Cheater (Curious Liaisons, #1)(78)

“Rocko always humps things.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you caused it.”

I caused a dog to hump my father? Yeah, I needed a drink. “Avery”—I grabbed her hand—“let’s leave the moms to their scheming.”

A smile tugged at my lips—it felt good to see them together again, even if they had the worst timing in the world.

We sidestepped our mothers and quickly headed to the kitchen. The music was so loud it was almost painful.

Avery grabbed two glasses of wine and handed one to me, then stole mine back and started sipping from both.

“Avery Bug, they’re the same.”

Her face paled.

I frowned and then felt a tap-tap-tap on my shoulder. There are times in a man’s life when he can sense something is wrong with the universe, and in that strange moment, as the hair on my arms stood on end and as the room fell relatively silent, I knew that turning around would change everything—but it didn’t stop me from doing it.

From turning.

And coming face to face with Molly.

My Monday.

On the arm of Brooke Black.





Chapter Forty


AVERY

I froze.

It was an unfortunate time for my body to become that of a traitorous whore, but there it was. I froze while Brooke eyed me up and down with smug amusement and then grinned, which hurt worse than she could ever imagine or possibly know, because she was my sister! Why would she be happy to hurt me? After that night four years ago, I’d believed Brooke’s lie that Lucas had seduced her and practically begged her for sex.

Was it Lucas who had broken my family?

Maybe what I thought was petty jealousy among sisters was actually something deeper and more hateful. Maybe it was easier to put the blame at Lucas’s feet than to take responsibility for the state of our relationship.

I was just as guilty. Because the minute I saw the evidence, I cut Lucas from my life, when a true friend, a friend who really loved someone, would have asked why or at least listened to what he had to say.

He’d begged me to let him explain, and I’d yelled at him that I never wanted to see him again.

Because, yes, he’d cheated on my sister.

But he’d also cheated on me—that’s how I felt in my heart.

“Lucas Thorn.” Molly spoke his name with reverence and a bit of a hussy-sounding sigh. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

Oh no.

“Thank you.” He reached blindly for my hand, but I held a wineglass in each, so I chugged one and set the other on the table, then secured my hand in his and squeezed.

Molly tilted her head at me. “Now, that’s strange.”

“What’s strange?” I asked in what I hoped sounded like a semibored voice, although inside I felt terror—terror that all our friends and family would discover the truth.

That he wasn’t who they thought he was.

And yet, he was.

I mean, he could be.

I was confusing myself.

He wasn’t a cheater anymore. I knew that in my heart. A man wouldn’t look at a woman the way he looked at me—and keep seven girls on the side.

Would he?

“I haven’t seen you in a little over a week.”

I did the math and deflated a bit. That meant he’d slept with her just a few days before I’d started working for him and started our little flirtation.

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.