Kate shook her head. “Unfortunately, no,” she responded. “I’ve never had the luxury of almost falling into an unplanned threesome if that’s what you meant.”
Kate wasn’t intending to sprinkle her statement with stinging sarcasm, but it came out that way on its own. She knew Devlin picked up her growing disapproval because he placed his beer down, wrapped an arm around her, and turned very serious.
“And why do you think that is?”
Kate scoffed, a knee-jerk reaction. “Trust issues, I suppose,” she began. “My parents got divorced when I was really young, so that planted something in me that made me learn to distrust people who claimed they would love you forever.”
Water crashed against the shore while birds flew in the sky to their nests for the night.
“Uh-huh,” Devlin said, encouraging her to go on. “Tell me more.”
“Well ...” She tried to continue, not looking him in the eye. “They moved me around a lot when they found new partners. And then, when they had more kids, I felt cast aside. That’s a feeling that really sticks with you.”
At first, Kate was impressed by how closely Devlin had been listening to her. He had quickly changed his demeanor from frat-party-playboy to indulging boyfriend, but that mirage merely lasted a few moments before he opened his mouth.
“Well, at least you were able to get double the gifts,” he said, smiling at her. “Two families mean more presents on birthdays and Christmas, right?”
Kate felt her face run hot, her rage surging through her body like lava moving through a volcano. She gripped the glass of her beverage harder, knowing that the alcohol was most definitely enhancing the sensation of her anger. It had that effect on her, and she was smart enough to realize it.
She put the drink on the table next to them, then crossed her arms over her chest. She looked over the horizon, trying to figure out what to say next without losing her shit.
Devlin put a hand on her shoulder and began caressing it. “What’s wrong?” he said, sounding nervous.
“Is that really how you’re going to respond to me?” she said, snapping at him. “When someone shares something with you that is clearly difficult, you tell them it wasn’t that bad because you got a bunch more gifts?”
Devlin removed his hand from her shoulder and leaned back in the booth. The drunken look had faded away, and he was looking strikingly sober. “I was just trying to cheer you up,” he said softly. “I’m sorry if that offended you.”
Kate scoffed at him and then turned away, edging her body away from his outstretched hand. They sat there for a few moments in awkward silence, the joyous laughter and banter of the other guests sitting between them like a giant log.
Kate couldn’t see anything else in her mind but the shallowness of his response. That, mixed with all of the stories he’d told her throughout the night, made her fear that she had made a mistake in making a deal with someone of that caliber.
Someone that couldn’t see the pain she was in and had been in for most of her life.
“Is this going to count towards your four-date plan?” she asked, facing away from him. She saw him in her peripheral vision shrug, which only made her angrier.
“Sure,” he said casually.
Kate promptly stood, wrapping a towel over her generous cleavage. She suddenly felt exposed and uncomfortable with Devlin, despite having spent most of the day together, running their hands up and down each other’s bodies.
“Then you just blew your first chance,” she hissed at him. “Take me home.”
Devlin looked away sadly but was not injured. There was a part of her that wanted to injure him, and she didn’t enjoy recognizing it.
“I will do that now, then,” he said softly.
They moved through the party, with a few of Devlin’s friends speaking to him briefly, wondering where he was going. He also used his silver tongue on them, informing them that he had to work the next day. Once those charades were over, they got into his car and drove to her apartment.
The silence was deafening, the hurt and confusion palpable. Devlin sat on the opposing side of the car, staring out the window.
They were still in their swimwear and could have gotten changed before leaving, but Kate wanted to get back home and assess what had happened as soon as possible. Her mind was splitting with frustration, combined with a semblance of guilt, which were the perfect opposing entities that could collide into an atomic catastrophe.
“Kate,” he said suddenly.
She, too, had been peering out the window, battling two dichotomous feelings. “Yes?” she said.
“If it means anything at all, I am sorry,” he responded. “I thought our date was going well. Perhaps I reacted in a way that was too lighthearted.”
Kate had the urge to forgive him right then and there, to jump into his arms and tell him that he was fine, that she wanted him more than the moon wanted the stars.