Roman-2(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(117)

“Grey too. He sat in his office all night last night and when I finally got sick of it at two in the morning I found him just sitting there, staring into space.” She grumbles, her eyes strained.

We talk for a few more minutes, our exchanges desultory and half assed before I beg off the salon thing and we both rise to leave. I’m a whale right now and can’t make it ten steps without a break for my poor feet so by the time we get outside into the sunshine I have to stop and cling to a laughing Lila to catch my breath.

I can’t tell you what makes me turn my head to the left and look over at the opposite side walk. Hell, all I can say is that my spine tingled and my receptors sat straight up. But I do, I turn and squint at the hotel across the way, taking in the cars and people and…

Devon, my Devon, holding another woman. Close, like full body contact close and looking down at her affectionately before leaning down and planting a kiss on her cheek.

It all clicks into place for me, mostly because I recognise the woman he’s with and the way she’s clinging to him, just like in those pics I’d seen on the internet after Ryan’s little TMI moment.

The distraction, his silence, the way he hasn’t fully met my eyes.

He’s having an affair with his ex, that piece of garbage slag who’d refused to accept his family. That beautiful, gorgeous pinup princess who doesn’t look like an ad for the Wildlife channel.

“Er Beck.”

“I see him.” I choke out; digging my fingers into Lila’s arm so forcefully she lets off a squeak and tries to pull away. “I see him.”

“Oh God Beck, I’m so sorry. This is-”

“Don’t tell anyone. Promise me.” I demand when my veins finally start pumping blood again-only because the pair stopped hugging long enough to walk into the hotel!-and I can straighten and pull myself together.

I feel numb, closed off, empty in the space of a minute and as the coldness creeps in I savour the detachment that comes with it. Maybe it’s silly, but I feel steadier than I have in days.

This is…so fucked up and yet I feel as if I’ve arrived at a place I’ve been anticipating for so long I know the taste, sound and feel of it all. I’ve been waiting for this, just waiting for something to go wrong and now that it has I feel more solid.

“Beck.”

“No. Promise me you won’t tell anyone what we’ve seen. Promise me Li.” I snarl, making up my mind before she nods and looks down at me with a sad expression I neither want or need.

“Promise. But-”

“Good. Now go, I have something to do.”

“What? No! You and I are going in there to kick both of their asses!”

“Nope. I’m not humiliating myself that way. I have something much more effective in mind.”

****

“Just call him first! That’s all I’m asking.” Dillon yells, throwing me the same look he’s been giving me since I left Lila and turned up on his doorstep. “You can’t just leave things this way. Call him and get his story before you throw away everything on a revenge move Beck.”

I give in and pick up my cell but only because the damn romantic idiot won’t stop haranguing me about how I’m giving precious Devon a bum rap.

He answers on the third ring and I smile nastily at the tone in his voice, wanting nothing more than to slap his smug face one last time before doing what I should have done months ago.

“Imp? Where are you babe, I’ve been worried. I got home and you weren’t here. You know you’re not supposed to be overtaxing yourself right now.”

I seethe at the false concern there and just barely stop from smashing the phone to bits. Deep inside, under the betrayal though is a little spark of hope, the idea that maybe Dill is right and I’m wrong, that Devon has a completely reasonable explanation for seeing his ex and lying to me.

That if I just hear him out and shove my hurt pride to the side, things will turn out okay.

When the feeling settles I feel myself calm enough to speak, something I haven’t been particularly good at, but have to work on if Dillon is right and I need to stop being so defensive and quick to judge.

“I’m at Dill-”

“I told you-”

“I came here to talk to him. He’s my friend and I can trust him. Something I can’t say for you since you’ve been lying to me Devon.”

I hear his indrawn breath and then a sigh, his tone so sad and accepting that I have to close my eyes against the rush of tears I didn’t realize I’m holding back.

“Imp you have to understand I didn’t want to hurt you. We’ve both been so stressed with the situation at home and we only now just found our footing. I didn’t want to risk it.”