Karson: hey, we’re finally about to take off, but listen some shit went down and I need to talk to you. Call me if you wake up and get this. I love you.

Karson: You awake?

With her brows pulling together, she clicked on the icon to call him but then a call came through. It was Rachel.

“Hey,” she answered. “Let me call you back. I need to call Karson.”

“Before you do that, I think you should know that some chick was all over him last night, from what Sabrina said this morning. Apparently Nate is pretty upset about it but doesn’t know how to tell you without hurting you. So yeah, your husband is a dick.”

“Whoa, what?” she said, sitting up again. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Last night he was at some bar with some chick,” Rachel said slowly as if Lacey didn’t comprehend what she said, and really, she didn’t. “I told you he was bad news.”

“Actually, you never said that,” Lacey said as her heart kicked up in speed. “He wouldn’t hurt me like that. I know he wouldn’t. I need to let you go.”

“People saw him. Don’t be naïve.”

“And don’t be a bitch, Rachel. I’ll call you later,” she snapped before hanging up the call and calling Karson. He answered right away.

“Hey,” he said, and she could hear it in his voice; he was worried sick.

“Rachel called me this morning, told me you were with some chick at the bar.”

“Figured she would, either her or your dad.”

“So it’s true?” she asked, her heart dropping into her stomach.

“There was a chick at the bar and she came on to me, claiming we’d had sex before, but I don’t forget faces. I’ve never seen her before; I can promise you that. She was all over me and then kissed the side of my mouth. I pushed her away and told her to go away. Shea was there, saw the whole thing. I promise. Nothing happened.”

Her blood burned as she let out a breath. “Well, that’s undesirable. Especially in front of my dad.”

“Baby, it was him,” he claimed, causing Lacey’s brow to go up.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that he set me up.”

Lacey shook her head because she couldn’t believe he was blaming her dad. She didn’t care that it happened. It didn’t bother her because she trusted him, but why did he have to blame her dad? Her dad had been good to them lately. Supportive, even. Yeah, it was still a little tense between them, but he was trying. “Karson, please. He is coming around, I promise. He wouldn’t do that,” she urged, but before she could go on, he interrupted her.

“No, baby, I’m telling you,” he said, sounding almost panicked. “I walked back in after saying goodbye to you, and I went over to the table because he was still there, and he said, I have a deal for you. I told him I didn’t want to hear it, I don’t care. And then he and that fiancée of his go on and on about I am going to lose you because I don’t deserve you.” He sucked in a deep breath as her mind went crazy. This wasn’t true. Her dad wouldn’t do that. He was being supportive. “And then I’m like whatever, and I walk off and I’m sitting there with Shea and that chick comes up and does what she does, and when I look back, your dad is grinning at me like a fool. So I confront him about it, and he tells me he doesn’t know what I was talking about, but it was obvious he did, Lacey! I’m telling you, this is his doing. He’s playing you.”

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out. “Karson, I’m not mad. I trust you. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, but blaming my father for what some dumb bitch did isn’t right. He wouldn’t do that. He supports us now.”

“The hell he does,” Karson barked, and she could hear the frustration in his voice.

“I don’t agree. I think he does. He’s been great lately. He hasn’t been nearly as mean as he was.”

“Because he is playing you!” he said slowly but very forcefully. “He is going to keep on trying to break us up. You’ve got to cut all ties, babe, or this is always going to happen. I can’t keep looking behind me to make sure Nate Martin isn’t back there trying to set me up.”

“So you’re asking me to choose?” she asked, her heart pounding. “Because that’s what it sounds like.”

“No. Lacey. Please,” he begged. “I am feeling like you don’t believe, like you think I am trying to cover my ass or something.”

“That’s exactly what I think,” she said without thinking.

When he paused, she instantly regretted her words. Letting out an annoyed breath, she said, “I didn’t mean that. It came out wrong.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, I mean that I think you are being paranoid when there is no reason to be. I completely trust you and believe that this girl came on to you. It’s fine. I promise.”

“But you don’t believe that your dad is setting me up,” he stated and she could hear the aggravation in his voice.

“I don’t think he would do that to me, but I will call him.”

“And he’ll lie.”

“Karson, please. He’s trying.”

“The fuck he is, Lacey. He’s blinding you, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you start believing more shit he does and ultimately leave me.”