Before You(50)

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and smiled at Mia. “Thanks for asking. As you can see, I’m fine.”

“You and Jax seemed extremely cozy last night. First, he rushed to your side for your grandmother’s funeral, then the gallery opening. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you dumped Cam and you moved on to Jax.”

“Well, you can sleep soundly tonight knowing that Cam and I are… fine. Is that why you came here—to confirm my relationship status? It’s the same as it has been for the last seven years.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, she paled, thinking what a phony liar her one night with Jax was quickly turning her into. She might have ended things with Cam, but Mia would never hear it from her. Hiding the tears burning the corner of her eyes, she turned to walk toward her office, only to be stopped in her tracks by Mia’s parting remark.

“I’m curious whether Cam knows how friendly you and Jax have become. I think someone should tell him.”

“Cam knows we’re friends,” she said softly, in contradiction to every emotion rushing through her body. She wanted to turn around and scream at Mia, but she couldn’t allow herself to do that for several reasons. First, she spent last night making a mockery of her relationship with Cam, so in a round about way, Mia was right about her and Jax. Second, Mia was always trying to come between her and Cam and she was merely fishing for information. If she knew anything of substance, she would be on the first plane to find Cam rather than in the gallery taunting Bre. And finally, she wouldn’t ruin what was shaping up to be a successful grand opening by engaging Mia in a verbal confrontation.

Just as she finished entering the couple’s information for the painting purchase, Sara entered her office.

“You look pale… are you feeling okay?” Sara questioned in a hushed tone.

“I’m great. We exceeded our sales goal for the event, and there’s still one hour remaining.”

Sara studied Bre’s face. “No, that’s not what I’m talking about. I heard what Mia said.” Pausing for a second, Sara pushed the hair out of her eyes. “You didn’t say anything about Jax being in town. Why didn’t he stop by the gallery tonight?”

“He already left. There was some pre-party in LA he didn’t want to miss.”

“Why was he in town?”

Bre cleared her throat. “He delivered a plane ticket with a note from Cam. Cam wants me to fly to LA for a long weekend.”

“That’s great. You’re so lucky. I would love to get away from the snow for a few days.” Sara gestured toward Bre’s desk. “Plane tickets and flowers… it sounds so romantic.”

“I know, right?” Bre said absently, still shuffling papers on her desk.

“If you think so, why are you still upset with him?”

“I’m not, but visiting Cam in LA isn’t the same as when he comes here. Our time together there always seems so rushed and chaotic. I thought if he came here, the two of us would have quality time together.”

“I know, but he’s trying to be thoughtful. That’s a step in the right direction. You’re going to LA, right?”

Unsure how to answer that question, Bre stalled for time by noting the shipping address in her customer log for the last painting she sold. She couldn’t refuse to go to LA after the fight she had with Cam yesterday, but she didn’t know if she could face him or Jax so soon after last night. The thought of seeing either of them made her feel uncomfortable, and the thought of being around them both at the same time was positively mortifying.

“Hello, Bre. Did you hear me?” Sara questioned.

“Cam and I broke up last night,” Bre whispered, avoiding Sara’s eyes.

“What? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Sara said, reaching out to squeeze Bre’s hand.

“I’m not ready to talk about it, so don’t tell anyone. I need time to let it sink in.”

“I would never tell anyone. It’s your business.” Sara sighed. “What are you going to do about the ticket to LA?”

“I know I should go to figure out where the relationship stands. We broke up, but Cam doesn’t believe it’s over. Going to visit would give us both some closure.”

“Or you could work things out.”

“Maybe,” Bre said skeptically. “I was so mad at Cam last night, and I said and did some really mean things.”

“You shouldn’t have been nice. If Jax could stop in town for a night, Cam certainly could have done so, too. Besides, I don’t get why he’s always sending Jax in his place. Jax is just as busy as Cam, and you would think he would want to be the one to surprise you rather than having Jax do it. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t know why Jax always agrees to do it.”