Cady pulled her into her arms, her heart broken and aching for her best friend—for herself. “It can wait. Celeste can handle the shop—I can help if she needs anything. Besides, Landon knows what’s going on.” She pressed a kiss to Bianca’s temple.
“I’m so sorry, Cady,” Bianca whispered, her voice shaking.
“Why are you apologizing?” she asked. “I’m the one that should be sorry.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Cady,” Bianca argued. “You fell in love, you confided, you let go.” She sniffed. “And now you’ve lost him. Like I’ve lost Zach.”
She wanted to argue with Bianca, but there was no way to get the words past the lump in her throat. She hadn’t told Bianca about her feelings for Patton or what had happened. There was no need—Bibi knew. She forced herself to argue. “He was never mine, Bibi.” The words hurt. “I sure as hell don’t want him now.”
Bianca pushed out of Cady’s hold. “Oh, Cady...” She shook her head. “If things had been reversed, you would have done exactly what Patton did. You would have protected me, no matter what.”
Cady scowled at Bianca. Would she? Yes, her allegiance was to Bibi first but... “I would have talked to Zach first. I would have asked him to talk to you. Privately, respectfully—”
“You’re you.” Bianca shook her head. “They’ve already lost their brother and their father. Patton’s so...guarded. Of course he is going to go straight to Zach.”
“I don’t want to talk about Patton. Let’s focus on you and what will cheer you up.” Cady stood, collecting the used tissues that littered the coffee table. “First, I’m making coffee.”
“Thank you,” Bianca answered. “I’m going to lie here and pull myself together.”
Cady smiled at her best friend’s sad attempt at a joke. “I think you’re holding it together pretty damn well.” She paused. “And thank you for not being angry with me.”
“I could never be angry with you, Cady. I love you too much,” Bianca said with a slow smile.
Guilt hit Cady like a ton of bricks. Would Bibi still feel that way if she’d known about her and Patton’s plan? She hated what had happened today, hated the way it was handled. But today’s events had done exactly what she and Patton had wanted. It had ended the engagement—and crushed Bianca.
She’d caught sight of Zach as he stood outside the shop, staring at the door handle. He looked as if he’d been punched—repeatedly—and he hadn’t been able to find his bearings. For a moment she hoped he’d come in and talk to Bianca. Anything to make this less horrible. Instead he climbed into his truck and peeled out of the parking lot. Cady was slammed with a wave of self-loathing. What had she been thinking? What right did she have to interfere with Bibi’s choice—and her heart?
She’d glared at Patton through the shop window, knowing full well he couldn’t see her through the window tinting. It didn’t matter. It made her feel better. As much as she blamed herself, she blamed him more.
She made coffee in Bianca’s tiny kitchen. The apartment over the shop was minuscule—three “comfy” rooms Bibi called home. It wasn’t much, but it was warm and inviting and full of love. Just like Bianca. Cady stared into the coffeepot, her eyes filling with tears.
Today should never have happened. No matter what Bibi said, Cady knew the truth. It was all her fault. If she’d kept her mouth shut, kept Patton at arm’s length... She brushed her thoughts aside. What-ifs weren’t going to make Bibi feel better. Right now, that was all that mattered.
When she returned with two steaming mugs, heavy on the cream and sugar, she found Bianca poring over a photo album.
Cady sat beside her, smiling at the pictures. “Is that GG?”
“And that handsome devil is my grandfather.” Bianca patted the picture. “GG said she still misses him. He’s been gone for almost sixteen years.”
Cady stared at the picture. There was no denying the young couple in the photograph were deeply in love. “I guess that’s real love.”
Bianca nodded. “I love how they met. Has GG ever told you the story?” Bianca waited for Cady to shake her head before going on. “They met on a Saturday night; they were both at the cinema with friends and felt that instant thing—you know, that spark? He asked her father for her hand on Wednesday and they were married the following Sunday.”
“One week?” Cady was stunned. “And they knew?” She wanted to argue. But she couldn’t. She stared at Bianca looking through the album. Bianca had felt that spark with Zach. Cady remembered Bibi’s phone call, her friend going on about their instant connection. Cady had downplayed it... Because she hadn’t understood. Now, maybe, she did. Love wasn’t a choice. She wished she had some way of un-loving Patton, but she couldn’t. She hated him for what he did—but she loved him. “You should talk to him, Bibi,” Cady spoke, glancing at the phone Bianca had silenced.
Bianca shook her head.
“He’s called six times,” Cady pushed. “Please call him. Patton might have unloaded a bunch of...facts on him. But you know there’s more to the story.”
Bianca shrugged. “He’ll think better of me if he knows? That he’ll still love me?”
Cady nodded. “Of course he will.” She swallowed. She and Bibi had an unspoken promise never to mention her exes, but today she was going to make an exception. “Dan cheated on you so you broke off the engagement. Who wouldn’t? Francisco...his accident left you heartbroken. That was why you were driving drunk and got your DWI.”
“And Marcus?” Bibi asked.
“You broke it off with him because it didn’t feel right, Bibi.” Cady sighed. “That doesn’t make you a bad person. If anything, it makes you cautious—”
“A cautious person that’s been engaged three—four now—times?” Bianca laughed then burst into tears.