Still Jaded (Jaded #2)(48)

"This is ridiculous. No one's saying anything."

Corrigan looked up. "What do you want us to say? Sheldon lied. We caught her. She doesn't care. Now what?" His tone sounded resigned as if he accepted the situation how it was. Then he shot me a glare that said anything but.

I looked away, but sighed. Bryce was right. This was ridiculous. I started it all the night before, and I should have the balls to nip this in the bud then. If I did, maybe things wouldn't get worse…I didn't know if I could handle that yet. "Okay. I lied. I've lied a lot. Bryce, Corrigan and I never slept together—"

"Well, we did." Corrigan coughed and jumped up, but regret flared in his eyes a second later. He pulled at his shirt collar and mumbled something underneath his throat.

I looked at Bryce and a part of me leapt in my throat. He looked hurt, suspicious, and hopeful all at the same time. I wanted to hurt him the night before. I still wanted to do that, but when I saw the hope, it flared in me too. What'd I said to Denton had been true. No matter the situation, I knew I'd always love Bryce. "We both got drunk and passed out. I woke up and thought Corrigan was you. We kissed—"

"I thought she was a girl that I took home the night before. I was out of it too."

"We stopped right away. I realized it wasn't you." I rushed out the explanation even though I knew it wasn't enough, and then I waited to see how he'd react to the truth. I hoped that he'd know it was the truth.

"So you didn't have sex?" Bryce scratched his head. The movement lifted his hooded sweatshirt up and gave me a glimpse of his six pack. I missed those muscles. I missed feeling them against my ribcage as he thrust…

"You told him we had sex?" Corrigan shot upwards. "Are you trying to get my ass broken?"

"I thought you knew. Why do you keep glaring at me?"

"Because you didn't tell me where you went. I'd understand if you didn't tell Bryce since he dicked around on you, but me? Why not tell me?! You should know guy code. You're more guy than me sometimes."

"I didn't dick around on her."

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want anyone to know. You'd tell Bryce and everyone knows it." I frowned and folded my arms over my chest.

"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Bryce waved his hands in the air and stepped between us.

Corrigan rolled his eyes. "You're the reason for this whole thing."

Bryce's eyes got wide. "Me? How the hell am I to blame? I was just told that the girl I love had sex with my best friend and then told that it'd been a lie."

"This is from before. You neglected Sheldon in Spain. You know it. Just admit it for once. I stepped up to the plate because you weren't doing a thing."

"Oh come on. I wasn't that bad—"

"She was drowning!" Corrigan yelled. "You did nothing. You should've been the first one to do something."

"I was working. What'd you expect from me?"

Corrigan surged forward with his fist raised. The air felt thick again. "I expect you to hold your girlfriend at night when she's screaming instead of watching soccer tapes. Maybe something like that? You're a douche for what you did!"

Bryce opened his mouth and frustration flashed over his face. Then he shut down. His shoulders slumped. "You're right. I know you're right. I—I…" He looked at me, and I saw the remorse in his eyes. They were the beautiful blue ones again; the ones that made me melt so many times. I took a small breath and couldn't look away.

Corrigan looked at both of us and sighed. "Things have sucked between us three. I'm tired of it. You two need to talk and get on the right page. When you're not, I get affected too. I'm sick of that too." He said to Bryce, "We cool?"

Bryce nodded and held out a fist. Corrigan hit it with his own and chucked an arm around my shoulders. As he pulled me tight into his side, he flashed me a smile. "Let's go back and you two can get all hot and heavy. Then all this awkwardness is done."

If only it were that easy.

"What's wrong?"

I looked up and saw they were both watching me. Bryce's gaze was hooded while Corrigan's was pleading. "What?"

Corrigan squeezed my shoulders. "You sighed. What's the problem now?"

"Now?" I laughed, but it was bitter. It had grown cold in the room, and I started to shiver, so I tried to hug myself. "It doesn't get erased like that. It's not that easy. You can't make him apologize and suddenly have everything be fine and dandy."

Although, I wanted that so much.

Corrigan frowned. "Why not? I forgave you just now."

"It's different, and you know it. You don't want to deal with it. He was with her. He's still with her!"

Corrigan whirled to Bryce. "Still? What the hell are you thinking? I thought you said it was over as soon as it started?"

Bryce looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

I held my breath. My heart sounded like it was in my ears and my chest felt tight, as if someone was leaning their whole weight on it. My knees trembled. I turned away because a part of me didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to be there any longer, but I still saw them in the window. It'd grown so dark outside.