Page 50 of Believe In Us

“I hear that you’re sorry,” I finally said. “There are no do-overs. What’s done is done. You have a child because of it, and my advice to you is to forget about me and focus on that.” I knew her well enough to know she was hoping I’d take her surface-level apology and move on.

I was still searching for a path to letting it go, still so shell-shocked over the betrayal. Friendship was really important to me. Once upon a time, I believed she was a friend I could always count on, only to find out that for years, it was never what I thought it was. What happened wasn’t an impulsive thing in a moment of weakness. Her betrayal was years long.

“I don’t know what to say,” she finally spoke after a long silence stretched between us.

“There’s nothing left to say. I guess maybe someday you’ll understand just how much this hurt and what it destroyed. I don’t come without flaws myself, but I do know I’m a pretty good friend. Your actions lost you the best one you will ever have. Whatever you do, I hope you don’t do this to somebody else. Please don’t call me again,” I finally added. Silence ticked across the line. “I hope you’re well.” I ended the call.

With tears stinging my eyes, I sat there at my desk. The knot was still in my heart, but maybe there was a loose end for me to untangle it now. Because I couldn’t help myself, I pondered all the signs I’d missed again.

What had I not seen about her? The more I thought about it, the more I came to understand our friendship was one of familiarity. We grew up together. Whenever I thought about the times I needed something from her, her support had been cursory. Meanwhile, I usually went out of my way if she needed anything from a coffee run to venting and so much more.

Chapter Thirty

Chloe

Card night

“I’m driving,” Elsa called, jingling her keys as she held them up. Kendall appeared behind her in the doorway to the kitchen.

“Keys don’t really count anymore for cars,” Adele pointed out as she appeared behind Kendall.

Elsa shrugged. “Well, the jingle is from the house keys. Although we never lock it anyway.”

I shrugged into my jacket and stuffed my feet into my favorite winter boots. I’d quickly discovered in my time here that people had strong opinions about boots, winter and otherwise. I liked mine soft and fluffy with just enough support on the bottom so they felt like a little more than slippers. Oh, and grippy soles because slipping on the snow and ice was so not fun.

“Who’s hosting tonight?” I asked.

“Casey,” Kendall answered.

Cold air struck my cheeks when we walked out the side door of the resort to the parking area.

We hopped in the car with Kendall and Adele volunteering to take the back seat. “You sure? I don’t have to sit in the front,” I pointed out.

They shrugged. “I don’t really care at all,” Kendall replied.

Elsa giggled. “The whole idea of shotgun once you’re an adult doesn’t really matter. Unless you have long legs.”

“Cole would complain about being in the back seat,” Adele agreed. “Not in an annoying way, but oh my God, the brothers always jostle over the front seat.”

“I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas,” I commented, spying an outdoor tree decorated in the distance.

“Is this your first Alaskan Christmas?” Elsa asked with a quick glance in my direction as she turned onto the main road.

“It is! I’m excited. It’s also my first white Christmas. I lived in wintry areas, but we were never there over Christmas. Speaking of snow, does anything ever close here when it snows?’

Kendall snorted and I glanced over my shoulder to see her grinning. “Nothing closes in Alaska for snow. Like nothing.”

“When I moved away in high school, we were in upstate Washington and they had snow but things closed,” Elsa offered. “Alaska has a long winter even in this part of Alaska.”

“What do you mean, even in this part of Alaska?” I asked.

“Well, Alaska is huge. It takes as long to drive from here up to Fairbanks as it does to drive up most of the East Coast. So winter up north is colder, darker, and longer, and they usually get more snow.”

“You should go up there sometime. It’s beautiful,” Adele chimed in.

“I should?”

“I grew up just outside Fairbanks,” Adele said. “Pretty country. I don’t miss the dark though.”