“So that’s why Ben ran off that night. Poor guy. Not that it excuses his behavior. He could have totally called you and explained what happened.”
“I agree.”
There was a pause. “You sound…different. Oh my God. You slept with Ben again!”
What? This was insane. How on earth did Kate know that?
“The first time I slept with Ben you thought I looked different. Now I sound different? What is he? Some kind of physically altering drug?”
“You tell me.”
“Okay, I admit it. I slept with Ben again. But if Ben Harrison is a drug, then he’s—”
“Crack cocaine?” Kate asked breathlessly. “So addictive you need to have it over and over again?”
“What’s your book club been reading? I was about to say that if Ben Harrison is a drug he’s like a…Z-pack. You take it till you’re done and then you’re over it.”
“Mmm…too bad.”
“Not really. He’s eventually going back to Miami, and I have this terrific future here in Whispering Bay. Our lives are on totally different planes.”
“Is that how the two of you left it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is that what he said, or is that what you said?”
“Neither of us said anything. I just…left.”
“Wait. Don’t tell me you snuck out of bed last night while he was still sleeping and left him a note that said Had to go, talk to you later. Please don’t tell me you did that.”
A trickle of unease ran down Jenna’s spine. “There was no sneaking involved. I calmly and deliberately got out of bed this morning. And there was no note.”
“You left while Ben was still asleep?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Jenna!”
“What?” Although she already knew what Kate was thinking. “This wasn’t payback. I just didn’t have anything to say to him.”
“Didn’t have anything to say or were too afraid to stay and hear what he might say?”
Leave it to Kate to make this bigger than what it was. “Whose side are you on?”
“I didn’t realize there were sides, but when you put it that way, I’m on yours. I love you. That’s why I’m always going to tell you the truth.”
“And I appreciate it. But you’re over-romanticizing. Last night was just a moment of…temporary insanity. Believe me, I’ve done Ben a huge favor. No awkward morning small talk or any of that stuff. He was probably thrilled to find me gone.”
“If you say so,” Kate said skeptically.
* * *
Damn it.
She was gone.
She must have left sometime in the middle of the night—no—he’d gotten up at four to check on Rachel, and Jenna had still been here. He’d been tempted to wake her up for round four, but he’d held back. He could kick himself for that now.