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"Unless that’s what you’re hoping for," Lacey said and I could tell what she was thinking because Lacey always knehat I was thinking

"That’s not what I’ for," I protested as I looked at the fluffy white towel I’d taken out of Scott’s linen closet I debated getting out of the bath right then or allowing myself to soak in the bubbles and Epsohed "You can fool Scott and you can even try to fool yourself, but you can’t foolto fool anyone I don’t want to have sex with Scott Taylor again He’s a liar and he used ht stand" I repeated the words that had been running throughet anytoo hard on hiiven hih a part of ive him a chance to explain "You kno I feel about e him based on what your dad did"

"I know," I said, uys lie"

"I know you don’t," she said, her voice couy It doesn’t oing to hurt you"

"But it could," I said "It could ht about Scott "I wish I was stronger, Lacey I wish I could give hio through that again"

"I know"

"It was too painful" My voice was raw as I mentioned my dad and my ex-boyfriend All of a sudden I felt cold in the bath, even though the water was still war about old hurts and heartaches I felt e in Scott’s bathtub? Hadn’t I learned fro ain? Just because of soain and she did She was the only one that really knew She was the only one that had seentears She was the one that had seendown, the only one that had ever seen ht when I’d found outon me That alone hadn’t caused e that my father, the one that had walked away frohter down the aisle He didn’t even know that I knew He didn’t know that I stalked hi I didn’t even knohy I cared He wasn’t in my life Not even a little bit I’d tried to see hier, but he’d always had an excuse at the last etplans and he’d faded out if otten older I’d looked for him I’d been oddly unaffected when I’d realized he’d remarried and had stepkids It didn’t seem real The pain never really surfaced And then I’d seen a photo of hi, the day after I’d found out Shane was cheating on me and I’d just lost it My heart had broken into a million pieces I’d coer, and that hen Lacey had walked in She hadn’t said a thing Instead she’d put her arms around me and held me close to her She’d let me cry until I couldn’t cry anymore She’d told me I orthy of love and that she’d always love me She’d told me I was her sister and best friend She’d told me that it wastheotten over that moment, but the pain still existed in my heart I alondered why I hadn’t been loved Why my father had walked away so easily Why he’d lied soto come pick me up I wondered why Shane had cheated on me Why he’d fallen for soht they had potential to hurt me, I backed away It was an unconscious reaction, but I didn’t kno to stop I didn’t kno to not overreact in these situations I didn’t kno to preserve ive so too hard on Scott, don’t you?" I stared at the bubbles in front ofthe job you’ve been paid to do I don’t know that Scott deserves it, but it’s not you that hired yourself," she said, but I knehat she was thinking

"I know all guys aren’t the saiven iven ht? And it wasn’t even that big a lie Wasn’t I technically the biggest liar in this situation?

"Maybe he had a good reason for his lie," she said "I mean, what exactly do we know about this Helen person that hired you?"

"We know she’s his ex, or sohed "I’m so confused"