verbally ignited.
“Why didn’t you call us?” Harper spouted.
“Now, Harper, give Chloe a chance to explain. Honey, where the hell are you staying?” Ree demanded. “We have been beside ourselves with worry. We even texted Leighton to see if she had any ideas, but we haven’t heard from her yet. You look great, by the way.”
“Well, she did lose one hundred eighty pounds.”
The words slammed into Chloe’s stomach like a sucker punch. Harper never had liked Trevor but it still hurt. She bit down on her lip.
Ree turned and gave Harper a hard look.
“Sorry, I just never liked him. I can’t say I’m sorry they broke up, though I’m sorry you got hurt, Chloe.”
“Back to the subject at hand, where are you are staying? We’ve been calling everyone.”
“Of course, Dimwit knew nothing. When did he start shacking up with Ashley?” Harper griped. Harper had never taken to Trevor and had called him Dimwit practically since they’d met. Chloe had done her best to keep the two separated. Of course, in Trevor’s defense, not everybody took to Harper, either. Obviously, after his unfaithfulness, she was more than willing to let that slide.
“How do you know that?” Chloe asked.
“She answered the phone when I called, of course.” Releasing a heavy breath, Ree scowled in disgust as she flicked back her blond locks.
“The skank,” Harper contributed, flipping through Chloe’s Rolodex.
“Now, tell us what’s going on,” Ree said.
“Yes, do tell.”
“Okay, but give me a second. Jeez, you two. You’re worse than any Spanish Inquisition.”
The women didn’t look offended at all. They simply folded their arms across their chests to wait her out.
Chloe tried to outlast them, but they were like the Terminator, unrelenting. “All right, all right already. Look, two nights ago—”
“Two nights!” they exclaimed.
“Do you want to hear this or not?” Chloe asked.
“Go on, honey. We won’t interrupt again. We promise . Don’t we, Harper?” Ree shot Harper a look, telling her to keep quiet.
“Yeah, whatever.” Harper nodded in agreement.
“Two nights ago, I thought I would surprise Trevor. The only trouble was the surprise was on me. He was doing Ashley on our dining room table.”
“Now, that brings a whole new concept to the dining experience.”
“Harper!” Ree swung toward Harper to give her a look that said shut up , or in Ree’s case, shush .
Harper merely shrugged.
Ree swiveled back with a tight smile. “Okay, but that still doesn’t answer where you’ve been staying and why you didn’t call us.”
“I guess I didn’t call you because I knew you’d react this way.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ree demanded.
“You guys can be a bit overwhelming.”
“Okay.” Ree took a deep breath and jammed a finger in the air. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Well, I’m not going to,” Harper snapped.
Chloe crossed to the windows and looked out, not really seeing the view. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t do the emotional thing well. I needed time. The truth is I was embarrassed. I had no clue Trevor and Ashley were together, but evidently, it had been going on for some time. I know now there were signs. I just didn’t notice them. I feel like such an idiot.”
“Honey, some men are just crap. They’re good at lying.” Ree crossed over to her and put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder.
Chloe looked up and held her gaze. “But, don’t you see? That’s my point. He wasn’t. I just didn’t notice.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. He was the one that cheated,” Harper assured her.
“I know. But I realized somehow that during the last few months I had disconnected. I was going through the motions but wasn’t really there.”
“Well, it’s over. He obviously wasn’t the one. Now, tell us where you’ve been staying,” Ree said.
“The first night, I was too upset. I didn’t have much money so I…” She knew they weren’t going to
“Why didn’t you call us?” Harper spouted.
“Now, Harper, give Chloe a chance to explain. Honey, where the hell are you staying?” Ree demanded. “We have been beside ourselves with worry. We even texted Leighton to see if she had any ideas, but we haven’t heard from her yet. You look great, by the way.”
“Well, she did lose one hundred eighty pounds.”
The words slammed into Chloe’s stomach like a sucker punch. Harper never had liked Trevor but it still hurt. She bit down on her lip.
Ree turned and gave Harper a hard look.
“Sorry, I just never liked him. I can’t say I’m sorry they broke up, though I’m sorry you got hurt, Chloe.”
“Back to the subject at hand, where are you are staying? We’ve been calling everyone.”
“Of course, Dimwit knew nothing. When did he start shacking up with Ashley?” Harper griped. Harper had never taken to Trevor and had called him Dimwit practically since they’d met. Chloe had done her best to keep the two separated. Of course, in Trevor’s defense, not everybody took to Harper, either. Obviously, after his unfaithfulness, she was more than willing to let that slide.
“How do you know that?” Chloe asked.
“She answered the phone when I called, of course.” Releasing a heavy breath, Ree scowled in disgust as she flicked back her blond locks.
“The skank,” Harper contributed, flipping through Chloe’s Rolodex.
“Now, tell us what’s going on,” Ree said.
“Yes, do tell.”
“Okay, but give me a second. Jeez, you two. You’re worse than any Spanish Inquisition.”
The women didn’t look offended at all. They simply folded their arms across their chests to wait her out.
Chloe tried to outlast them, but they were like the Terminator, unrelenting. “All right, all right already. Look, two nights ago—”
“Two nights!” they exclaimed.
“Do you want to hear this or not?” Chloe asked.
“Go on, honey. We won’t interrupt again. We promise . Don’t we, Harper?” Ree shot Harper a look, telling her to keep quiet.
“Yeah, whatever.” Harper nodded in agreement.
“Two nights ago, I thought I would surprise Trevor. The only trouble was the surprise was on me. He was doing Ashley on our dining room table.”
“Now, that brings a whole new concept to the dining experience.”
“Harper!” Ree swung toward Harper to give her a look that said shut up , or in Ree’s case, shush .
Harper merely shrugged.
Ree swiveled back with a tight smile. “Okay, but that still doesn’t answer where you’ve been staying and why you didn’t call us.”
“I guess I didn’t call you because I knew you’d react this way.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ree demanded.
“You guys can be a bit overwhelming.”
“Okay.” Ree took a deep breath and jammed a finger in the air. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“Well, I’m not going to,” Harper snapped.
Chloe crossed to the windows and looked out, not really seeing the view. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t do the emotional thing well. I needed time. The truth is I was embarrassed. I had no clue Trevor and Ashley were together, but evidently, it had been going on for some time. I know now there were signs. I just didn’t notice them. I feel like such an idiot.”
“Honey, some men are just crap. They’re good at lying.” Ree crossed over to her and put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder.
Chloe looked up and held her gaze. “But, don’t you see? That’s my point. He wasn’t. I just didn’t notice.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. He was the one that cheated,” Harper assured her.
“I know. But I realized somehow that during the last few months I had disconnected. I was going through the motions but wasn’t really there.”
“Well, it’s over. He obviously wasn’t the one. Now, tell us where you’ve been staying,” Ree said.
“The first night, I was too upset. I didn’t have much money so I…” She knew they weren’t going to
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