Page 102 of The Spare

He said he loved me.

A violent sob wracks through me. I press my palm hard against my sternum, trying to hold myself together. Yet the pain is crippling. It hurts worse than the panic attack on the jet. More painful than the times in high school when I allowed my heart to be broken by him. Because this time, I let my guard down completely. I gave him every single piece of me.

Could he have been using me this whole time?

The headlights of a large vehicle flash in my rearview mirror. I glance up. High beams cut through the heavy sheets of rain. Could he be following me? My stomach plummets straight to the floor. I just need some space to get my head together before we talk.

He isn’t going to let this go. But why would he when fifty million dollars is on the line?

I press my foot down on the gas pedal, my car’s engine whining as it accelerates down the slick pavement. I can’t talk to him. I refuse to listen to one more heartfelt speech crafted to pull me right back under his spell.

Taking the next corner fast, the tires squeal on the wet asphalt as I head for the city lights in the distance. Three rapid turns later, and the high beams of the car behind me finally vanish behind a wall of other vehicles.

My hands are shaking so violently I can barely keep the wheel straight as I tap the controls, dialing Lilly’s number. It rings twice before her voice fills the quiet car.

“Hey, Lexi. How are⁠—”

“Lilly… I… I don’t know what to do.” A ragged sob spills out before I can stop it.

“Lexi, honey, breathe.” Lilly’s voice is full of concern. “Where are you right now?”

“Driving. I left the house. I can’t talk to him right now.”

“Come on over here,” she says without a second’s hesitation. “Georgia’s here with me. Just drive straight to my place. You don’t need to go back there tonight.”

Ten minutes later, I’m sitting on Lilly’s plush velvet sofa, wrapped in an expensive fleece blanket. A warm mug of tea is resting untouched between my hands.

Lilly sits on my left, her arm slung tightly around my shoulders. Sweet Georgia sits across from us on the coffee table, her wide eyes brimming with solidarity tears. I swear this girl reminds me of a Disney princess. Her facial features are so expressive.

I tell them everything. From the plane ride and the speech to the candles, the roses, and Al Green playing. I completely set the stage for the moment he asked me to make our marriage real.

“And then…” I sniffle. “His mother walked through the door with a big stack of legal papers. She said it was all a lie. He’d begged me to stay married to him. He said he loved me. Turns out it could be because he’d inherit an additional fifty million dollars for each year we remained together.”

Georgia gasps, covering her mouth with her hands.

Lilly’s face turns beet-red.

“I really thought things were going to work out between us.” My voice cracks as a fresh wave of tears stings my eyes. “I fell for it all.”

Lilly swipes the waterworks from my cheeks.

“Now, I have no idea what to believe anymore.”

Georgia leans forward, resting her hands on my knees. Her gaze is steady, completely devoid of judgment. “Don’t let your fear get the best of you. What does your heart tell you?”

I close my eyes. The first thing I remember is the look on his face as his mother dropped that bomb. His eyes weren’t cold or calculating. They were filled with gut-wrenching terror.

“My heart tells me to believe him,” I admit, opening my eyes and looking at them. “His mother has been a vindictive shrew for as long as I’ve known her. It was because of her manipulation that Sam pushed me away all those years ago.” I pause, swallowing the tight lump in my throat. “But I don’t want to continue to be naive. To convince myself he’s innocent of her accusations simply because I desperately want it to be true.”

Lilly gives my shoulder a comforting squeeze.

I take a deep inhale before continuing. “I didn’t let his behavior destroy me when I was younger,” I admit, lifting my chin proudly. “It fed my need to become a strong, independent woman.”

“Girl power!” Georgia shouts with an overdramatic fist pump into the air. The unexpected outburst causes me to suppress a surprised giggle.

“I might need to cut you off on the diet Dr. Peppers over there, sparky,” Lilly chides playfully. “I think you’ve had too much caffeine.”

A hand flies over her mouth. “Sorry.”