t help but laugh.

“He’s staying here?”

She nods slowly and pours us both a glass of water.

“Yep. So, I can’t leave this suite until we fly home.”

I roll my eyes, taking my glass as she drops down on the bed next to me.

“Don’t be dramatic. It’s a one-night stand.”

“I feel icky.”

She actually shivers.

“Go take a shower and we can nap. It’s fine. You used protection, right?” I pin her with a glare.

“Uh. I think so? I’m pretty sure.”

I slap her arm.

“Come on!”

“What?! I know the first time we did. I don’t know about the seventh!”

“Let’s talk about it when the hangovers have gone away. Deal?” I tell her.

“Yeah. Did you crash here on your own?” she asks.

I nod.

“Yes.”

“There is a but coming?” she questions.

“I called Conan when I was leaving the bar.”

“Oh God. Did you rip him a new one?”

I shake my head.

“Worse.”

“Fuck. You told him you love him and want his babies?” The shock in her voice makes me laugh.

“Okay. No. Better than that. I said I missed him.”

“Oh. Well, your drunk brain was just telling the truth.”

“It does get worse.” I trail off.

“When he said he misses me too, I hung up and blocked him again.”

She spits out her water.

“Damn. You really are out to make him suffer.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t want to see him hurt. I don’t know what I want. Time to think.

But then when I do think, he is the only thing on my mind.

“Do you think you could forgive him?” Lily asks seriously.

“I honestly don’t know the answer right now. Sometimes I think it might have been better if he cheated or something.”

Lily shakes her head.

“He hasn’t though, has he? He hasn’t fucked anyone else since you two started your whole friends-but-in-love thing?”

“No. He hasn’t. But he’s lied to me. What’s to say he isn’t lying about everything?”

Lily takes a deep breath.

“I don’t know the guy. Except I have told him to fuck off on multiple occasions.

You don’t fake that kind of heartbreak. That’s all I can tell you.

Yes, what he did is on a magnitude scale of fucked up.

But—and I am not defending his game. If, like you said, he’s in the Mafia, there are lots of reasons to explain why.

People in that life, they don’t do things because they want to.

They also do it to survive. Just like the game he put you in.

Maybe hear him out. And if you don’t like his answer, tell him to fuck off again. ”

I let her words sink in and my head pounds even harder.

“That was a lot.”

“Just think it over, Hallie. You don’t need to do anything right now other than nap, sunbathe, and party again.”

I smile at her.

“I’d be so lost without you, Lily.”

She smiles back.

“I know. You think you’ll say this in a week’s time when you’ve had enough of me invading your space here?”

I roll my eyes.

“I’d never be sick of you.”

“Good. But I’ll remind you of this. We’re on day two of our trip. We have five more to go.”

With that, she jumps off the bed and heads into the shower to wash her sins away.

And I just lie there, thinking over what she’s said.

Maybe when I’m home, I’ll hear him out. But not any time soon.

I’m not ready to be hurt by him all over again.