Hard Love (Hacker #5)(46)
Author: Meredith Wild

“How have things been between you two?”

“We’re good. Things were a little rocky after you and I left Clozpin, but we’re good now. Better than ever.”

I looked down at my napkin and wondered if Sophia had anything to do with that. I’d been the one to tip Alli off that Heath had a possibly not-so-innocent history with Sophia. I genuinely hoped that hadn’t caused a rift between them, but after everything Sophia had put us both through, I thought she should know the truth—at least to the extent that I did. Only Heath and Sophia knew the whole truth.

“Did you two ever talk about Sophia?”

She nodded, taking a bite of her salad in silence.

I immediately felt like a jerk for voicing my thoughts out loud. “Sorry, Alli. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s between you two.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m not trying to keep it from you really. It’s just . . . If Blake knew, I think it would make things uncomfortable between them. I don’t want that any more than you do.”

I was angry at Sophia then, for Alli’s sake. Not only had she lost her job to that evil witch, but she very likely had to face the truth that she’d slept with Heath. If Alli felt anything the way I felt knowing that Sophia had loved Blake, and likely still did, I knew that it hurt like hell.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but you can trust that I’m done letting Sophia fuck with our lives. She’s caused enough damage. Somehow she always finds a way to get to me, but I’m done letting her. I swore it the day we left Clozpin for the last time.”

Alli let out a heavy sigh. “Well, the truth is after she booted me from the business, I confronted Heath about her. I hinted—well, maybe I did more than hint—that I knew there might have been more than friendship between them. I told him I wanted to know the truth, even if it would hurt to hear it.” Her brows drew closer as she stared out the window.

“What did he say?”

She turned back and met my gaze. “He didn’t deny it. I have to give him credit for that.”

“They slept together?”

She nodded, unable to mask the disgust. “Once. They’d been partying with their mutual friends at the time. High, of course. Blake was traveling so he never knew.”

Suddenly, I hated Sophia all over again. “For all her claiming to love him . . .”

“Supposedly their relationship was on the rocks. One thing led to another. Drugs and alcohol. Bad decisions ensued. He never admitted it to Blake because he didn’t want to hurt him, especially after everything Blake had done for him. I guess he always felt like Sophia used their friendship to stay close to Blake.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her. She’d stop at nothing to have Blake back.” She’d proven as much with her despicable behavior toward me.

“Even at his lowest, Heath has a tender heart. I think he was too nice to call her on it. But of course he hasn’t heard from her since Blake severed ties from her business. No love lost, I suppose.”

Thankfully Sophia had been mercifully absent from our lives for months. I could only hope she’d given up trying to get him back. Blake and I were married, with a baby on the way now. I hated that she owned a part of his past, but at least I had his future. Of that I was certain.

Alli fidgeted with her necklace absently.

“Do you wish you didn’t know?” I asked.

“At first I wished I didn’t. I was upset of course. We’ve been through enough. I didn’t want to think about him with other women, especially the one who abruptly fired me. I was furious and just as devastated as you were. But that’s life. There’s no point living in the past when we have an amazing future to look forward to.”

I agreed, and a warm feeling floated over me. Their happiness always had that effect on me. Her cheeks flushed and she stared past me.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she said.

A few seconds passed and the secretive smile never left her lips.

“Alli, what the hell. Spill it.”

She shook her head. “God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.” She drew in a deep breath and exhaled in a rush. “We’ve been talking about eloping.”

My jaw fell. “Are you serious?”

“I haven’t exactly been making my marriage dreams a secret, you know. We’ve been talking about taking the next step, and that’s kind of how we’re leaning.”

“I figured you’d talked about it, but I had no idea that you’d take off and do it without telling anyone. That’s crazy!”