then. But I didn't do anything because I didn't want him to think I was using him. I'd never do that to him. Not to Noah...God, he's everything to me.”
“Then call him.”
“I can't! Don't you see? I don't deserve him! I'm not worthy of someone like him!” She tipped her head back. “This is the price I have to pay,” she whispered.
“Price? For what?”
“For sitting by and watching my father,” she pursed her lips before she continued, “watching my father have an affair. I knew and I didn't say anything. And I let Liam take all the blame. Ma thinks it's his fault. She never tells him that, but she does.”
“Why?”
“Because the woman was Liam's art teacher. She wanted Liam to be in a show, so Dad went to meet the teacher and that's when he realized the woman was the girl he should have married.”
“Then why didn't he marry her?”
“Because he got my mom pregnant. He cared for her, but he wasn't in love with her. God! They always said that we should never marry unless we loved someone. Otherwise, we'd be doomed to make their mistakes. But Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I can't imagine how Noah could ever forgive me for what I just did to him. And I don't love Tony. I don't.”
“I'm a little confused.”
“Tony came by earlier. He begged me to take him back, promised he'd never do it again. Asked me...” She began to sob. “He asked me,” she said in a whisper, a look of disbelief on her face, “to marry him.”
“And you said no. Right?”
She shook her head. “I said yes.”
“Oh, my God. Why?”
“Because Noah will never forgive me. And if I'm stuck living a life without the one man I'll ever love, it might as well be in comfort and style.”
“Do you even like Tony?”
“Sometimes,” she replied, sniffing. “He's not all bad.”
Jenna begged to differ. Tony was a kinky, philandering bastard. “Catie, you know he's just going to cheat again.”
“He said he'd stop going to the bars. And he's moving into his parents' house until we get married.”
As if that will stop a pig like him , Jenna thought. But she said, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“No. But I don't think I've got a lot of options. Not good ones, anyway.”
“Catie, you always have options. God, you could come with me to Minnesota. Start over. Find a job. Doesn't your brother live there?”
“He's leaving. Actually, he's gone. Right after graduation, he hopped a plane to D.C. He's headed to CIA training.”
Jenna chuckled. “Guess I missed my chance to meet him, huh?” They'd been trying to get Liam to meet Jenna for most of the last four years and it never worked in their favor.
Catie sniffed and smiled. “Yeah. Guess so.”
Jenna grew somber again. “You don't have to do this. I can help you out financially, Catie. You know I've got the money and I don't care about it. I'd gladly help keep you afloat if it means you won't go back to him. You deserve better.”
“I don't think I do, Jen.”
“Damn it, Catie! You're a good person! Stop saying that!” She pulled her friend in for a hug. Jenna wasn't typically a hugger, at least not with friends, but in this case, she needed it as much as Catie obviously did. “He'll never let us stay friends. You know that, right?”
“I won't let him keep us from being friends,” Catie said. And Jenna knew she believed it. But Tony had money and influence, not to mention parents who catered to his every whim. His mother would keep Catie busy in high society and make it impossible for Jenna to ever see her friend outside of their mutual acquaintances. Tony knew how much Jenna hated that set.
“What does Liam think?” Jenna asked, sitting back.
“I haven't told him yet. He's out of communication for a while. I doubt he'll be happy. He hates Tony.”
“I've never met him, and I already like him.”
“Jen...”
“Catie...”
Her friend took a deep breath and sighed. “This is just the hand I've been dealt. I have to live with
“Then call him.”
“I can't! Don't you see? I don't deserve him! I'm not worthy of someone like him!” She tipped her head back. “This is the price I have to pay,” she whispered.
“Price? For what?”
“For sitting by and watching my father,” she pursed her lips before she continued, “watching my father have an affair. I knew and I didn't say anything. And I let Liam take all the blame. Ma thinks it's his fault. She never tells him that, but she does.”
“Why?”
“Because the woman was Liam's art teacher. She wanted Liam to be in a show, so Dad went to meet the teacher and that's when he realized the woman was the girl he should have married.”
“Then why didn't he marry her?”
“Because he got my mom pregnant. He cared for her, but he wasn't in love with her. God! They always said that we should never marry unless we loved someone. Otherwise, we'd be doomed to make their mistakes. But Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I can't imagine how Noah could ever forgive me for what I just did to him. And I don't love Tony. I don't.”
“I'm a little confused.”
“Tony came by earlier. He begged me to take him back, promised he'd never do it again. Asked me...” She began to sob. “He asked me,” she said in a whisper, a look of disbelief on her face, “to marry him.”
“And you said no. Right?”
She shook her head. “I said yes.”
“Oh, my God. Why?”
“Because Noah will never forgive me. And if I'm stuck living a life without the one man I'll ever love, it might as well be in comfort and style.”
“Do you even like Tony?”
“Sometimes,” she replied, sniffing. “He's not all bad.”
Jenna begged to differ. Tony was a kinky, philandering bastard. “Catie, you know he's just going to cheat again.”
“He said he'd stop going to the bars. And he's moving into his parents' house until we get married.”
As if that will stop a pig like him , Jenna thought. But she said, “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“No. But I don't think I've got a lot of options. Not good ones, anyway.”
“Catie, you always have options. God, you could come with me to Minnesota. Start over. Find a job. Doesn't your brother live there?”
“He's leaving. Actually, he's gone. Right after graduation, he hopped a plane to D.C. He's headed to CIA training.”
Jenna chuckled. “Guess I missed my chance to meet him, huh?” They'd been trying to get Liam to meet Jenna for most of the last four years and it never worked in their favor.
Catie sniffed and smiled. “Yeah. Guess so.”
Jenna grew somber again. “You don't have to do this. I can help you out financially, Catie. You know I've got the money and I don't care about it. I'd gladly help keep you afloat if it means you won't go back to him. You deserve better.”
“I don't think I do, Jen.”
“Damn it, Catie! You're a good person! Stop saying that!” She pulled her friend in for a hug. Jenna wasn't typically a hugger, at least not with friends, but in this case, she needed it as much as Catie obviously did. “He'll never let us stay friends. You know that, right?”
“I won't let him keep us from being friends,” Catie said. And Jenna knew she believed it. But Tony had money and influence, not to mention parents who catered to his every whim. His mother would keep Catie busy in high society and make it impossible for Jenna to ever see her friend outside of their mutual acquaintances. Tony knew how much Jenna hated that set.
“What does Liam think?” Jenna asked, sitting back.
“I haven't told him yet. He's out of communication for a while. I doubt he'll be happy. He hates Tony.”
“I've never met him, and I already like him.”
“Jen...”
“Catie...”
Her friend took a deep breath and sighed. “This is just the hand I've been dealt. I have to live with
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