I grabbed her arm and steadied her. “I’m asking as a favor…to me.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her nostrils flared a moment later.
“Please.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re going to defend her. I know your beliefs, and there’s no way you’re okay with this.”
If it was true, no. I wouldn’t be okay with it. “How long ago did this happen?”
“Like eight months ago.”
I couldn’t hide my reaction, because that was the exact time we met. I’d assumed this happened years ago…but it didn’t.
“I really like Jake, and I don’t feel comfortable letting her into my home after what she did to him.”
I should just let her go, let her do whatever she wanted. This wasn’t my mess to clean up. “Valerie, I’ve never asked you for anything, but I’m asking this of you. One-time favor, alright?”
Her breathing remained quick and harsh, and as the silence continued, it intensified. “Oh my god…you’re fucking her.”
“No.”
“You liar—”
“I’m in love with her.” I didn’t have any other tool at my disposal. I had no other leverage to fix this. This was my only option since Valerie was so adamant. Valerie would either be compassionate…or spiteful.
Her eyes widened at the revelation, like she couldn’t believe what I’d just said. We’d been married for five years, and every time she’d told me she loved me, I responded with detached silence. I told her I was incapable of feeling that way. So, this was significant.
“If you say something, she’ll lose her job.”
She pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head. “Wow…”
“I know—”
“How can you possibly love her when you never loved me?”
Because it was no contest. “It just happened…”
“How long has this been going on?”
I didn’t want to answer because it was none of her business, but I was at her mercy right now. “A few months…”
“So, you lied to me? I asked you if you were sleeping with her—”
“And that was the truth—at the time.”
She pressed her lips tightly together again, furious. “How can you possibly defend her after everything I just told you? There’s no way you knew, because if you did, you wouldn’t be with her.”
She had me there. “Because I know Cleo, and I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“What?” she asked incredulously.
“I’m going to talk to her before I assume anything. There’re two sides to every story.”
“Wow.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot. Of course she’s going to lie—”
“Jake could have lied.”
“He has no reason to. She does.” She tightened her arms over her chest. “And they slept together a few months ago.”
Now, I got punched in the gut—hard. “What?”
“He said they hooked up a few months ago.”
I couldn’t keep a straight face anymore.
“You didn’t know about that either.” Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked into mine, like she actually felt bad for me. “I was your wife, the mother of your child, but you didn’t love me. But you love someone you don’t even know…” She pushed my arm down and opened the door. “That’s just sad, Deacon.”
I couldn’t fight her anymore. Couldn’t stop her.
Because I was broken.
Twelve
Cleo
At the end of the day when I was the last person in the office, I took the elevator to Deacon’s residence. My feet were sore from running around in heels all day, and my ass was sore from hustling all over the place. All I wanted was a quiet night with Deacon, to have dinner and a glass of wine, to go to sleep in his big bed afterward.
He was my favorite part of the whole day.
I knocked before I let myself inside.
Most of the lights were off except a couple lamps. Deacon was on the couch, in his sweatpants and t-shirt, his elbows on his thighs with his chin slightly tilted to the floor. The energy in the room was weird, like he’d had a terrible day.
I shut the door behind me. “What’s wrong?”
He was quiet, his eyes on the floor.
I set my purse on the table and moved to his lap, to sit on him like I did in his office.
But he rose to his feet instead, stepping away and rejecting my affection.
He’d never done that before. “Deacon?”
He took a few steps before he turned around, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes still on the floor.
“Deacon?” I repeated. When he did say anything, I started to get scared. I’d seen him angry before, but he had never been like this. My paranoia started to get to me, but I rejected it, knowing it was so unlikely that Jake would have told Valerie anything. But the longer the silence I continued, the more I started to worry. “Deacon?”
He raised his chin and finally looked at me.
And he looked like a whole different man.
Now, I was fucking terrified, breathing hard, my fingertips numb.
“You slept with Jake Patterson?”