Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
RACHEL
I never make it to the face painting table. After checking on Mrs. Klassen at the guess that spice challenge for kids, I get turned around in the growing crowd and stop in my tracks as I come face-to-face with Autumn.
She looks equally surprised to see me, her mouth opening slightly, eyes widening.
My heart stutters, my gaze dropping involuntarily to the rounded curve of her belly between us.
She’s one of those girls who looks good pregnant, her hair thick and shiny, complexion glowing.
I suspect you wouldn’t even be able to tell she was pregnant from behind, as she doesn’t seem to have gained weight anywhere but her midsection.
Emotions crash over me, rooting me to the spot. Sadness first, an aching, hollow kind reminiscent of every promise Kyle made and broke. Then anger, sharp and biting, flaring hot in my chest before it fizzles out.
Because the overwhelming thing I sense from Autumn as I meet her gaze again isn’t triumph or cruelty at having “won”. It’s wariness. As if she’s afraid of me.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she says haltingly, looking around as if she was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I planned the event.”
“Oh.”
The air between us goes thick with awkward tension and I give her a tight smile, ready to move on, but she stops me.
“I didn’t know you and Kyle were still dating when he and I got together,” she rushes to say. “He said you had broken up.”
Now it’s my turn to mumble, “Oh.” A third emotion creeps in. Pity.
“I only found out from other people later,” she continues.
There’s something sad and urgent in her tone, as if she needs me to believe her.
“I felt so stupid. And then I discovered I was pregnant and I…” Her voice breaks, her lower lip quivering.
“I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to say anything. ”
The pity intensifies. She’s not the enemy. She was deceived, the same as I was.
“I guess I was ashamed,” she finishes, her face downcast. “I’m still ashamed. I’m… I’m the other woman.”
Tears leak from her eyes then, dripping down her cheeks in fat rivulets. She begins to cry in earnest and I’m conscious of people staring. Oh God, how must this look to everyone else?
I try to lead her to the edge of the crowd, to get away from prying eyes, but she’s resistant, looking at me again with a pleading desperation. As if I can absolve her in some way.
“I’m a homewrecker,” she insists. “You must hate me.”
It sounds an awful lot like she hates herself, but I don’t think I should say that aloud. “No, Autumn—”
“She’s lying.”
We both look over at Kyle, who’s panting as if he ran over from God knows where. What’s he talking about? Autumn’s lying? About being sorry?
No, wait. He’s looking at me.
“What?” Autumn says, the word coming out all sniffly.
“Rachel’s the one trying to get back together with me.” There’s a cocky half-smirk on his mouth I remember all too well.
Autumn looks at me, confused. I’m sure I’m giving her an equally confused expression back.
“Rachel didn’t say anything about you,” Autumn says slowly, uncertainty shadowing her features.
Kyle’s smirk falters. “But you’re crying.”
“Everything makes me cry now,” she says, rubbing her belly. “You’d know that if you ever paid attention. What do you mean, she’s lying?”
Oh, I get it. He assumed I was spilling the beans about what he’s been up to lately, saying he misses me and wants me back. So… he thought he’d turn it around on me as the instigator? God, he’s pathetic.
I roll my eyes, waiting to hear what excuse he’ll come up with.
“She…” His gaze shifts between us, sweat popping on his brow. “She wasn’t telling you lies about…”
Autumn’s gaze narrows on him, her voice sharper as she says, “That you want to get back together with her?”
He rubs at the back of his neck, looking down at the ground now. “Never mind.”
“No, I want to hear about this.” She crosses her arms over her belly, which shouldn’t look as intimidating as it does. “Why would you rush over here to say that?”
“I was mistaken,” he mumbles.
“Why would you assume that if there wasn’t some truth to it?” She turns to me. “What’s really going on?”
I take a step back in the wake of her ferocity. “I don’t want to get involved.”
“Rachel.” Her shoulders are rigid, lips pressed into a thin line. “Tell me the truth. Please. Even…” She loses her hard edge for a moment. “Even though I don’t deserve it.”
I sigh, tugging on the ends of my ponytail. If it were me, I would want to know. I never want to be as naive as I once was. “Kyle’s approached me twice in the last couple of weeks. Saying—”
“I haven’t said anything,” he insists, but Autumn doesn’t pay him a lick of attention.
“Saying he misses me,” I continue, even though I hate seeing her crestfallen expression. “And that he wants to make up for things.” I won’t add anything else.
“Autumn, baby.” Kyle takes her hands in his. “Who are you going to believe? Her? Or me?”
I hold up my hands, backing away. “Like I said, I don’t want to get involved. I wish you all the best, Autumn.”
I make my escape before I can get roped into any more of their drama and make a beeline for the face painting table. My heart is pounding from the awkward confrontation as I sidestep others, hoping I don’t appear too crazed.
Jae is finishing up with Mandy Wilkerson’s daughter, dabbing glitter onto the butterfly she drew on her face.
A burble of hysterical laughter escapes me at the sight of Nick’s ex, and I tamp it down hastily.
At least Mandy and Nick are ancient history, unlike all this stupid shit Kyle is putting me through.
I loiter to the side, giving Mandy and the little girl a friendly smile when they finally stroll away, and scramble to fill the vacated seat in front of Jae before someone else wants their face painted.
Jae’s smile fades as she catches my expression. “What happened?”
I almost drag my hands through my hair before remembering it’s in a ponytail. A feral part of me wants to tear the hair tie out and yank at the strands until they rip out. “I ran into Autumn.”
Her face twists in sympathy and I hold up a staying hand.
“She apologized for sleeping with Kyle. Said he had told her we’d broken up.”
She purses her lips in judgment. “Do you believe her?”
“I… do. She seemed genuine. Mostly, I feel sorry for her.”
“Well, duh. I feel sorry for anyone stuck with him.”
“Okay, but it gets worse. Kyle comes rushing up and starts spinning some story about how I’m the one trying to get back together with him.”
Her mouth falls open. “No.” She stands, scanning the crowd. “When I get hold of him—”
“You’re not doing anything,” I tell her, pulling her back down. “I told her the truth. I think she believed me, but I got out of there before they could drag me into any more of their problems.”
Jae’s jaw tics, but she doesn’t continue on her Kyle tirade. “You okay?”
I let out a shaky breath, some of the tension unwinding now that I’ve told someone. “I shouldn’t even care. But seeing Kyle like that, trying to manipulate her… I don’t know. It’s unfair he continues to get away with things.”
“Maybe Autumn won’t buy his b.s.”
I shrug. “Maybe.” I get up as a dad and son approach the table to make room for them. “I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow. Come by the bakery?”
She nods and greets the boy, asking which design he’d like, and I slip away. I need to check on the chili contestants, anyway.
Everything is going swimmingly with the chili, and the fire chief’s bubbling pot smells particularly divine. No offense to Nick, but I don’t think he’ll be winning this contest.
I give him a smile but don’t linger to talk. If I do, I’ll never finish making my rounds of all the different stations.
I only make it halfway to the stage area where the band is taking a break, though, before someone grabs my elbow. I jerk back instinctively, looking up at Kyle’s flushed face, his hair mussed.
“I hope you’re happy,” he hisses. “Autumn’s not talking to me now.”
I manage to extricate myself from his hold, rubbing my elbow. “Leave me alone.”
He blocks my way when I try to move past him, and I huff in annoyance.
“What were you two talking about?” he asks, his tone insistent.
“Don’t be mad at me because you jumped to conclusions and incriminated yourself.”
“I wouldn’t have had to do anything if you’d stayed the fuck away from her.”
He cuts me off again as I sidestep him, and a tendril of fear snakes around my ribs. We’re in the middle of a crowd. He wouldn’t actually try anything, would he?
“Get out of my way.” I try my best to sound authoritative, but I’m afraid it’s not as firm as I’d like.
“Is there a problem here?”
My knees go weak with relief as Nick’s deep voice sounds from behind me. A moment later, his hand rests on my waist in a comforting, protective grip.
“Kyle was just leaving the cookoff.” I step back further into Nick, his steady presence calming my frayed edges.
Kyle sneers. “You’re kicking me out?” He gestures around us. “Of this family friendly town festival shit?”
I swallow hard. “Since you can’t seem to leave me alone, yes.” I have no idea if I have the authority to do that, but I’ll take my chances.
He looks between me and Nick, something nasty on his face. “You two make a cute couple, you know that?”
I’m silent, waiting for him to leave.
His attention turns to Nick. “Does she do that thing with you, too? When she’s sucking your dick and makes that sound in the back of her throat like she’s about to come herself?”
As Kyle’s crude words hit the air, all the oxygen departs my lungs, leaving me frozen with shock and anger. But before I can do anything about it, Nick is in front of me, his broad shoulders blocking my view of Kyle.
His whole body is rigid, like a drawn bow ready to snap. His fists curl tight at his sides, the muscles in his neck flexing. When he speaks, his voice is low and lethal.