I swallow hard. “Lane and Sadie have been breaking your rule,” I say, forcing the words out. “Hooking up behind your back.”
Sadie gasps and the sound wrecks me.
“Wesley,”she whispers softly, and there’s a pain in her voice that I’ll never forgive myself for.
Lane mutters something under his breath that I can’t make out. Emmett blows out a low whistle.
My eyes stay locked on Dad.
“Is that so?” he asks evenly.
I nod once, waiting for his disapproving lecture—but it doesn’t come.
Instead, he sighs deeply. “Under different circumstances, I’d thank you for telling me. But someone already beat you to it, son.”
The ground disappears beneath me. Sadie and I both whip our heads to Emmett.
He immediately drops his fork and throws up his hands. The clattering echoes through the room. “It wasnotme. I fucking swear it. I told you, Idon’tbreak promises.”
Sadie’s eyes fill with tears.
If I’d just kept my fucking mouth shut, she wouldn’t be crying right now.
Landon and Lydia are the only other people who knew. Land’s not the type to get involved with drama or gossip, so it couldn’t have been him, and Lydia wouldn’t betray Sadie like that.
“Who?” I ask, my voice harsher than I intended.
Lane reaches over and grabs hold of Sadie’s hand. Out in the open. Right in front of Dad. Like it’s no big deal.
I can’t bring myself to look away, even though I have no right.
I’m the one who pushed her away. I’m the one who told her not to get the wrong idea. It still doesn’t stop the fucking ache.
“I told him,” Lane says, gently squeezing her hand. “After that first night I asked you to dance.”
She looks up at him. A single tear breaks free, spilling down her cheek.
“He’s being humble,” Dad says with a chuckle. “This boy came pounding on my door in the middle of the night confessing to everything. Said he kissed her and wanted to ask permission to date her properly. I told him yes.”
Sadie’s breath catches. My ears ring.
Heknew.
This whole time, I thought I was doing the right thing. Why hadn’tIjust gone to my dad the moment I felt the slightest possibility of there being something between us?
Because I’m a fool, that’s why.
Lane knew the risk of losing his job, and he told Dad anyway.
Is he a bad guy? Or am I just desperate to find a fatal flaw?
Still doesn’t excuse what he said in the bunkhouse. That shit is unforgivable.
Sadie turns to Lane, her voice barely there. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Got caught up in the fun of sneaking around,” he says, grinning at her. “I thought I had more time and you were goingto wait untilafterdessert, but then you went rogue and Wesley decided to narc.” He glares at me. “Dick move, by the way.”
My throat burns.
