Crazy for Love

f miracles, Chloe put her arms around Jenn and hugged her tight.

“I’ve missed you,” she said.

Jenn hugged her back, too choked up to respond.

“Come on. Let’s go to dinner.”

“Chloe… I’m so sorry. I hope—”

“You’ve already apologized a hundred times, Jenn. Let’s not go there. We’re going to be okay, all right? I know you were trying to protect me.”

Jenn swallowed back the sob that wanted to escape and nodded.

“Even if you went about it in a completely screwed-up way.”

When Chloe smiled, Jenn finally let out her tears in a half sob, half laugh mess. Chloe pulled her into another hug. “We’re okay. But for the record, I want to know if my man is cheating on me. In fact, there’s a whole list of things I expect you to report—seeing him at dinner with another woman, catching him in my underwear dancing around my apartment…the list goes on.”

“Okay. I promise.”

Jenn hopped into the driver’s seat, feeling lighter than she had in months. Maybe even her whole life.

She had her best friend back, and she was never going to put that friendship at risk again.

CHLOE SNAPPED HER SEAT BELT into place, and gave Jenn’s hand one last squeeze. Max had been right. She’d needed to forgive Jenn, and it had been surprisingly easy. Not that she wasn’t going to keep an eye out for any signs of strange nervousness in the future, but it wasn’t as if Jenn had protested that she’d done nothing wrong. Regret was clear in everything she’d said or done.

“So,” Chloe said after a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t run out to rescue you earlier. I was on the phone.”

“With Max?”

“No…with Thomas.”

The car jerked a little when Jenn’s foot banged against the brake pedal. “What?”

“He called me.”

“To try to get you to lie?”

“No, his mom kept leaving me these saccharine-sweet messages, but she’s stopped calling. There’s rumors of a deal with the prosecution.”

Jenn glanced over, her eyes wide. “What did he call about then?”

“He wanted to apologize. Finally. Actually, he said he was going to send a letter, but with the charges…”

“Seriously? He didn’t want to leave evidence?”

“Well, he needn’t have worried. It’s not like he said much at all. He just said he was sorry. That he’d panicked, and it wasn’t my fault, and he didn’t expect me to forgive him. Then he paused like he wanted me to forgive him.”

“Oh, God.”

“I know. Anyway, I asked him if it had all been a lie from the very start, and he said…” Chloe frowned at the dashboard. “He said, ‘I think we both wanted it to be more than it was.’”

“What an asshole!”

“No, I’m pretty sure he’s right. I know he’s right. It wouldn’t have worked. Maybe in a few years, I would’ve been the one jumping out of a plane. But I’d have done it with more flair. I’d have gone to Europe. If I were on the run, I’d want Interpol after me, because I’m just awesome like that.” Chloe laughed, but when Jenn took her hand, she squeezed it hard, then held on for the rest of the drive.

As soon as they slid into the booth at their favorite brunch restaurant, Chloe leaned forward and put her chin on her hands. “So, how’s it going with the other Sullivan brother?”

“Good. Really good. We see each other every weekend. And when he comes here, he doesn’t even bring his laptop.”