Chapter 25

Istuffed my feet into my slippers and pulled on my old, worn robe. I wasn't getting dressed today. I wasn't going to shower either. I was sulking. I was nursing a broken heart and a shattered ego. I walked to the kitchen to get myself a drink. I would have liked something a little stronger than a Diet Coke, but it was early. I'd save the hard stuff for later.

"There you are," Rylee said.

"Here I am."

"Come talk to us," she said.

"Us?"

"Jenny is here," she said. "We were letting you sleep in."

"You heard?" I sighed.

"I've heard very little, but I know something happened. Come on." She hooked her arm through mine and dragged me to the living room. Karen and Jenny were sitting on the floor flipping through a bridal magazine.

My heart sank further at the sight of the bridal magazine. I was beginning to think I would never find a groom. I was always going to be the bridesmaid and never the bride.

"Morning, sunshine!" Jenny greeted me with a warm smile. That was Jenny, forever the optimist. Karen offered me a gentle nod, her concerned gaze fixed on me. She must've heard about last night.

I sank into the plush armchair before taking a big gulp of my soda, welcoming the cold fizziness sliding down my throat. "You guys heard," I said.

"Lauren said she was going to come by later and wanted us to make sure you were okay," Karen said.

"What happened?" Rylee asked.

I tried to smile. "I'd like to say it was nothing, but it wasn't nothing, not really."

"What did he do?"

"Well, first, I had sex with him in some random hotel," I announced.

The sharp gasp from all of them told me I shocked the hell out of them.

"You had sex with him?" Jenny gasped.

"I did."

"Holy shit!" Rylee said before bursting into laughter. "You had sex! Was it terrible? Is that why you had a bad night?"

"No." I smiled. "Actually, that was a good moment. Really good."

Rylee whistled. "Congratulations."

"Wait," Karen said. "What happened afterward? Was he a dick about it?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "He was very sweet. He was everything I hoped he would be. It was perfect. I don't think I could have asked for a better experience."

"Then what the heck happened?" Karen asked.

"He's an ex-con."

Once again, the room went completely silent.

"Explains the tats and the bad boy thing," Rylee said. "I knew there was a reason I thought he was hot. I'm apparently only drawn to criminals. Stupid, sexy criminals."

"An ex-con?" Karen repeated. "What does that mean?"

"It means he did time," Rylee said. "Duh."

"But why?" Jenny asked, her eyes wide with surprise. "What did he do?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "Maybe something with gambling. I don't know. I didn't ask. I didn't want to stick around and listen to him try to make excuses. He had sex with me and never told me who he really was."

"That is harsh," Karen said.

"And so hot," Rylee said. "What? Just me?"

"I can't believe I let myself fall for his lies," I confessed. "I thought he cared about the library, about me. But it was all just a game to him."

Rylee snorted. "That guy is low if he just used you. You're better off without him, Mary Ellen. Seriously, who needs a lying, cheating jerk like him anyway?"

"I know," I sighed.

"He was probably just trying to get in your pants," Rylee went on. "Maybe it was a dare."

"A dare?" I asked.

"Yeah, you know guys." She shrugged. "They like to make bets. If he's a gambler, it stands to reason he made a bet. They probably saw you and made a bet to see if Archer could get in your pants."

"I'm going to be sick," I groaned.

"Rylee, shut up," Karen scolded. "That's pure speculation."

"Sorry, Mary Ellen," Rylee said with a shrug. She always did have a strange imagination.

Jenny chewed on her lower lip. "Not all people who make mistakes are irredeemable. Maybe he deserves a chance to explain himself. You said he was sweet after sex. That's a big plus in my book."

"He had plenty of chances to tell her the truth before he decided to get handsy," Rylee retorted, her words laced with anger. "I say kick him to the curb and never look back."

Jenny shot her a dirty look, but Rylee merely shrugged.

I sighed, feeling the ache in my heart deepen. "I just can't believe I fell for it. I've managed to protect myself from this kind of thing for years. Why did I let my guard down with him?"

"It's the tats," Rylee said. "I'm a sucker for them as well."

"I think you should at least hear him out," Jenny said.

"I miss him, even though I know I shouldn't," I said. "I actually fell for him."

Rylee rolled her eyes dramatically. "Girl, you're better than this. You got what you needed from him. Now it's time to move on. Trust me, there are plenty of dicks in the sea. And most of them aren't attached to lying, manipulative jerks."

I managed a weak smile, grateful for Rylee's attempt at optimism, however gross it may be. But deep down, I knew moving on wouldn't be easy. The pain of betrayal lingered. "I honestly don't think I'm interested in finding another guy. I'm done. I'm going back to virgin land. Don't I get a redo?"

Karen laughed softly. "Oh, sweetie. If life offered redoes, we'd all be standing in line," she said.

"I just can't believe I was so na?ve," I mumbled.

"Mary Ellen," Jenny said, reaching across the table to take my hand. "You weren't na?ve. You were trusting. And there's a difference."

Rylee snorted. "A difference that left Mary Ellen heartbroken and feeling like a fool."

Karen shot Rylee a stern look. "Enough, Rylee."

"But it's true!" Rylee argued.

"No, it's not," Jenny said. "You guys are already convicting the guy. He's done nothing wrong, right?"

"That's not what a jury said." Rylee snorted. "Besides, he lied."

"Technically, he didn't lie," I said softly. "He just didn't tell me the whole truth. He always said it was a long story."

"I imagine it would be hard to tell someone you've been in jail or prison or whatever," Jenny said. "I think you have to judge the man by what you've learned about him. You've spent time with him. You obviously liked him. Does this new information really change everything? Or does it just add a layer of complexity?"

"That's what I keep asking myself," I admitted. "I'm torn between believing in the man I thought I knew and this person they said he was."

"I think you should talk to him," Jenny said softly. "Let him know how you're feeling. You've got nothing to lose at this point."

"Apart from your self-respect," Rylee muttered under her breath.

Ignoring Rylee, I looked at Jenny. Maybe she was right. "His family, it was weird. I don't understand the dynamics there."

"What do you mean?" Karen asked, leaning in.

"For one, they are very, very wealthy," I said. "And it was weird, but it was like his mom wanted to tell me he was a felon. I feel like they wanted to shame him. They saw he was happy, and they wanted to embarrass him."

"Maybe they don't like the idea of him changing," Karen suggested. "Some families like to keep everyone in their assigned roles. It can be hard when someone starts to break free. If he's the screwup and the brother is the good one, that's what they are used to."

"I suppose," I said, feeling a little bad for Archer. "It just seems so cruel."

"It is cruel," Jenny agreed. "But it's not uncommon. The more important question is, how are you going to handle it?"

"And more importantly," Rylee interjected, "how is he handling it?"

Those were good questions, but I had no answers. "I don't know," I said. "I left before he could say anything. It's so hard to imagine him being in prison. He's got a tough exterior but he's really very kind. I believe he was genuinely interested in helping me save the library. What kind of felon does that?"

"Kindness or not, no one ends up in prison for being too nice," Rylee said.

"But people do change, Rylee," Jenny pointed out. "Just because he made a mistake doesn't mean he is defined by that mistake forever. And Mary Ellen fell for him. She wouldn't just fall for anyone."

"He must have made a major mistake," Rylee corrected. "I've made a lot of mistakes and I've never done a stint in prison."

I slouched back in my chair, feeling the weight of the world pressing on my shoulders. "I just don't know what to believe. He was always so respectful and gentle with me."

Just then, Lauren burst into the house. "How are you?" she asked and rushed over to me.

"I'm fine," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm so sorry I was drunk last night," she said.

"It was Saturday night." I smiled. "You're allowed to have fun."

"Jameson is furious about what happened," she said with a shake of her head. "He's ready to march over to Archer's house and give him a piece of his mind."

As much as I appreciated his protectiveness, the last thing I needed was more drama. "No, Lauren, please tell him not to do anything rash," I said. "I don't want things to escalate. Technically, Archer didn't do anything wrong. I haven't told him all the details about my life. Hell, we haven't even exchanged last names. I suppose that could be why he never told me about the prison thing."

"I'll talk to him, make sure he understands. But Mary Ellen, you need to focus on taking care of yourself right now. Archer doesn't deserve another second of your time or energy."

I swallowed hard, nodding in agreement. Deep down, I knew she was right. I needed to let go of Archer, no matter how much it hurt. But I didn't want to.

"Jameson is being awful protective," Karen said. "That's sweet."

"Jameson is still trying to make amends," Lauren said. "He feels bad for his role in hurting Mary Ellen's feelings. You know he loves you like a sister."

"I know." I nodded.

I didn't hold any grudges against Jameson. It had been a misunderstanding on my part. He was a good guy.

"He doesn't want anyone to hurt you, Mary Ellen," Lauren said. "I'll tell him not to do it, but I have a feeling he's going to do it anyway. He was pissed last night. After we dropped you off, he wanted to go back and find the guy. I told him not to, but he's still pissed."

"I'll handle it," I assured Lauren and the rest of the girls. "This is between Archer and me. Jameson doesn't need to get involved."

Karen squeezed my arm comfortingly. "Are you sure, Mary Ellen? You don't need to do this alone."

"I know," I said, taking a deep breath. "But I believe Archer deserves the benefit of the doubt, at least until I've heard his side."

Rylee frowned but didn't say anything more. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Okay," Lauren finally said, looking me in the eye. "But promise you'll tell us if you need us. And if he gives you any trouble, you call Jameson immediately."

I nodded, appreciating their concern. "I promise."

"Good," Lauren said with a firm nod. Then she walked over to me and hugged me tight. "No matter what, we've all got your back."

I did feel a lot better. I was glad I had such good friends. I didn't know what I was going to do about Archer. I wasn't sure if he even cared to see me again. Rylee might be right. He might have just wanted a quick roll in the hay. But Jenny could have been right as well.

For now, I just needed to sit with things alone, as usual.