She turned off her phone and placed it on her desk. It was the truth and it had needed to be said. It would make their goodbye easier if he were to meet her in the city. Peyton would be happy. She craved it to happen.

There was no future with him. She had the hotel and Daylesford. He had the city and his job as an architect. There would be no compromise. She could never leave this town. She could never walk away from the hotel. It was what had kept her alive all these years. She lived for the hotel.

“When am I ever going to see you happy again?”

Peyton looked up to see Madilynne leaning on the doorframe of her office. She looked over her best friend and was instantly jealous. Madilynne was the beautiful one. She had the amazing, petite figure and the personality. But most of all, Madilynne was free. And Peyton was grounded, not meant to fly.

She shrugged at Madilynne and reached for the folder that Jenny had left her. “Some people don’t deserve happiness, Mads.”

Madilynne pushed off the doorframe and sat in the seat in front of her. “That is bullshit and you know it, Peyton. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s you.”

Peyton put the folder down and looked at her best friend. “Because my boyfriend left me days after I gave him my virginity and then, months later, my parents died in a car accident? Is that why I deserve to be happy above others? Because I’m slightly unfortunate?”

“What happened to you, Peyton?” Madilynne stared at her as if attempting to find the old Peyton somewhere on the surface.

“You know I’m right, Mads.”

“This hollow shell of what you were saved your life, Peyton. I don’t like not seeing that smile you had and that love in your eyes, but you would have died, too. You should see that as the light to start over. We would have buried you. And that’s the worst pain any of us could have gone through.”

Peyton winced and noticed the sad gleam in her friend’s eyes. She decided it was time they changed the subject. “How is Graham?”

Madilynne sighed. “He’s okay. He’s worried about you. He’s always worried about you. I respect the way he loves you.”

Peyton heard the sadness in her voice, and that’s when she remembered what Callum said to Graham on the phone.

“Make your time with Mads count.”

“Madilynne, what did Callum mean by making Graham’s time with you count on Friday?” Peyton asked.

Madilynne looked away for a second before she met Peyton’s eyes. Her eyes pleaded for Peyton to silence the topic of Graham.

The sad look had Peyton feeling guilty and realising that for a long time she had been pushing Graham to the wrong person. For years, she believed their high school friend, Krista, was the one Graham had been in love with. “It was never about Krista, was it?”

Madilynne shook her head. “The moment Graham saw you on that bench, it was game over for us. He wanted to protect you. We let you believe it was Krista. And when I found out about the promise ring, I hated you. But I knew it could be the chance for you to smile again. I told him to stay here in Daylesford. You needed him.”

I’m a misfortune to people’s lives.

Peyton hung her head and let out a sigh. She had been selfish all these years. She truly did deserve to be lonely.

“I’m so sorry that I took him from you, Madilynne. I didn’t know. I was pushing him to pursue Krista. Had I known it was you… I’m sorry. You had every right to hate me and still hate me.”

Madilynne let out a laugh. “You’re my best friend. I was envious. We decided not to start anything because you needed us. We couldn’t upset you. We lost you for a long time. Graham somehow brought you back. That’s why I made him stay.”

Peyton gave her a tight smile. Madilynne and Graham had sacrificed a relationship together for her. This time, there would be no more sacrificing.

She looked Madilynne in the eye and breathed out, “Please tell me you both made your time together on the farm count?”

Madilynne’s cheeks reddened. She never blushed. “You mean did we have sex?”

Peyton nodded.

“We made our time together count. We felt guilty because we couldn’t get to you since we had drunk a little. And well, we kissed and you know how sex works.”

She should have been sick at the thought of her two best friends hooking up, but Peyton was relieved. She didn’t think she could live with the guilt for the rest of her life. That she was the one to prevent them from being together.

“Do you love him?” Peyton asked.

“Yes. But I love you more. That’s why it could only be a one-time thing.”

Peyton ignored what Madilynne had said. She refused to believe that it was. “Do something for me.”

“You know I would do anything for you, Peyton.”

She smiled, knowing that Madilynne had sacrificed more than she should for her. “You get him the hell out of Daylesford and off that farm. Take him to the city with you.”

Madilynne let out a sigh. “He won’t leave without you. He’ll never leave if you don’t.”

Peyton gave Madilynne a smile before she said, “We’ll figure it out. I owe you both it.”

“No you don’t, Peyton. We chose this for us.”

Before Peyton could argue, a knock on the door had her lifting her eyes. Her breath caught the moment she looked at Jay. He didn’t have a smooth, relaxed expression on his face. Instead, he was a brute version of what she had known of him.

“Mads, your daddy’s looking for you. He’s down at the pub,” Jay said.

Madilynne leant forward, and Peyton met her eyes. “Unlike Jay or Graham, I approve of Callum. You never have to explain yourself to any of us,” Madilynne softly said. Then she got up from the chair and walked out the door.

Peyton’s eyes locked with Jay’s. She expected him to turn and follow Madilynne out of the hotel. But Jay took a step into her office. And then another, continuing until he was standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry to do this to you, Peyton. But you need a little perspective,” Jay said. Hate laced in his voice.

Peyton’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you—”

Jay interrupted her by pulling out a folded bundle of papers and dropping it on her desk. Confused, Peyton picked up the papers and opened it. Her heart sank the moment she looked at what was written.

Termination of Contract for Breach.

She inhaled and exhaled, but no air reached her lungs. As her eyes scanned the paper, she felt every painful throb of her heart.

Then her eyes landed on a sentence she never thought she’d ever read.

Please take notice of the intended termination of the business relationship between The Spencer-Dayle and Daylesford Pub.

“You’re terminating our business relationship?” Peyton asked, utterly shocked.

Failure to carry out contractual obligations.

She couldn’t look away from the letter. The Spencer-Dayle heavily used their relationship with the pub to generate more visitors. Without the pub, it would financially and reputably cost the hotel. The pub tours of the area included Jay’s and the tour included lunch at The Spencer-Dayle. If her hotel had any chance of surviving she would have to focus on what made money—weddings.

“Yes. It’s the only way.”

Peyton stood up and stared at the man she had once called a friend. “Only way?”

“This isn’t you, Peyton. It’s a small goddamn town. We know what you’ve done with him. We’ve all seen it. You’re better than that. You let him touch you? He broke your fucking heart! It’s the town or Callum. You can’t have both!” Jay roared. So much anger filled his voice.

“No,” she bit back. “This is more personal for you. This is about you and Callum.”

“You’re acting like a love-struck teenager. Don’t you see how your actions reflect on all of us? If this hotel fails because of you and your foolish heart, we all go down with it. Terminating the contract means that what happens only affects your hotel. It’s the town or Callum, Peyton. Or better yet, it’s your parents’ hotel or him,” Jay said. His body was strung up tight, and she saw the vein in his neck sticking out.