“I’m not hungry,” Kallie said.
“Then I’ll eat it while I sit with you in this very small office you still haven’t upgraded,” she said.
“What are you doing here?” Kallie asked.
“You mean besides coming to comfort you while James lies about your entire existence to the nation?” she asked. “Nothing, I guess.”
“I haven’t heard from you in days.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been a little missing in action lately. But, apparently, Jeremy is more distracting than I originally assumed.”
“The guy from the club? You’re still doing that?” she asked.
“Oh, yes. I’m very much ‘still doing that,’” Eris said. “And he does what he does very well.”
“At least someone’s life is headed in a positive direction.”
“Have you talked to Ash about this?”
Kallie shot her a look.
Eris held her hands up. “Just asking.”
“I did talk with him,” Kallie said. “And it didn’t go well.”
“What? Did he not believe you or something?”
“He didn’t just not believe me. He called me a gold digger. Said James was right. Told me that he didn’t know how in the world he’d fallen for my ruse and then downright told me he didn’t trust me. I showed him our texts, Eris. All we did was call while I was on the island. Three times!”
“Yeah, those messages are bullshit,” Eris said. “I can’t believe he’s getting away with this.”
“I’ve been trying to track down whoever he hired to be the photographer for the wedding, but there’s nothing. That was his job. The photographer and the reception. I was supposed to do the ceremony and coordinate with the musicians,” Kallie said.
“Honestly? With the shit he’s spinning, there’s a good chance he’s paid the photographer or some shit to get rid of the pictures.”
“Could you give me something here to work with? I’m about to throw myself out the window.”
“Kallie, the point to all this is that you deserve to be trusted. Through anything. And Ash couldn't give that to you. He struck me as wishy-washy from the beginning. Ever since I met him in that club and gave him the rundown. And I’m sorry, but any man who can question your motives after I come for him is looking for a way out.”
“You think?” Kallie asked.
“I do,” Eris said.
“You did go at him kind of hard.”
“And yet he still wants to believe your bullshit ex and his fun little talk-show interview over you. But, in his defense...”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Kallie asked.
“Look, even I can admit when someone’s built up a decent story. The way James is spinning this? Those text messages he created for that damn show? It’s pretty convincing. And with no pictures from the wedding, there’s nothing else you’ve got to come at him with. I mean, I could talk to the girls and we could go to the press, but then all that looks like is your friends sticking up for you.”
“He fucked his best man’s wife. Where the hell is that guy?” Kallie asked.
“Look, we can figure that out later. The point is that I’m not justifying Ash’s actions, but it’s a tall order. Yes, he should have sided with you. But he’s also only known you ... what? Two weeks? Three weeks? And then all this shit happens and there’s a picture of you kissing James—”
“He kissed me.”
“I know that. Kallie, I know that. I’m your best friend. I’m the one that caught him with that skanky bitch. But James is playing this smart and he’s playing this ruthlessly. If he can’t have you, no one can. That’s what’s happening right now. And the more names you pour into the mixture, the harder he’s going to come. At me. At the girls. Hell, even at the woman you’re going to say he fucked. Which he did, but there’s no proof of that. It’s his rich word against yours, and you know he’ll win. Right now, in this climate, he’ll win.”