Bereft (Seven Year Itch #2)(29)

“I know what you did last night, and you made your point. We’re even. Let’s stop hurting each other and fix what’s broken. Please, I’m asking you to reconsider. Let me take you out tonight so we can talk. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Rachel, I’m lost without you. Just let me explain. Give me a damn second of your time.”

I started to hang up, because I didn’t give a damn what he had to say to me, but something stuck out to me; something made me feel sad. He knew I’d been with Chad. He said we were even. I knew damn well he’d slept with Kyla way more than one time. They’d screwed around for months behind my back, yet I’d been open about Chad staying with me. He didn’t know my intentions were honest in the beginning. Chad was only being a friend. “I don’t think I can sit in the same room as you.”

“I get it, I do, but you hurt me too. God, you took a knife and drove it through my heart last night. Tell me you didn’t go through with it. Tell me it was just a ploy to pay me back. Say you didn’t sleep with that guy.”

“I’m not saying anything to you. I don’t have to. You broke our vows. As far as I’m concerned, you ended our marriage. You certainly ended our commitment to each other. What I did with my friend last night is no longer your business. I’m not going to pretend what I did was right, but it was my choice, just like sleeping with Kyla was yours.”

“No. This isn’t a competition. I’m trying to save our marriage.”

I began to laugh at his comment. “It’s a little too late, don’t you think?”

“Rachel, please. What about counseling?”

“Counseling is for couples who want to be with each other. Was last night not clear for you?”

“You’re acting out. In time you’ll change your mind. You know you love me. It doesn’t go away overnight. It’s not that fast.”

“Oh really? Let me ask you this then. How long have you been sleeping with Kyla? How long have the two of you been involved?”

The line was dead silent. Then in almost a whisper I heard him reply. “Six months.”

“Yeah, it happens that fast.” I hung up the phone, feeling more pissed now than before. Six months. He’d been sleeping with her for six months in our house. I wanted to rip my hair out and scream. How could they do it? How could they look at me and pretend they weren’t screwing around behind my back? Did they not feel any sort of remorse? I wanted to puke. The bile was rising to my throat so fast I didn’t know if I could swallow it back down.

I had to sit still for a few minutes, calming down enough to continue working. A knock at my door was startling. I wasn’t in any condition to answer, so when I saw it crack open I freaked out. “Can’t you knock?”

Chad came in and shut the door behind him. “Sorry it’s just me. I thought you might be hungry, so I ordered enough for both of us.” He stopped talking when he saw my face. “What’s up?”

I rubbed my temples as I explained. “I just got off the phone with Grayson. He pissed me off, that’s all. It’s nothing new.”

He took a brown bag and slid it across the desk toward me, while taking the seat opposite mine again. He pulled out a box of Chinese and used a fork to take a bite. “Eat something. I know you haven’t stopped once today.”

He was right. “You don’t have to feed me. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

I opened the bag anyway, starved more than I was willing to admit. What I pulled out was not edible, at least I didn’t think so. “What are these?” I said as I held up a pair of panties and matching bra.

“A woman should already know the answer to that question, Rach.”

“Why are they in my dinner bag?”

“Oh.” He wiped his face and crossed his arms. “Well, I was thinking you might be uncomfortable, I mean, you’ve been cooped up in this office all day. I figured we could grab a quick bite to eat and then freshen up before we head out.”

“Head out? Where would I freshen up at?”

“My place. Yours is too far away. We’ll miss the show.”

“Show?” I was utterly confused.

“You are a size six, correct?”

I could feel my cheeks blushing. It was sort of silly since he’d seen every bit of me less than twenty-four hours earlier. “Why do you want to know?”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere with you dressed like a private school teacher. It’s hot and all, but not cool for tonight.”

“Who says I’m going anywhere with you?”

“Do you have something better to do?”

I shrugged. “Grayson wanted me to have dinner with him. We do need to talk.”

“True. It’s just, I got these tickets to a musical from one of our clients. My grandfather thinks it’s good for business if we go to support him, especially since we’re keeping the doors open.”

“So it’s work related?”

“More or less. As the new CEO of Leviathan Agency I figured you’d want to join me. Professionally of course.”

I raised my brow, giving him a sarcastic gaze. I knew he was full of himself. After his flirtatious texts earlier, it was obvious he was playing games with me. “You know I have a ton going on.”