Bad Cruz(93)

“She didn’t try to kill you, and we both know that.” I grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and peeled it, shoving the entire thing into my mouth.

“You weren’t there.” Gabriella’s spine stiffened as she went about pouring each of us a cup. “It was horrible. I’m so lucky my mother found my EpiPen…”

“You don’t usually carry your EpiPen with you.” I knew that because I berated her for it when we were together for half a second. “Why’d you have it yesterday?”

She turned around, handing me a cup of coffee and taking a seat at my dining table. I remained standing. She made a show of shyly blowing her coffee.

“I don’t know.” She looked genuinely surprised by my question and her answer.

Since Gabriella was not a good actress, I was pretty sure she wasn’t lying.

“You don’t know how the EpiPen got in your purse?” I raised an eyebrow.

“No.”

“Interesting.”

“Maybe I just put it there, since you kept telling me to.”

“You’d have remembered.”

“What are you insinuating?” Her expression darkened, and she put her coffee cup down.

“What are you overlooking?” I retorted.

She swallowed. She looked wrecked by what we both agreed, wordlessly, had happened.

“You need to fix this,” I said gently. “To tell the police.”

“I will.”

I shook my head and took a seat opposite her.

“Look, Gabriella, here’s the thing. You’re a great catch, but the truth is, when we first met, I wasn’t looking for anything serious. We started dating because we knew people expected us to. And it spun out of control. The night before the cruise, when I broke things off, I did so because I wanted to be a free agent once I was on the ship. Sleazy, but true. And you were right—it did have something to do with Tennessee. I always had a thing for her, and deep down, I knew the cruise was the perfect opportunity to catch her attention.”

I didn’t know this to be true until I’d said it, but now that I had, it all made sense.

“And you did.” Gabriella did her best to hide her distaste as the words left her mouth.

I saluted her with my cup, taking a sip.

“Correct. So this whole love triangle that came after the cruise? It was never a triangle. I was always a sucker for that maddening woman. I couldn’t say no to her if I tried. Possibly even if she’d come to me, fully knocked up by my best friend, and asked me to marry her when she was sixteen.”

The truth of my statement filled my veins with hot, white anger. I hated that I’d lost her. But that didn’t mean I should lie to Gabriella. Or myself.

I’d loved Tennessee Turner from the minute I laid eyes on her.

From the first moment I’d seen her at the nursery, and she simply shone brighter than everyone else.

And the worst thing, perhaps, was the fact that I knew Tennessee was wrong. Weak. Spineless in front of her family. A complete pushover.

…and I still loved her.

Despite her weaknesses.

And, goddammit, because of them, too.

“You really love her.” Gabriella heaved a deep sigh, plopping her chin on her fist.

“Unfortunately.”

“Well, can’t say I haven’t tried.”

“You gave it your best shot, and you came closer than the rest.”

She stood up, looking around her, as if saying goodbye to everything. Knowing it was probably going to be the last time she was going to see the inside of this place.

“Your mother is going to be disappointed.” She smiled tiredly.

“My mother is perpetually disappointed.” I stood up, walking her to the door. “Besides, I’m counting on your best friend to bless her with a grandchild sooner rather than later to keep her off my case for a while.”

After I closed the door behind Gabriella, I covered the door with my frame, closing my eyes, willing the headache to dispel.

Goddammit, Tennessee.





For the next day, I couldn’t eat.

I couldn’t sleep.

I couldn’t drink.

All I did was think about Cruz.

Only this time (ah-ha!) I did something about it, too.

I sent him dozens of texts, starting the day after he dropped me off at my parents’ house after posting my bail.

Tennessee: I’m really sorry.

Tennessee: Can’t we just stay a secret for a few more days? Weeks? Months?

Tennessee: I’m doing you a favor, you know. No one wants to publicly claim me. I’m like…like…an STD! Gonorrhea, if you would.

Tennessee: Remember Mrs. Warren? I miss her, sometimes. But only because she reminds me of you.

Tennessee: Ugh. That sounded so much better in my head.

After the door had closed behind me and I had to face my family on my own, I knew I’d made the wrong decision.

I didn’t want to be around any of them. They made me feel horrible—stupid, reckless, and unequipped. I wanted to be around Cruz, who always valued my opinions, my words, and my wishes.

My mother had yelled that she couldn’t believe I’d tried to kill someone and wondered aloud how many Hail Marys I should say in church next Sunday—if I could set foot in the place ever again without burning up in flames.