Then the tears that I’d managed to keep at bay earlier filled my eyes.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I said, breaking our stare. “I need to use the powder room.”

I made it to the bathroom and took a stall before the tears spilled. There weren’t many—a few, each of them happy and sweet and filled with promise. With love.

I heard the bathroom door swing open and shut a handful of times before I’d finished my brief cry. I peed and flushed, then, after washing my hands, made my way to the vanity to freshen up my face.

Fortunately, happy crying didn’t muss up my face as much as ugly crying. I continued to grin like an idiot as I leaned toward the mirror to dab at the small smudge of mascara under my left eye.

“You look perfect,” someone said behind me.

I glanced sideways, meeting Celia’s reflection in the mirror.

Immediately my smile disappeared.

“You just need a touch of gloss. I have some if you want to borrow.” She opened her tiny purse and pulled out a lipstick wand.

“No, I don’t want to borrow anything from you.” I pushed past her, headed for the exit.

But she grabbed me by the forearm. “Hey, wait!”

I pulled my arm away from her grasp but stopped my retreat. I might as well hear what she had to say, whatever grandiose excuse she had about keeping Sophia’s birthday dinner a secret from me.

Folding my arms in a dramatically bored stance, I nodded for her to speak.

Naturally poised Celia for once looked awkward, fidgeting from foot to foot.

“I’m not waiting all night. Speak.”

Her forehead creased in confusion. “Why are you angry with me? I could feel the tension all through dinner. You wouldn’t even look at me. Which is why I followed you in here. Why are you mad?”

“Don’t play dumb, Celia. It doesn’t suit you.”

“I’m not playing. Spell it out for me.” Her arms were at her sides, her body in a totally open position, as though she had nothing to hide. “Please.”

“Celia…” Was I being ridiculous? Again? Maybe I was letting myself be influenced by Stacy’s cryptic warning about the blonde beauty.

I sighed, deciding to put it out there. “I saw you today and you didn’t mention anything about this dinner tonight. And you know that I didn’t know because I told you that I had no plans to see Sophia and that I had a meeting tonight. All the while, you’re saying you’re rooting for me.” My voice was calm, straightforward, less accusatory than I felt. Maybe I was learning from Hudson.

Celia echoed my sigh. “You’re right, you’re right.” She looked at her shoes, mumbling. “I thought that might be it.” Her gaze met mine again. “I didn’t say anything, you’re right, and I should have. But you were happy and beaming and things were going good, and when I realized that Hudson hadn’t told you about the dinner, I didn’t want to stir things up between the two of you.”

“Or you wanted him for yourself tonight.”

“No! I told you, I’m not after Hudson.” She ran her hand across her forehead, delicately, as though not wanting to mess up her foundation but so used to the cautious movement she didn’t have to think about it. She was a thoroughbred through and through. So out of my league.

I dismissed the flash of envy and focused on her words.

“Look, Laynie, I’m on your side. I am. Can’t you see what would have happened if I’d brought it up? You would have cornered Hudson about it and then you’d have to tell him how you found out and that would mean you’d have to tell him about us chatting about him behind his back. And he brought you anyway! So it all worked out. Everything’s good!”

“Yeah, everything’s great.” I reacted before I’d truly digested her words. Once I did, I saw the truth in what she’d said. Honestly, if our roles had been reversed, I would have probably done the same.

I bit my lip. “God, I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know who to trust. It feels like so many people are against us.”

Her face eased, her worry replaced with a comforting smile. “That’s so not true. Sophia is against you. She’s the only one. And my parents, but they’re only trying to do what they think is best for me. It’s a silly parent thing. They don’t understand. Obviously.”

She meant they didn’t understand that she’d never been with Hudson. They didn’t realize that her baby had not been his. “Why won’t you tell them? It’s been years, you said so yourself. Why don’t you or Hudson admit the truth about the baby?” I’d been wondering about it since I found out. It would solve so many problems. “If you really cared about his happiness, you’d tell the truth and set him free.”

“It seems like that would be the right thing to do, doesn’t it?” Her eyes glazed over as she was thinking, remembering perhaps. When her focus returned, her expression was apologetic. “It’s…it’s complicated. I can’t say more than that. I’m sorry, I wish I could. But it involves more than just me. You have to trust me, this is best for everyone. Hudson included.”

It bothered me that there might be something about the situation that I didn’t know, that Hudson hadn’t chosen to share. But maybe Celia was simply making up excuses, not ready to let her parents know the truth. “Like I said, I don’t know what I trust.”

“Alayna—”

I cringed at her use of my name. No one called me Alayna but Hudson. It wasn’t hers to use. It was his.

The door swung open behind us and someone walked in. We were both quiet until the woman took an empty stall.

“This is a bad time. But you have my number. Call me if you need anything. To sort things out or just to talk.”

I hesitated. The evening had shown me many things, one of which was how easily keeping secrets could tear Hudson and me apart. I didn’t want to keep lying to him. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to end my friendship with Celia. Maybe even come clean about our lunch dates thus far.

Seeming to sense my reluctance to “kiss and make up,” Celia put her hand over mine. “I want things to work out for Hudson more than you can imagine. Believe me.”

Celia gave one more sparkling white smile before exiting the restroom.

I pulled my phone out from my bra and considered deleting her contact info. It was certainly the safest. But, on the other hand, she’d been helpful to me providing insight that I lacked. And she was important to Hudson. I didn’t want to cause problems by being a divide between them.