My hand went stiff in his.
“Are you sure about that?” Lucas looked pissed. “I could have sworn it’s been a lot longer, not that it matters since clearly I’ve moved on.”
“Yes”—her eyebrows shot up—“clearly.” She nodded toward me. “I’ll see you guys around. And Lucas, you know how to get ahold of me when you get bored. Which you will. Because, let’s face it, you need a little variety in your life from time to time—it’s how people like us work.”
“Please leave.” His teeth snapped together.
Molly shrugged and walked off with Brooke in tow.
I thought the worst was over, but then Brooke leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Too bad you only get one day, huh, Sis?”
I hung my head, ready to defend him and ready to defend myself too, but I knew it would be in vain.
And as people laughed and celebrated around me, I suddenly felt lost, like a girl who was playing a part that was never mine to play.
I eyed Kayla in the corner. She wore her hurt like armor.
She stared at me as though I was an interloper.
Oh God.
She stared at me like I was the cheater.
I sucked in a breath as memories of my past with Lucas assaulted me, all our stolen moments together, our almost kisses that led to the kiss the night before the wedding. I was just like him.
I’d done nothing to push him away, because I loved him.
And I used that love to justify my actions, even though they were wrong.
And now? Now it was too late.
Lucas Thorn didn’t break my family.
Brooke didn’t break my family.
My actions.
My obsession.
My love for a man who was never mine to begin with broke my family, and in turn—I glanced up at him—it broke Lucas Thorn.
And made him a cheater.
Chapter Forty-One
LUCAS
“Avery”—I tugged her hand—“are you okay?”
She was immobile, her face pale, her eyes wide like she’d just witnessed something shocking, which I knew couldn’t be true. She’d known about Molly all along, and in the end, if the truth got out, I couldn’t care less.
I loved Avery.
Therefore my focus shifted from myself to her—to protecting her, to making sure she was okay, even if revealing myself caused my parents pain.
This lie was a reflection on me—my flaws, my character—not her. Seeing Molly had the opposite effect that it should have.
I felt pity.
And anger at myself.
For ever thinking that once I had Avery I would cheat on her or turn my back on her. Seeing Molly had solidified the knowledge that I wouldn’t; it made my phone burn in my pocket.
The phone that had my “other” calendar.
God, I was such a complete asshole.
“Y-yes.” Avery nodded jerkily. “I just need some air.”
“I’ll come with you—”
“Alone.” She released my hand. “Just for a minute.”
I reached for her again, my fingers brushing her warm skin, but she shook her head.
The last thing I wanted was to embarrass her in front of her family, so I let her go and hoped I wasn’t making a giant mistake as I watched her slowly put one foot in front of the other and walk away from me.
“Dude.” Thatch’s voice shook me out of my weird funk concerning Avery. “You never told me how hot Kayla is!”
I glanced back at Kayla, who looked more hot mess than hot, and shrugged. “Yeah, well, she’s had work done.”
His eyes lit up. “Serious?”
“No, you asshole, and stop looking so excited every time I tell you that I know a girl who likes plastic surgery.”
“It’s my job.”
“Shame you aren’t better at it.”
“What crawled up your ass and died?” He pushed my shoulder. “You’re at your engagement party to a hot-as-hell chick who actually likes having sex with you.”
“Hilarious.”
“And even better, you’ve got like five more on the side.”
I froze. “What did you say?”
“Or is it six? I can never keep track.” He popped a cracker in his mouth and crunched down. “Not that it matters, since you have them in your trusty calendar.”
“Thatch.”
“What?”
“Shut the hell up.”
He wrapped an arm around my body. “Why are you pissed about this? You’ve got the girl you want to commit to and a few others who are obsessed with the great Lucas Thorn—I really don’t see a problem.”
“It’s cheating.”
“Not cheating if they know about it, and your girl knows.” He shrugged again as if we were having a completely sane and logical conversation.
My words kept crashing back to bite me in the ass.
I groaned. “Thatch, I’m not going to keep seeing other girls.”
His eyes narrowed. “But . . . why?”
“Because”—I gritted my teeth, then shouted—“I. LOVE. HER.”
Maybe I shouted it a bit too loud.
Because all talking around me ceased, and then some ladies to my right emitted a few happy sighs.
Kayla looked guiltily down at her feet and then tried to grab Brooke. Fire lit up Brooke’s eyes as she stomped toward me, hands on her hips. “I need to talk to you.”
“So talk.”
“In private.”
“Been there, done that,” I sneered. “I think I’ll pass.”