“We slept together when he was comforting me. He was trying to be there for me when I needed someone.”

“I doubt that. It wasn’t about you and comforting you. He wanted a piece of ass.”

“This shit at Hailey's office, he set that up. I’d told him about the baby. He said he didn't want it, said you would want to be a father, if it was yours. He wanted me to cause a scene in her office so he could get Hailey and make it look like you and I were still together. He said that would give me a chance to get back together with you, and then I could tell you the baby was yours.”

“How the fuck can he do this to me? He's my best friend… Well, was my best friend, my brother. I trusted him with everything that I've had. He’s supposedly been there for me my whole life, and this is what he does. What did I do to him to deserve this kind of treatment?”

“Chase, nothing. You did nothing. He's not your friend. He's jealous of you. I have told you this before. He wants everything you have or want. He's going to fuck and leave Hailey the same way he did me,” she warns.

I can’t grasp how he could do this to me. It hurts. My heart hurts. He slept with my ex-girlfriend, whom I was going to make my fiancée. He always told me that I should break up with her or something of the sort. I always listened to his judgments. I've always thought he had my best interests at heart. I guess I was wrong… wrong about everything. Now Megan is pregnant with P’s baby, and he wants her to pin it on me. What the fuck? I have to run it all over again in my head for it to sink in.

I turn to Megan. I need to know, so I ask, “Did you sleep with P before?”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Meg, don't play dumb with me.”

She looks up at me. She doesn't really need to say anything. The answer was written all over her face. “Chase, I'm sorry,” is all she can say.

“How could you? How the fuck could you? I was going to marry you. Don't ever look at me again... ever,” I yell.

“Chase, it wasn't just me. He also slept with Carrie. He told me.”

I start to see red… Blood red. I look at Megan. “Take a look at me. This is me walking out of your life forever. You did this, not me. I can never forgive you for what you've done to me. I thought maybe I could forgive you when it was just that strange guy who I didn't know, but to sleep with my best friend—that takes a lot of guts. Lose my name and number.”

I walk out of her door for good. I jump in my SUV and slam the door. I need to go save Hailey from that piece-of-shit trash named Parker. My body is numb. I should have known; the signs were always there. I chose not to think that he would betray me this way.

I was wrong.

I know that he’s taken Hailey out to a local restaurant, so I call him on the phone on my way there. I don't want to give away how angry I am. I don't want him to know that I know. I just want to check and see if he is still at the restaurant and for how long.

I walk through the double doors of Chez Rodolfo and tell the hostess that I'm looking for Donnelly party of two. As she brings me to the table, Parker looks shocked to see me there.

“Chase, what's going on, bro? Why are you here?”

I stare him down. I want to punch him in the face right there, but Hailey is looking at us. I want to be the better guy and don’t need violence because, once she knows the truth, she will be able to decide for herself.

“Your game is over. I know everything. I talked to Megan. I know about the baby.”

“What baby?” P snaps at me. “What are you talking about? She’s lying. She’s a compulsive liar.”

“Oh, really? You didn’t sleep with her and get her pregnant and then decide it would be fun to pin it on me?” I don’t give him a chance to speak. I look at Hailey. “He also planned that whole entire scene at your office yesterday. He wanted you to think me and Megan were still together so he could get in your pants and leave you, like he does everyone.”

She just sits there, wide-eyed.

I get closer to his face. “I'm not going to sit back and watch you throw Hailey away like you did Megan. I thought you were my best friend, my brother. We’ve been through so much together. I never in a million years thought that you could hurt me the way you have. I can't even look at you right now. You make me sick.”

“Chase, you’re wrong about everything.” He tries to defend himself, but I don’t want to hear it.

“I'm not going to sit here and act like I didn't make mistakes. I've made mistakes. I thought a lot while I was in California. I like Hailey a lot. And I allowed you to come in between us. Allowed you to make me think that I didn't like her and that I wanted to get back with Megan. That wasn't true. I got played by my best friend.”

“The only problem is Hailey is here with me and wants to be here with me. She chose to show up here tonight,” P says, getting in my face.

“You better back up and listen to me. I'm not going to sit here and say that I love Hailey, that we're going to be together forever, that I'm going to marry her or we're going to have a family, but I am going to say that she's going to leave this restaurant with me and we will try. We'll start off slow and get to know each other, have fun and be friends. Whatever is in our fate! I refuse to sit here and let her get mistreated by you. She’s not right for you. She’s right for me.”

“Yeah, well, let’s let her decide who she wants once and for all, and your little pansy ass can go home and watch Sports Center while a real man takes care of her.”

“In your dreams, dickhead.” I’ve had about enough of him. His lights are about to get knocked out. “Hailey, who do you want to be with? Who do you want to leave here with?” I ask.

CHAPTER 32

Hailey

I SEE CHASE make his way to the table. I'm not sure what he could possibly want. When he reaches us, he starts having words with Parker. Apparently Parker had sex with Megan, got her pregnant, and tried to have it look like the baby was Chase’s. What kind of person does that to their friend? Chase is saying that he's leaving this restaurant with me. I have news for him: I am leaving alone. I don't want to be in the middle of this crazy mess. He is saying how wrong Parker is for me. That is completely true, but he's also saying how great he is for me. He never proved that. He never even called me.

“Who do you choose?” Chase asks again. “Wait, don't answer that. I'm not giving you a choice. I don't care if you don't want to be with me, but you are definitely not leaving with him.”

“You don't care?” I ask Chase, aggravated. “If you don't care, why would I pick you?”

“Hailey, that came out wrong.” Chase runs his hands through his hair.

“Real smooth there, Chase,” Parker says sarcastically.

“Don't you have some women lined up somewhere waiting to be molested and impregnated by you?”

This is out of control. “You two are really mature. Parker, you are who you are. You'll never change. You're still the same person you were in high school. I made a mistake coming here tonight. I should have gone with my gut feeling.”

“Thank God,” Chase mumbles.

Parker gets this nasty look on his face. “Hailey, you're still the same person you were in high school. You might have changed your physical appearance, but you will always be that fat insecure girl who got teased every day.”

I never expected those words out of Parker’s mouth. They hurt; they sting. I've heard it before, but to hear it at twenty-seven is way different than at seventeen. Memories, flashbacks—they all surface. I can’t speak words. There's no comeback. There's nothing further to say. I stand there in shock, numb from his words.