“Okay.” I nodded shyly and smiled at him. “Then I should leave. I need to go to work. I need to work on some listings for some of the realtors today.”

“Aww, I was hoping we could have a lazy day in bed.” He made a face and sucked on my shoulder. “You sure I can’t change your mind?”

“Haha, I wish I could stay.” I ran my fingers down his back. “But unfortunately work calls today.”

“Pity.” He jumped out of the bed and walked to the door. “Stay there. I want to bring you breakfast in bed,” he said and then left the room. I lay there with a grin on my face and I was debating calling in sick when I heard Aiden’s phone beeping on the side table and while I knew I should ignore it, I couldn’t stop myself from picking it up. And this time I wasn’t trying to be nosey. This time I didn’t have any suspicions or fears. This time I did it just to do it. And then I saw the text on the screen. I dropped the phone back down onto the side-table and got under the sheets and closed my eyes. All I could see was the text on Aiden’s phone from Elizabeth. The text that had sucker punched me. The text that had read, “So she asked about the cuff marks??” I was gobsmacked by the comment. What was going on here and what exactly was the relationship between Aiden and Elizabeth?

***

I ate breakfast quickly, and it took everything in me not to ask Aiden what the hell he was playing at with Elizabeth and myself, but I wanted to speak to Liv first. I needed her to tell me what she thought I should do. I was in a precarious situation because I really wanted to be with Aiden, but I also didn’t know what I could demand from him, if we weren’t really together like that. I needed to think everything through and decide what my next plan of action was going to be because I knew I just couldn’t keep on like I’d been doing anymore. I wanted some answers and I wanted the truth.

Chapter Ten

Bling Bling Says the Ring

I knew as soon as I walked into the apartment after work that something was off. The air felt chilly and the rooms were too quiet. I closed the door quietly and stood there for a few seconds wondering why I felt as if I were out-of-place in my own home.

“Alice, is that you?” Liv cried out my name and I followed the sound of her voice to the kitchen.

“Of course it’s me. Who else would it be?” I asked with a small laugh, though my insides were tense. “What’s going on?” I asked with a small frown as Liv was sitting at the kitchen table with a teapot and two cups in front of her.

“Want some tea?” she asked brightly, and I couldn’t stop from making a face.

“No, I don’t want some tea. We never drink tea.” I sat down across from her. “We only got that tea set in case we met some hot English guys, so we could invite them back for tea and biscuits.”

“True.” She smiled. “That never happened, though.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Who knew that all British guys weren’t hot?”

“Or into tea.” She laughed. “They preferred beers.”

“Or pints, as they called them.” I grinned. “And lagers.”

“Oh yeah, what was that one lager called?” Liv made a face. “Fosters?”

“Oh yeah, that was gross.” I giggled and then sat back and stared at her face. “What’s going on?” I asked again, my heart racing as the room went still and quiet. Was Liv about to tell me that Aiden and Elizabeth were dating and that he had played me the previous night? I’d been so nervous all day, and I’d been upset that I hadn’t asked him exactly what was going on with the two of them. A part of me was scared that he was going to say something that I didn’t want to hear. Liv looked uncomfortable as she stared at me and I could tell that she was nervous. “Liv,” I asked softly and then I gasped. “Is Aiden dating Elizabeth?”

“Huh?” She looked at me in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Is Aiden with Elizabeth?”

“Wait, what?” She frowned. “Didn’t you spend the night with Aiden? Didn’t you text me that you were staying over?”

“Yes, I did.”

“So why do you still think he’s with Elizabeth?”

“Long story.” I sighed. And watched as she twirled with her hair. My heart dropped as I looked at her. “You don’t have cancer, do you?”

“What?” Liv looked confused. “No, no, of course not.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“Xander proposed to me last night.” She bit her lower lip and just stared at me for a second. I stared back at her in shock as she looked at me uncertainly. I have to be honest here; I felt two emotions at her words. The first emotion I felt was extreme happiness for her and when I say extreme happiness, I mean I immediately started grinning in excitement. But, if I’m honest, my smile hid my other emotion. And that was fear. Fear that emanated from my disappointment, jealousy, worry and anxiety. In that moment, I wanted to burst into tears. There were too many things going on, too many things changing, too many uncertainties in my life and I could barely stay afloat.

“Oh my God, let me see the ring!” I said finally and grabbed her hand and gasped out loud. “Whoa,” I said, impressed, as I stared at the gigantic rock on her finger. “Did he go to South Africa and mine that himself?” I said, my eyes wide. “That’s huge.”

“Isn’t it?” she said, her eyes equally wide. “I think it’s too big.”