SHIT.” Millie’s eyes were still wide. She pulled her drink from Stella and downed the remaining martini.
“Right?” Stella motioned for another drink. “So, I know I’m all over the place, but after I saw him in the conference room, I freaked. I went home and ran with Cooper. George found me lying in the park with Cooper. He picked me up and carried me to his house. I told him about Jamie because I was so shocked. I kind of wish I wouldn’t have told him, but I’m glad I did, too.” She took a break and wished she had another drink already. “I don’t know...”
She shook her head and examined her recently manicured nails; they were so foreign to her, but Millie told her to get a manicure before the interview. “While I was at George’s, Patrick kept texting me, and basically told me he knew the whole time because he kept asking if I was okay and asking where I was.” She took a deep breath. “Mil, he watched me go through that entire year…shit, four years of fucking misery and he knew Jamie was alive. I don’t know if I can ever trust him again. He was my best friend and it was all a lie. Jamie threw me on him and he felt sorry for me.” Her voice was hoarse from trying to keep all of the emotion she’d hidden away from escaping through her words. It was still hard for her to even deal with the fact that Patrick lied to her for so long. She’d decided that not dealing with that part of her story would keep her the sanest.
Millie was silent. Her hands tore the beverage napkin.
Stella took another deep breath and continued. “So, I went to Montana after getting back together with George. I refused to even acknowledge Jamie. He came to my hotel and apologized to me through the door; said he wanted to talk. I told him to fuck off. Two days later the office blew up and I was shot.”
The server put a new martini down in front of Stella.
“I need another one too, please,” Millie said without looking at the server.
“Jamie shot me, Millie.” Stella blinked and felt the alcohol hit her senses. “He looked directly into my eyes and he shot me.”
A smothered cry escaped Millie’s lips and all of sudden her glass toppled over and vodka surged across the table toward Stella. Stella hurriedly put down napkins to block the alcohol.
“That’s alcohol abuse,” she tried to break the emotional conversation with a lame joke.
“I… I don’t know what to say, El. I-I’m so…” Millie sputtered.
“Don’t…” Stella was so tired of the pity that she saw in Millie’s eyes. “So anyway. I didn’t tell anyone about Jamie shooting me.” Stella looked at Millie and shook her head. “I know. It was stupid and I have no idea why I just didn’t tell the FBI the first time.”
“Holy shit, El.”
“Right?” She took a drink and looked outside again. “Then, when I went to Atlanta, he kidnapped me and took me to Key West and told me he loved me and he never meant for any of this to happen.”
“Wait. Slow down.” Millie tapped her nails on the table like she did when she was nervous in law school. “You’re seriously telling me you were shot and then kidnapped?”
Stella nodded.
“By your formerly dead fiancé?”
Stella nodded again. It sounded like a bad soap opera when she laid it all on the table like this. Jamie’s evil twin just needed to turn up—or maybe Jack Ryder was his evil twin! That makes so much more sense…
Millie burst out laughing. “You must be drunk if you think I’m going to believe that shit. You’re so stupid.” She shook her head and wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.
Stella was shocked and then realized what it sounded like and began laughing too.
“You’re a fucking idiot. Why can’t you just tell me what happened with you and Patrick?”
Laughing, Stella blurted out, “I fucking swear.”
“I’m not that stupid.”
“George, Jesse and Greg came to get me, hence the pictures of me and George drunk in Key West.”
Millie stopped
“Right?” Stella motioned for another drink. “So, I know I’m all over the place, but after I saw him in the conference room, I freaked. I went home and ran with Cooper. George found me lying in the park with Cooper. He picked me up and carried me to his house. I told him about Jamie because I was so shocked. I kind of wish I wouldn’t have told him, but I’m glad I did, too.” She took a break and wished she had another drink already. “I don’t know...”
She shook her head and examined her recently manicured nails; they were so foreign to her, but Millie told her to get a manicure before the interview. “While I was at George’s, Patrick kept texting me, and basically told me he knew the whole time because he kept asking if I was okay and asking where I was.” She took a deep breath. “Mil, he watched me go through that entire year…shit, four years of fucking misery and he knew Jamie was alive. I don’t know if I can ever trust him again. He was my best friend and it was all a lie. Jamie threw me on him and he felt sorry for me.” Her voice was hoarse from trying to keep all of the emotion she’d hidden away from escaping through her words. It was still hard for her to even deal with the fact that Patrick lied to her for so long. She’d decided that not dealing with that part of her story would keep her the sanest.
Millie was silent. Her hands tore the beverage napkin.
Stella took another deep breath and continued. “So, I went to Montana after getting back together with George. I refused to even acknowledge Jamie. He came to my hotel and apologized to me through the door; said he wanted to talk. I told him to fuck off. Two days later the office blew up and I was shot.”
The server put a new martini down in front of Stella.
“I need another one too, please,” Millie said without looking at the server.
“Jamie shot me, Millie.” Stella blinked and felt the alcohol hit her senses. “He looked directly into my eyes and he shot me.”
A smothered cry escaped Millie’s lips and all of sudden her glass toppled over and vodka surged across the table toward Stella. Stella hurriedly put down napkins to block the alcohol.
“That’s alcohol abuse,” she tried to break the emotional conversation with a lame joke.
“I… I don’t know what to say, El. I-I’m so…” Millie sputtered.
“Don’t…” Stella was so tired of the pity that she saw in Millie’s eyes. “So anyway. I didn’t tell anyone about Jamie shooting me.” Stella looked at Millie and shook her head. “I know. It was stupid and I have no idea why I just didn’t tell the FBI the first time.”
“Holy shit, El.”
“Right?” She took a drink and looked outside again. “Then, when I went to Atlanta, he kidnapped me and took me to Key West and told me he loved me and he never meant for any of this to happen.”
“Wait. Slow down.” Millie tapped her nails on the table like she did when she was nervous in law school. “You’re seriously telling me you were shot and then kidnapped?”
Stella nodded.
“By your formerly dead fiancé?”
Stella nodded again. It sounded like a bad soap opera when she laid it all on the table like this. Jamie’s evil twin just needed to turn up—or maybe Jack Ryder was his evil twin! That makes so much more sense…
Millie burst out laughing. “You must be drunk if you think I’m going to believe that shit. You’re so stupid.” She shook her head and wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.
Stella was shocked and then realized what it sounded like and began laughing too.
“You’re a fucking idiot. Why can’t you just tell me what happened with you and Patrick?”
Laughing, Stella blurted out, “I fucking swear.”
“I’m not that stupid.”
“George, Jesse and Greg came to get me, hence the pictures of me and George drunk in Key West.”
Millie stopped
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