Chapter 8 : Finding a Way to Heal

**Cat POV

"What's going on? Tell me everything! I keep getting calls from Aaron and your mom. They sound pretty worried," Barbs said.

I groaned and tilted my head back, throwing my free arm over my eyes.

"Did Aaron tell you anything?" I asked.

"Just that he's been trying to get in touch with you and wanted to know if I'd heard from you. He's really worried. You should call him," she urged.

"No!" I sat straight up again and stared across my temporary living room. There was a small television mounted on the wall.

"Cat, what is going on?" Barbs asked.

Sighing heavily, I told Barbs what happened with Aaron when I showed up at the house.

She listened, offering the right scoffs and annoyed sounds as I told her about my run-in with Fiona at work and how gracefully I'd handled it all.

"Well, they said the city would be interesting. Geez, Cat, try not to have all the excitement happen at once," Barbs said with a dry laugh.

"Thanks," I muttered sarcastically.

Barbs was one of my best friends. She could tease me about some of the hardest things in my life, and it always made me feel better.

"Where are you even staying now?" she asked.

I glanced around the little guest house. "Well, my boss is kind of helping me out right now," I said.

"Where? If you're in the city, I can come over and see you. We should have this conversation in person," Barbs offered.

"You're a lifesaver. I've been feeling pretty lonely since I got here." I gave her the address, and we hung up.

Twenty minutes later, Barbs was knocking on the door of the guest house.

I met her on the pool deck.

"This is where you're staying?" she asked. She looked over her shoulder at the massive house across the yard.

"It is just temporary," I assured her as I gave her a hug.

Barb laughed and rocked me back and forth as we hugged.

"Come on, show me around. This is the project you're working on, right?" she said.

She always knew how to get my mind off what was bothering me.

"Yeah, come on," I said. I looped my arm through hers and dragged her down the walkway, out of Luke's yard.

"You know, this place is kind of empty," Barbs said, pointing to the half completed houses.

"It won't be for long," I said. "Here, there is a whole park over this way that makes it feel more natural and naturistic than in the city."

I took Barbs to the park. The grass was already growing, there were landscaped gardens and there were some benches for sitting. The walkways were lined with decorative bricks and there was a man-made pond that already had ducks living in it.

"You know, I have a house too. You could come stay with me," Barbs offered as we walked toward the pond.

"Barbs, I appreciate the offer but…"

She squeezed my arm. "What excuse are you going to come up with this time? I know how much you hate taking help from others." Barbs stuck her tongue out at me.

"Oh, that's not the reason. You're getting married in a few weeks. You think I want to be in your house to listen to all that newlywed se-"

"Hey! I get it," Barbs said, rolling her eyes.

We laughed together, stumbling over each other as we skipped to the pond. Being with Barbs was like being in high school again. We could just be so silly and be ourselves.

"Seriously, though, I don't want to intrude. You're just starting your life with your husband. I don't want to get in the way," I said.

Barbs sighed and shook her head.

Honestly, I didn't want my friend to feel bad for me. I didn't want my situation to get in the way of her happiness. She was getting married, and I'd lost my fiance. We were in opposite phases of our life. It wouldn't make sense to stay with her.

More than that, as angry as I was with Aaron, I still missed him and the life I thought we'd have. Seeing Barbs and her fiance married, seeing them as newlyweds, I knew it would upset me.

Of course, I was happy for my best friend, but I knew I'd still be sad for what I'd lost.

"You'd rather stay here with your boss. The boss that you slept with?" she asked.

"We're not sleeping together again," I snapped, shaking my head.

We got to the pond, and I let go of her arm. I picked up a pebble and skipped it across the surface of the pond.

Barbs dug the toe of her shoe into the gravelly pathway. "It is pretty beautiful here."

"It is. But I don't have to stay here that long. I can use my first paycheck to get my own place. All my furniture is still at Aaron's house. I shipped it ahead," I explained.

"So, you're saying I shouldn't worry about my best friend?" Barbs asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Well, I have a killer job. I have a boss looking out for me. I've got all the furniture and things I need once I get my own place. I'll be fine." I nodded, but I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince my friend or myself.

"I'm talking about Aaron," Barbs said. "Are you going to be okay with what happened?"

"I don't know," I admitted. I picked up another stone and started tossing it up and down, catching it in my palm and then tossing it up again.

"Talk to me, Cat. We're best friends. I can help," she offered.

I shrugged and let the stone fall to the ground. "Barbs, Aaron is the only man I've ever loved. I really thought we'd be together forever. What more can I say? He betrayed me…"

"Yes, he did. And I can't imagine how hard that must be," Barbs said. She grabbed my hands and held them firmly.

I looked into her eyes. Her eyes were open and inviting. She was begging me to confide in her, as a friend. "I'm glad I found out before I walked down the aisle," I admitted.

"Yeah. I don't know what I'd do if I was in your place. I mean, having a crazy one-night stand with your new boss was probably a good way to start healing," she said, giggling.

I shook my head and dropped her hands. "It didn't make me feel that great when I woke up this morning."

"Have you gotten angry? I mean, have you thrown things, screamed, torn your hair out?" Barbs asked.

I scoffed and put my hands on my hips. "No. Why would I do that?"

"It would probably make you feel better," she said with a shrug.

"Maybe. I'll keep that in mind."

Barbs held a finger up to me and pulled her phone out of her pocket. It was buzzing gently.

Her brow furrowed when she looked at the screen, and she rolled her eyes.

"Who is it?" I asked.

She shook her head and answered. "Hey, Aaron. I already told you, I don't know where Cat is."

"You better tell me where she is! You think I'm stupid? You think I don't know she'd tell you!?" Aaron's voice came through the speaker so loud I could hear it, even standing several feet away from Barbs.

I winced and put my hands on my cheeks, shaking my head. Had he been calling and harassing Barbs all day?

"Honestly, Aaron, I don't know anything." They argued a little, and then she hung up. Barbs sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know, he really wants to talk to you."

"I'm not ready to talk to him yet," I said, shaking my head.

"Cat, I know he screwed up. I think he knows he screwed up, too. Maybe he wants to apologize. There's a chance you two could still make things work," she suggested.

I shook my head and started walking back down the path. Barbs kept pace with me. "I don't know if I want to make things work," I admitted.

"But you just told me you loved him, that he's the only one you ever loved. Maybe that still means something," she said.

"Maybe it does. I'm not ready to find out." I shook my head.

"Look, love and relationships are messy. I've forgiven my fiance for his fair share of crap," she said.

"Has he ever cheated on you? In the house that was supposed to be yours? In the bed that you were supposed to share with him?" I asked.

"Well… no…" Barb admitted slowly.

"I'm still angry. I don't think I can think about forgiving him just yet," I said.

"Okay, well don't write it off completely," Barbs said, nudging me with her shoulder.

I forced a smile and shook my head. "Yeah, I won't. Not yet. But don't hold your breath, either."

"Sure, sure," she teased.

We went back to the guest house silently.

"Do you want me to come in? We can have some ice cream and gush over guys," she offered.

I licked my lips and looked at my feet. "I appreciate it, but I have a work fundraiser to go to."

"Alright. Well, you need anything, give me a call," she said.

"I will. See you later."

We hugged again and Barbs took off.

I went inside and started going through my closet, looking for a nice dress to wear. I'd shipped most of my clothes with my furniture and left them at the house when I stormed off.

All I had was what was in my suitcases.

I did have one cocktail dress that was appropriate.

It was a sleeveless, black dress, fitted with a low-cut neckline. The hem came down to my shins and cut across at an angle. There was a shiny, rippled fringe around the hem.

Just as I pulled my shirt off, my phone buzzed.

I had a new text from Barbs.

*I'm really sorry, Cat.*

"About what* I texted back.

*I just… I'm sorry.*

Before I could ask her again, there was a knock on the front door.

"Barbs, did you forget something?" I asked, laughing to myself. I grabbed my shirt and put it on as I went to the front door.

I pulled the door open.

"Cat. we need to talk," Aaron said. He stared at me, wild-eyed.

I gaped. How did he found out where I lived?

Barbs, I realized. She caved and told him where I was! My stomach flipped with betrayal. How could she?

"What are you doing here?" I asked, taking a half step back.