Free Irreplaceable by Angela Graham Page B

her upturned nose, then took another bite. I never knew what she put in the
casserole, but was certain it was different each time.
    “Caleb’s stuck at Haven since he had a new guy up and
quit on him last night,” she explained.
    “You poor thing.”
    “Yeah, but he said he’d stop by my place later and make
it up to me.” Her eyes brightened as she peered over the rim of her glass.
“He’s really good at the making-up-for-it part.”
    I swallowed and held up my hand, giggling. “All I need to
know.”
    “So what about Logan? Did he stop by and annoy you
today?”
    “Not yet,” I grumbled.
    Hilary smiled, amused as her phone sang from her pocket.
She pulled it out, scrolling her finger over it, and I watched as her smile
melted into bewildered frown.
    “Hmmm,” she said to herself, brows pinched.
    “’Hmmm’ what?”
    “I don’t know. It’s… you know what, I’m sure it’s
nothing.” The contrived half smile on her face and worried lines marring her
forehead told me something was wrong.
    “All right, what’s up?” I asked directly, determined to
get an answer.
    She set the phone on the table. “That was Jennifer, the
head waitress at Haven. Said I should come down and stake my claim.”
    A chuckle bubbled in my throat. “Stake your claim? To
what?”
    Her eyes searched her plate, and my understanding
clicked.
    “Caleb?” I nearly gasped. “Why? He wouldn’t.” I blinked
twice, wiping the ridiculous thought away. Sitting further up in my seat, I
spoke with nothing but sincerity. “Hilary, Caleb adores you. He’d never cheat.”
    “Neither would Mark. Isn’t that what you always said?”
    I hunched back, feeling like I’d just been slapped.
“Ouch. That hurt,” I mumbled.
    She sighed. I’d never seen her so worried. It wasn’t like
her. “Sorry. I just...I can’t lose him. I’ve never cared about anyone like this
before. He’s everything.”
    My heart ached for her. All too familiar was the feeling
of falling for someone in a way that left you terrified by the powerful
emotions it evoked.
    “I know, but if he’s cheating, he’s not worth it. You
have to trust that Caleb cares about you, loves you, and isn’t stupid enough to
screw that up.”
    Or would he? Were all men the same when it came to
easy women?
    I finished the final bite on my plate and pushed it
forward. I’d eaten way too much of the mystery meal.
    Hilary stood. “Will you come down there with me? Just to
check in and say a quick hello?”
    I nearly spit out the soda in my mouth as I stared at
her, wide-eyed.
    “Are you kidding? I just got of the hospital not even two
weeks ago, and you want me to go to a bar with you—a bar that isn’t exactly a
place I’m eager to return to? You do realize what you’re asking, right?”
    She paled. “God.” Her hands flew over her face, running
over her forehead. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. Of
course you can’t go, and I know Caleb would never do anything like that. All
right, moving on.” She attempted to shake off her worry. “So what are you up
for tonight: chick flick or zombies?”
    Her phone chirped again, and I saw the struggle on her face
as she tried to ignore it. Preoccupied in her head, she walked to the sink with
her empty plate.
    “I’m feeling a little zombie action myself,” she said
with an awkward chuckle.
    How could I watch her sit beside me with anxious tremors
all night? I wouldn’t do that to her.
    “Give me ten minutes and we’ll go.”
    “What?” She whipped around, jaw dropped.
    “I need to change, and then we’ll go check in on your
lover boy. However, when we get back, it’s a chick flick—my choice.” I stood
up, plate in hand, and headed to the sink.
    In a flash, she flung herself at me, wrapping me in a
tight embrace. “Too tight!” I yelped, my chest screaming at her to release me.
She dropped her arms instantly and pulled back, frowning.
    “Shit, so sorry. How long did the doctor say your