Jules shrugged as if she wasn't sure.
"Jules?"
"I think she's here for a while.She asked me to have coffee next week, and she also told me that she didn't want me to tell you she was in town."
"Well, that's fucking great."
"You forced it out of me," she insisted.
"Not that part.The part about her not wanting me to know.Guess that tells me where I stand in all this.'Don't tell the fucking loser that I'm here.I don't want to see him.'"
"I don't think that was her reasoning at all."Jules reached back and picked up another brownie.She handed it to me, but I waved it away."Darn, thought I could butter you up with buttercream."She laughed at her joke."I don't know everything that happened because she didn't say and she's no longer posting on social media, but I think she moved in with her parents for now, so the marriage must be over."
"Right, the marriage she never wanted but ran back to after a few hours with me.She decided she was better off in a crappy marriage to a dick than—" Jules pressed her fingers against my mouth.
"Shut up, Mr.Pity.None of that is true, and you know it.Look, I'll have coffee with her and see if I can get details."
I shook my head."Not fucking interested."
"Yes, you are."
"Nope.I've got a race in two weeks, and I plan to be there to win it.I don't need her fucking with my head anymore.She made her choice.It wasn't me, and I'm not falling for that trick again.I'm done with Lacey Michaels.I want nothing to do with her.And you know what?Grab me another one of those fucking brownies."
TWENTY
LACEY
Jules Stone was as gorgeous as ever.She'd always had this ethereal, unearthly quality about her.It might have been her incredible golden hair or the way she moved as if her feet didn't touch the ground.I was sitting in the back corner of the crowded coffee shop, so I lifted my hand and waved to get her attention.I'd already ordered her the chai tea she wanted, so she headed straight back to the table.Jules had been two grades below me, but she was so damn smart she was in several of my college prep classes back in high school.We were friends because of Theo.I always enjoyed talking to her.
I stood and we hugged."Can't believe you're back in town," she said and sat down behind her tea.She lifted it."Thanks for this."Her big brown eyes gave me a quick once over as she sipped the tea."Hmm, been a while since I had one of these."She glanced around.Most of the tables were full, and the caffeine-fueled conversations were loud and energetic."This place gets so packed."She faced me and smiled."Now, I know you've got questions about him."
My eyes widened."Who?"I asked innocently.
Jules tilted her head."I know we hung out occasionally in school, and admittedly, I've been following you on Instagram forever."She looked at me."Did that wedding really cost a million bucks?"
"And then some."
"Those flower arrangements were insane.I'm surprised there are any flowers left in florist shops."
"My mother-in—" I cleared my throat."My ex-mother-in-law is eccentric … among other things.None of it was my choice.She basically ran with the whole wedding plan and only occasionally checked in with me to pretend to get my opinion.Not that I could have changed her mind on anything, so I saved myself the stress and just agreed to everything."
Even her scrunched up, ick-face was gorgeous."I'd hate that.And as lavish as that wedding was, I would have hated it, too.Now, fire away."
"Fire away?"I asked, again pushing the whole innocence angle
"C'mon, Lacey, I'm not going to flatter myself into thinking, you, a big-shot lawyer and wife of a wealthy surgeon returned to our humble hometown so you could talk to a friend who was just one step above an acquaintance."She slapped the table lightly and sat forward."Wait.You said ex-mother-in-law.So the marriage is over?"
"It was never really a marriage.More of a contract to keep up appearances."
She sat up even straighter."He was covering up something?Something that would make his family look bad?He was a playboy?"Her shiny hair swayed on her head as she shook it."No, lots of wealthy families have playboy heirs."Her plump lips curled up."The only thing that makes those stodgy old families interesting."She pointed at me with a knowing look."He's gay and the marriage was to kill off those rumors."Jules had always been incredibly smart, but she was nothing short of genius.
I didn't need to reply.
"I'm right?I'm right," she said."Well done, me."
"You always were the smartest kid in school, but please don't say anything.I actually came out of that disastrous marriage feeling a good deal of sympathy for George.We're still friends, in fact.I'm hoping he comes out on his own soon.His mom will, no doubt, drop dead from a stroke if it happens, but that's not a terrible outcome either.She was such a cartoonish villain really."
Jules laughed."Oh shit, I forgot how much fun you could be.I love that description.I can see her now, flitting around her mansion with her hundred-thousand-dollar facelift and her ears and neck dripping with diamonds yelling at the servants to let them know they're not working hard enough."
