“And honestly, Eliza, do you really want to deal with him again?”

“No.” I said without hesitation.

“Because?”

“Because I like Scott.” I sighed. “And I want to see where it could go with him, even if I fall in love with him and he never wants to marry me.”

“So what are you waiting for?”

“You really think I should go and see him tonight?”

“Yes. I really think so.”

“Okay.” I said and paused. “But if I go, you have to do something too.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to come to the football game with me next week. There are some cute guys there. You have to attempt to talk to some of them.”

“Some of them?” Lacey raised an eyebrow at me. “Not just one?”

“Nope.” I grinned, my stomach jumping as my body was already thinking about going to see Scott. “Not just one.”

“Fine.” She said. “I’ll go.”

“Good.” I jumped up and ran out of the living room. “I’m going to shower and then I’m going over to Scott’s.”

“Good.” She laughed. “I don’t expect to see you back here until tomorrow.”

“Oh wait.” I stopped and turned back to look at her. “I’m meant to spend the night texting Aiden.”

“What?” She looked confused and then her face changed. “Oh God, Elizabeth, you’re not falling for Aiden are you?”

“No, no.” I laughed. “As part of my job, I’m meant to send some flirtatious texts and ask him to come over for dinner, I’m thinking lasagna or steak, but maybe not lasagna as I texted about lasagna last week.”

“Huh?”

“He’s going to leave his phone in a room with Alice.” I laughed. “He thinks curiosity might get the better of her. In fact, he thinks she might have checked his phone already last week.”

“Hmm. That seems like an extreme lie?”

“Well, I guess Alice isn’t much better. Back when Scott’s sister Liv was dating Xander, Alice hired two strippers and had them go over to Scott’s parent’s house and pretend they were their dates.”

“What?” Lacey burst out laughing. “Are you joking?”

“No,” I giggled as I shook my head. “Crazy right? But I guess I understand why Aiden wants to make sure that Alice is ready for a serious relationship.”

“Wow, he must really love her.” Lacey’s eyes were bright. “He’s thought through every single detail.”

“Yeah, I guess that he’s getting some help from Xander as well.” I laughed. “And Liv doesn’t even know.”

“Uh oh, keeping secrets from his fiancé?”

“I know. I just hope it doesn’t blow up on the both of them.”

“Yeah me too.” I sighed. “Maybe I’ll send him a few texts and then go over.”

“Or why don’t you just call Scott back and then go and see him later.”

“Good thinking.” I said. “I’ll call him and then text Aiden at the same time.”

“What a life you’re leading, Elizabeth Jeffries.”

“Tell me about it.” I groaned. “Not exactly the life I was thinking I’d be leading right now.”

“You going to call the number on the card?”

“Shane’s card?” I asked her softly.

“Yeah.” She looked at me thoughtfully. “I know you’re over him, but I also know the hold he had on you.”

“Sometimes I just remember those days and I think why didn’t it work?” I leaned back against the wall. “He was my everything you know. And even though he hurt me, that’s not what I remember when I think of him. I think of all the times he drove me to my father’s town so I could go and knock on his door. And all the times he drove me home without judgment when I hadn’t been brave enough to knock and confront him.”

“He was there for you.” Lacey acknowledged.

“I cried on his shoulder so many times and he just held me.” I felt myself becoming emotional as I stood there with her. “I just don’t understand why he had to cheat on me. I thought he’d always be there for me. I thought we were going to be together forever.”

“You loved him.” She got up and walked over to me. “And he loved you, but he hurt you, Eliza. More than once.”

“I know.” I sighed and looked up into her face. “I promised myself that I’d never go back. That I wouldn’t let him break my heart again. That he wouldn’t make me cry again.”

“Then don’t.”

“I don’t want to.” I smiled weakly. “I want to get to know Scott better. I want to be strong and just ignore Shane. I know that he’s bad news. And I know that I really like Scott, he brings something out in me that I’ve never had. It’s like an evolution of a me that I didn’t even know existed. I don’t know exactly why I feel this way. I barely know him. But it’s about more than sex. There’s something about him that makes me just want to be naughty and funny and sexy.”

“That’s because that’s the inner you trying to get out wanting to break free.”

“But it’s a scary prospect.” I played with my fingers. “I mean, Scott has more potential to really hurt me.”