As they sat there, holding each other close, Lauren knew that Sydney would be okay. She was strong, resilient, and had a heart of gold. And with time and love, she would heal and find happiness again.
Suddenly, Sydney pulled back, a serious look on her face. ‘Lauren, there’s something else I need to say.’
Lauren frowned, concerned. ‘What is it?’
‘I think you should go and make peace with Jake. There’s been enough suffering, enough pain. It’s time to let it go.’
Lauren’s heart clenched at the mention of Jake’s name. She knew Sydney was right, but the thought of facing him again, of reliving all the hurt and betrayal, was almost too much to bear.
But as she looked into her sister’s eyes, saw the love and concern shining there, Lauren knew that she had to try. For herself, for her family, and for the chance at a brighter future.
‘You’re right,’ she said softly, squeezing Sydney’s hand. ‘It’s time to let the past go and start fresh. For all of us.’
The next day, Lauren found herself standing outside Jake’s room, her heart pounding in her chest. She had been up all night, rehearsing what she would say, trying to find the right words to express the tangled mess of emotions that had been weighing her down for so long.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, her hand trembling slightly. When Jake called out for her to enter, she stepped inside, her eyes locking with his across the room.
‘Lauren,’ he said, surprise evident in his voice. ‘What are you doing here?’
Lauren swallowed hard, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. ‘I came to talk, Jake. To clear the air between us.’
Jake stepped aside, letting her into the room.
‘I’m guessing you’ve heard about all the drama that’s gone down?’ she said, perching on the edge of the bed as Jake sank down beside her.
‘You knew it was Ollie having the affair, didn’t you?’ Lauren asked, cutting straight to the chase.
Jake sighed, running a hand over his face. ‘Yeah, I knew about the affair. But I swear, I had no idea about the drugs.’
Lauren frowned. ‘Why didn’t you tell me the truth?’
Jake gave her a sad smile. ‘Because I knew that you weren’t in love with me anymore, Lauren. I thought it would be an easy out for you, and I couldn’t bear to see Sydney’s heart get shattered. Ollie promised me it was just a fling, that it didn’t mean anything. And like an idiot, I believed him.’
Lauren’s stomach churned. ‘Did my mum know?’
Jake nodded. ‘Yes, she wanted to protect Sydney too. That’s when we cooked up the plan to make her think I was the one cheating.’
‘And that’s why she gave you the job instead of Oliver?’ Lauren couldn’t bring herself to use his nickname, the one they’d all called him for years.
‘Yeah, you know she never trusted the guy. Guess she had damn good reason.’
Lauren shook her head, still struggling to wrap her mind around it all. ‘I just can’t believe it. Oliver’s the last person I would’ve pegged as a drug kingpin.’
Jake shrugged. ‘So, what’s your plan now? You gonna stick around at the hotel?’
‘I have to. We’ll need to do some serious damage control once this scandal hits the news.’
‘I’m sure you’ll handle it just fine. You ladies are a force to be reckoned with.’
Lauren gave him a curious look. ‘What about you? What are you gonna do?’
Jake hesitated for a moment. ‘I’ve been thinking about a career change, actually.’
‘Oh yeah? What’d you have in mind?’
‘I’ve always kind of seen myself as a teacher. Shaping young minds, making a difference.’
Lauren grinned. ‘I can totally see you as a teacher. Ben would think it’s so cool to have a dad who’s moulding the next generation.’
Jake laughed. ‘Well, if it’ll make me look cool to my kid, I guess I’d better do it.’
Lauren’s smile faded, and she looked down at her hands. ‘I’m really sorry things ended like this between us.’
He reached over and squeezed her shoulder. ‘Don’t be. We gave it our best shot, and we’ve got an amazing son to show for it.’
Lauren stood up, suddenly feeling awkward. ‘I should probably get going.’
Jake raised an eyebrow. ‘Got a hot date?’
Lauren felt her cheeks flush, and Jake chuckled.
‘Relax, I figured out there was something between you and Rain the first time I saw you together. You looked at her in a way you never looked at me, not even when things were good between us.’
Lauren’s heart clenched. ‘I feel so guilty. If I’d known you hadn’t actually cheated, I never would’ve let things start with Rain.’
Jake held up a hand. ‘Lauren, I didn’t say I was faithful. I just said it wasn’t with Fay.’
Lauren blinked, stunned. ‘Oh. Well, thanks for being honest, I guess.’
