Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Blair
Walking into Cara’s office at ten on a Monday morning was not my idea of a good time. After everything happened, we still hadn’t spoken. All my calls and texts had gone unanswered. Drea’s messages had been the same.
I refused to talk to her. I didn’t even want to think about her, but I didn’t have control over that. From the second I woke up to a text from Drea—
Drea: Good morning, beautiful. Please call me. I’m so sorry.
—until I went to bed with a text from Drea:
Drea: Goodnight. I’m so sorry.
I ignored her for a week straight before the messages and calls stopped coming in. Part of me was relieved when she stopped reaching out, but the other part missed them. I wanted to forget everything that had happened between us, all the feelings that weren’t there before.
Cara emailed me prior to this weekend, requiring my presence for a “mandatory meeting,” which was where I was about to walk in.
I knocked on her office door and stood there with shaky legs. My palms were clammy, and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I had a strong feeling I knew what this meeting was going to be about, and I didn’t want to attend it.
“Come in.” A dry voice on the other side answered after the second knock.
I really wanted to turn around and run off.
Confrontations and I were not best friends, and I knew this wasn’t going to be a lovely little chat between us.
I wasn’t even sure Cara and I were still friends at this point, and I was too afraid to find out.
“Hey, Cara… you wanted to see me?” I asked nervously.
“Sit down.” Another quick reply. No sign of her usually chipper demeanor.
I didn’t want to. I wanted to go back to when I first started having feelings for Drea and tell Cara.
I wanted to go back to before I caught feelings for her to begin with.
Maybe I wouldn’t be hurting so much if none of this ever happened.
But then I wouldn’t have lived through all the amazing moments with her, either. I didn’t know which was worse.
I sat down and rubbed my hands together, trying to get my legs to stop shaking. “Cara, please let me start by saying that I am so sorry you had to find out like that. It—”
“Save your breath.” She stopped my apology with a hand.
“Do you have any idea of the situation you have put me in? I have been your publisher for seven years, and your friend for almost as long. The fact that you felt the need to hide this from me hurts the most. Not to mention, you two have put me through hell these last few years! Bickering and creating hostile working environments, even just a few months ago! And now all the sudden you’re dating, fucking, what? ”
“I am really sorry. It all happened so fast, and I know I should have told you sooner, but it’s over now, so none of that even matters.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. It does matter, Blair. It’s unprofessional, it’s disrespectful, and I cannot, in good conscience, keep that kind of person in my life, business or otherwise.”
“Seriously? You can’t just drop me over a little disagreement. What about the book signing? It’s next month.”
“A little disagreement? Blair, you were sleeping around with a business partner, and you lied to me. So yes, I can, and I am!”
“We didn’t lie. We just didn’t tell you, and this is why. We knew you would react like this!”
“Excuse me? So you two made it a point to discuss hiding a big part of your life from me? Isn’t that perfect?!”
“And I wasn’t sleeping with her for a check, Cara. I’m in love with her!” This was not the time or place I wanted to tell my best friend that I was in love, but she wasn’t giving me much of a choice in the matter.
She continued, not caring at all that this whole situation was killing me.
“As far as the book signing is concerned, it’s too close for us to be able to cancel, so we are still going through with it.
But effective two weeks after it’s over, your publishing contract is terminated, and our friendship is done… starting now.”
I looked at her, desperation in my eyes. “Cara, please don’t do this. I’m sorry,” I whispered.
During the whole meeting, Cara was professional and didn’t show an ounce of emotion. Until now.
A single tear was falling down her face, and I could feel my own building up. “Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is. I need you to leave, Blair. I don’t want to see you again. Eloise will handle all further communication with you until the signing is over.”
“Can I just—”
“Now!” she yelled, throwing a finger to the door. She tried to hide the crack in her voice, but she couldn’t.
I sighed and stood up. As I got to the door, I stopped when she spoke. “I hope she was worth losing everything.”
I didn’t turn around as the tears fell down my face, and I shut the door behind me.