Page 68 of The Perfect Deal
Even though I was drunk, her words registered in my mind. I let them resonate, realizing I’d overreacted. I’d said some awful things to the man I loved because I’d believed what some crazy woman said behind his back.
“Shit,” I whispered. “Man, did I fuck up.”
41
JOSHUA
I’d gone to bed super early the night before but lay in bed staring up at the ceiling for a long time. Being away at camp for so long was both physically and emotionally exhausting, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept going back to Liberty, the ugly words she’d yelled at me in the parking lot of the sports complex, and why she would possibly think any of that was true.
If there was one thing I’d learned from being Landon’s best friend, and watching him navigate his early relationship with Poppy, it was that women could be unpredictable at times. I had no idea what I’d done or said to make Liberty react that way, but I knew something similar had happened with Landon and Poppy. I could only hope that Liberty and I would find a way to get through this like they had done.
The sun wasn’t even up yet when my eyes opened. Exhaustion had settled into every fiber of my being, but I had a lot to do that day, and something told me even if I attempted to go back to sleep, I wouldn’t be able to. I might get a few minutes in, but I’d be right back where I was in no time at all, thinking about Liberty and wondering what the day might hold.
With both sessions of camp over, our wedding trip, and plenty of wedding planning already behind me, all that was left of the summer was our vacation and the wedding itself. Thinking of the trip to Bali, I realized I needed to do some laundry before I repacked my suitcases. It seemed I was living out of luggage these days. With a deep sigh, I threw back the covers and got out of bed.
Out of habit more than anything else, I checked my phone, not expecting there to be anything from Liberty, not after how mad she’d been the day before. I doubted anything could change her mood overnight. So I was surprised when I saw a text from her from very late last night—early this morning—that said, “Can you meet me at the coffee shop downtown this morning, please?”
Something about the way she’d phrased the request made me think that something had happened to make her realize nothing she’d screamed at me was true. I thought about what she might’ve done when she got home last night and figured she’d probably seen Poppy. Landon was out of town on business, so maybe they had a girls’ night out, and Poppy convinced her she was overreacting to whatever it was that had her so bent out of shape.
I didn’t even think twice when I replied, “Of course. What time?”
I got up to go to the bathroom, thinking she might still be asleep and not answer for a while, but when I returned, there was a response telling me to meet her at nine.
That gave me a couple hours. I took a shower and got cleaned up before starting the laundry. I managed to get a load washed, dried, and put away before I headed out the door, my heart heavy in my chest. While I was hopeful she’d gotten over whatever it was that had made her so upset, I wasn’t certain. She could be asking to speak to me because she wanted to tell me that we weren’t working anymore, that she didn’t want to see me again.
Could she actually break up with me when technically we weren’t even dating? I wasn’t sure, but hearing her say she meant it when she said she never wanted to see me again the day before would probably send me over the edge. I wasn’t sure that was something I could ever recover from.
The coffee shop was a bit busy when I pulled into a spot and turned my engine off. A lot of people were out and about early, possibly on their way to work or to the airport to head off on their own vacations. It wasn’t too hot out yet, but the weather report had promised another scorcher. In some ways, I was ready for summer to be over just so I could enjoy the fall air.
The bell above the door dinged as I walked inside. Looking around, I didn’t see Liberty at first and thought maybe I’d gotten there first, but then I saw her sitting in a booth in the very back of the café, a cup of steaming coffee in front of her and her face downcast as she stared into the black brew, her hair cascading around her as if she was trying to hide.
Maybe she was. It was clear that she wasn’t feeling particularly chipper, based on her body language. I needed to find out what was going on, but whatever she had to say, coffee would make it better. I stepped up to the counter and ordered my usual, leaving a nice tip before heading over to join her.
I stood by the side of the booth for a moment, staring at her. Even when she looked so unbelievably sad, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. It took her a few seconds to realize I was there. When she finally did, she lifted her head, her eyes rimmed with red. “Hey.” Her voice was soft and weak.
“Hi.” I slid into the booth across from her, my forehead creased with concern. “What’s going on, Libby? You look really upset.”
“I am really upset,” she admitted. “Joshua, I owe you a huge apology. I’m so sorry for everything I said to you yesterday. I was confused and heartbroken by something I’d heard. That isn’t an excuse, though. I should’ve come to you and talked to you about it, given you a chance to explain, and I’m very sorry I didn’t do that.”
Regardless of what it was that she’d heard about me, at the moment, all I could think about was the fact that she was hurting. Reaching across the table, I took her hand in mine. “It’s all right, Liberty. I’m not sure what happened, but we can work it out. What is it that you heard?”
She drew in a shuddering breath, shaking her head slightly before she replied. “Karrie told me the two of you are dating.”
“What?” I couldn’t help the shock that raised the volume of my voice. We both looked around to see if anyone was staring. Thankfully, everyone seemed caught up in their own conversations. “She told you we were dating?”
Liberty nodded. “That’s right. In front of all the girls in our cabin, she said that she’d had a crush on you since last year and that the two of you were going to go out once you got back. It was like a little speech about how they shouldn’t give up on their dreams or some bullshit. Anyway, I felt betrayed, like maybe you’d been seeing us both at the same time. Or maybe you just decided that it was too difficult to date me because of my brother, so you decided to go out with her instead. I didn’t know. I couldn’t make a lot of sense out of it, and I was so upset that thinking about it clearly was impossible.”
“Liberty, I can assure you that there’s no way in hell that I would ever want to go out with Karrie for any reason. I can’t stand her. She drives me insane. Why she would tell you or anyone else that we’re dating is beyond me. Honestly, if there was something that came up that made me not want to date you, I’d let you know, though I don’t think that could ever be the case. You have to know I’d never disrespect you like that.”
“I do know,” she said with a nod, squeezing my hand. “I just overreacted. I guess I was thinking about what happened during the first camp session and how you hadn’t wanted to talk to me about your feelings then, so I decided you must’ve determined you’d rather go out with her and not let me know, figuring I’d find out the truth eventually.”
Letting out a deep sigh, I ran my free hand through my hair. I couldn’t blame her for thinking I might do something douchey after the way I’d treated her after the first night we’d slept together. “I hate that any of this has happened, Liberty. From now on, we’ve got to be open and communicate with one another better. Both of us. Especially me. You have to be able to trust me as much as I trust you. Okay?”
She nodded. “I do trust you. I hope you know you can tell me how you’re feeling and not have to worry about anything with me. I’m here for you, Joshua.”
I wanted to lean across the booth and kiss her right then and there, but Franklin was a relatively small town, and I had no idea who might see us. “I trust you.”
“Good.” She let out a sigh and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “Thank god that’s over.”