More Than Lies (More Than #1)(105)

I want her to stop touching him.

“Leave us alone.” I bark the words at her ugly face. She laughs.

“Oh, honey, he wasn’t asking me to leave him alone a little while ago when he was fucking me against the very same space you’re standing against now.” My heart shatters. That’s what her words do to me when they fully penetrate. I look to Shawn. I’m begging him with my eyes to tell me she is lying.

He’s silent.

His eyes are void of any emotions. They’re blank.

Is that why I thought he looked guilty? He cheated on me? He didn’t even have the decency to break up with me before screwing her?

This isn’t happening. I trusted him. I loved him. I do love him.

I’m about to break. I can feel it crawling up inside me. I won’t give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me fall. I duck under Shawn’s arm and leave the bathroom as quickly as my heels will move.

When I’m out of the door, I run. I don’t know where I’m running to, but I run through the club. I need to get out of here, now. I can’t be here.

How could he do this?

Somehow, I end up back at our booth. My friends are sitting around laughing and drinking. I just need my purse. When I see it, I snatch it up. That catches everyone’s attention causing them to look up at me.

“Taralynn, what’s wrong? You look . . .” Mason doesn’t finish his sentence before he’s out of the booth and standing up. He scans my face. I shake my head. I can’t speak. If I talk, I’ll cry. I can’t cry until I’m alone.

“Did you find Shawn?” Mason questions me as he scans my eyes. I nod.

“He’s in the bathroom, probably screwing Holly as we speak.” I turn to leave and run into a body. When I look up I see Jared standing there. It’s evident by the look on his face that he heard me. “Please get me out of here.”

“Come on.” He reaches for my hand.

“Taralynn, what the fuck? He wouldn’t.” Mason defends his best friend.

“He already did, Mason.” Jared pulls me forward. In less than a minute we are outside and walking toward his motorcycle.

This wasn’t how I saw tonight ending.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

Tonight was supposed to be a good night. It was supposed to be a fun and happy night celebrating my boyfriend’s birthday.

Jared was right all along. I’m in love with someone who isn’t capable of being in love with someone else. With me. Realization hits, and that’s when it happens. The seams come loose and I stumble. If it wasn’t for Jared holding onto me, I would have landed on my knees in the gravel.

“You were right.” I cry out. He pulls me into his chest and I let my tears fall. “What did I do to deserve that? Why did he do that, and with her of all people?”

“Nothing, Taralynn. He’s an asshole. You did nothing wrong except fall for the wrong guy.”

I never thought until this moment—even before Shawn and I started seeing each other—that I fell for the wrong man. But clearly, I did. Clearly, I’m a stupid woman, in love with a stupid man.

He carries me the rest of the way. When he sits me down, the tears are still falling. They aren’t stopping; if anything, they pour harder as each minute passes.

“Shit, I need to go back inside and get Cole’s helmet.”

“No. I want to leave now. Let’s just go; I’ll be fine.” He hesitates. I don’t know why; he’s never cared before. I’ve ridden with him several times without wearing protective gear. At the moment, I don’t care. I want the wind to hit against my skin. I want to feel something besides the pain that’s taken over every inch of my body. A pain I’m terrified will never go away.





CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO





SHAWN BRADEN





What have I done?

My forehead falls forward, landing with a thud on the wall in front of me. The tile is still warm from where Tara’s back was pressed against it. Her intoxicating scent still surrounds me.

Her heart broke right in front of my eyes. I did that. I broke her big beautiful heart. I was cruel. I lied to her in the worst way. I knew I was going to fuck up, and I did. I let her think . . .

This wasn’t how I imagined this happening. It wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. I did this for her, because in the long run she’ll be better off without me.

The look in her eyes won’t leave my brain. That image will be seared inside me forever. How could I do that to her? To me? To us?

“Now that she’s gone, and you’ve come to your senses . . .” Holly’s annoying voice trails off, but the palm of her hand slides up my arm. My skin crawls at her touch. It’s wrong, and I don’t want it on me. I don’t want her anywhere near me. If she were smart, she’d realize being near me might not be the safest place for her.

“Back the fuck off, bitch.” I turn on her so quick she almost loses her balance. I don’t give a shit. I might even take pleasure from watching her land on her ass if I wasn’t so fucking wrapped up in what I did to Tara moments ago. “Don’t you dare think for a second that I want you. I just gave up everything I’ve ever fucking wanted. You aren’t Tara. You’ll never be Tara. You were the biggest mistake I ever made. I don’t plan on repeating it. Fuck off, Holly. Get out of my fucking sight.”