Ben rubbed his temples. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened. It was a weird situation and we weren’t thinking—”
“Do I need to hear all this again?”
Ben stared at him and continued. “You’d left her. I was angry at you for making such a stupid choice, and she was hurt. We had a few to drink and let our emotions get the best of us.” He took a few steps toward Matt. “It was a mistake and we were out of our minds with guilt.”
“Guilt? Oh well that makes it all better then,” he glared back.
“It wasn’t easy,” he barked. “You returned from whatever escape you needed from reality, so ready to get back with her…”
“I’m not getting into that with you. It’s none of your business.” Matt wiggled his keys but was unable to move.
“You ever wonder about how easy it was for her to forgive you when you came back?” Ben continued.
He had. He had considered himself to be the luckiest man alive after he’d returned from Ireland and begged Liz to take him back, promising her to be the man she fell in love with, a man she could trust, someone who would never again let her down.
And she had, without a blink of an eye.
He had fled to Ireland for the summer in one of those volunteer teachers’ summer abroad programs after grad school. He couldn’t explain his decision in any kind of words that would make Liz understand. The truth had been that he needed to explore and see the world.
And he wanted to do it by himself.
He never could truly forget the shattered look in her eyes when he told her not to wait for him.
It was that same look he was sure that Ben saw and consoled. Matt shuttered silently at the thought.
“I did,” Matt replied quietly.
“It wasn’t just the guilt, Matt, she loved and missed you terribly. All she wanted to do is forget the mistake she made with me and move on.”
Matt’s face burned with rage when he wondered how much of the topic Liz had shared with Ben. “Is that what she told you?”
“I wanted her to tell you. I didn’t want to keep this from you, Matt.”
Matt rubbed his forehead, unable to keep from asking this next thing. “Butshedid, right?” he asked quietly.
For the first time since Matt walked in to that kitchen, Ben had nothing to say.
Matt shrugged. “Can’t say I blame her. I mean if you think about it, what did you have to lose? Your brother’s girlfriend would tell him the truth—there’s no way he could marry her knowing this. Down the tubes goes that relationship, and eventually he’d meet someone new and move on, and you wouldn’t have to keep looking at the woman who you betrayed your brother with.” Matt glared at Ben again. “Sound about right?”
Ben held a tight glare. “That’s nowhere near right.”
Matt started to feel sick thinking about it. “Tell mom and dad I had to go.”
Chapter 18
LIZ
Time seemed to flow like raw honey dripping off a spoon as Liz lay there, staring at the ceiling. She turned her head to the spot where a mere two hours ago, Matt had managed to completely dissolve her scrutiny with that deep desirous kiss. She hadn’t planned on hooking him into a kiss on the lips, it was innocently impulsive. Frankly, she was getting tired of his meaningless appeasing kisses on her forehead. Like she was some child.
That was going to stop.
Just as she felt herself slipping under the warm dark blanket of sleep, she jumped at the knock on the door.
It wouldn’t have been Matt, she knew he’d be gone most of the day on his dad’s boat. She forced herself not to wonder why he wouldn’t ask her to come along. For reasons she had yet to understand, he probably assumed it was for the best.
With her eyes sweeping the room for tidiness, she stood and headed to the door, pulling it open without a thought.
She found herself staring at a woman who looked vaguely familiar. Her dark curls settling just over her shoulders, she was slightly darker skinned than Liz and had big gray eyes. She reminded her of Matt’s brother Ben. She suddenly remembered why.
