Accidental Heartbreak (The Accidental Series, Book 2) Read Free

are things at the shop?” Jacqueline
asked. “You looked pretty busy the last time I was there.”
    “I was. It’s been crazy…we’ve been having
lots of orders for weddings.” Shayla took a sip of water. She
looked up at Jacqueline, studying her for a moment. She was a
beautiful woman in her sixties but you wouldn’t know her age unless
she came right out with it. She took care of herself and her skin
was very taut and glowy.
    “I’m glad that little shop is doing good.
I’ve been going there for years, honey.”
    Shayla smiled and turn towards the window,
watching cars drive by. She thought about Carter. Was he happy she
moved out? Was it easy for him to go on and live his life like the
four months they lived together never happened? Didn’t mean a
thing? Was he and Genevieve still involved or had he moved on to
the next woman? Surely he had by now.
    “I thought I saw a help wanted sign in the
front window,” Jacqueline said. “Another person in there would help
you guys out a great deal.”
    Shayla froze. Why did she have to see that
sign? Now she had to tell her she was leaving. And Jacqueline
would, in turn, tell Carter. “There is a help wanted sign in the
window, but it’s not because Rebecca’s hiring an additional person.
She can’t afford one right now.” She watched Jacqueline’s confused
reaction. “She’s actually looking for someone to replace me, so if
you know of anyone—”
    “Replace you?” she blurted out. She couldn’t
hide the slight frown in her forehead if she wanted to.
    “Yes. I found another job…one in my field. I
start at the end of the month.”
    “What’s your field?”
    “Accounting.”
    “What company will you be working for?”
    Shayla was hesitant to tell Jacqueline about
her new job being in a new city, and a new state for that matter.
Would she go and tell Carter about everything they talked about?
She definitely didn’t want him to know she moving out of state. But
the again, it wasn’t about him anymore. It was about her starting
over, reinventing herself and seeking her own happiness and success
without relying on someone else for those things. So she sucked in
a heavy breath and said, “It’s at a tech firm in Norfolk,
Virginia.”
    Jacqueline was crestfallen. “You’re moving
away?”
    Shayla nodded, seeing the disappointment in
Jacqueline’s eyes. Was she sad to see her go, or was she
anticipating what Carter would feel when he found out?
    “Why do you have to move so far away,
Shayla?”
    Far away? Shayla thought. It was
maybe a five-hour drive from Charlotte to Norfolk and that wasn’t
far enough. She would move farther, anything to get away from
Carter for good. “It’s not that bad, Jackie.”
    Jacqueline didn’t respond. She sat quiet for
the time being, processing the thought of Shayla leaving while, all
along, wondering how Carter would receive the news. Finally, she
broke her silence by saying, “I spoke with Carter a few days
ago.
    Shayla took a sip of water to loosen her
tightness in her throat. “Really?”
    “Yeah.” Jacqueline pushed her half-eaten
salad away from her and wiped her mouth with a white napkin. “You
know, I’m not one for being all in folks business, but it’s obvious
to me you two ended on bad terms.”
    “Why you say that?”
    “Well, for one, you’re moving away and he
hasn’t been the same since you left. And he rarely ever calls me
now. He’s distant and despondent.”
    “Don’t know why.”
    “I do. It’s because you left him.”
    “Is that what he told you?” Shayla asked
frowning, feeling her blood boil at the thought he’d tell his aunt
a blatant lie. “I left because he told me to. If you were living
with someone and they told you to leave, wouldn’t you?” Shayla took
a sip of water. There was another reason she left too. She was in
love with him and he didn’t reciprocate that love. How could she
live with a man and watch him date other women? Instead of telling
Jacqueline that,