What did they do?
What didhedo?
The bathroom is too small. The walls are closing in, and I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't?—
"Jade?"
Devon's voice is closer now, at the bottom of the stairs.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. The woman looking back at me has hollow eyes and the same goddamn expression I had on our anniversary when I saw him in Mila's bathroom.
Stupid. I am sofuckingstupid.
"Jade, are you okay up there?"
No. I am not okay, you cheating, lying fuck!
I set his phone down exactly where I found it. My hands are shaking so badly I nearly drop it twice. Then I turn on the shower, letting the water run hot until steam fills the room.
I need to think and figure out what to do with this information before I confront him, because if I go down there now, I will destroy everything. I will scream and throw things and demand answers he'll twist.
He's been lying since New York.
The water scalds my skin when I step under it, but I barely feel it. I’m numb everywhere except my chest, where it feels like a gorge is splitting me open.
It didn't feel like a mistake. Not to me.
I press my palm against the tile and let the tears come.
Of course it fucking wasn’t—that bitch has wanted my man to herself for years.
This morning, I woke up thinking wemightbe okay.
And now this.
Devon is still downstairs, probably burning pancakes again, probably congratulating himself on fixing things with his wife, for duping her into believing himso easily.
He doesn't know I've seen the message—because he hasn’t even seen it himself.
He doesn't know that everything he's fought to keep hidden is about to come crashing down. He clearly wasn’t expecting her to text him, or he would never have left his phone lying around, would he?
Or did he assume I’d just continue being the stupid little wife that believes everything he says? That I wouldn’t bother snooping?
I turn off the water and stand dripping onto the floor.
I have two choices. Confront him now and watch him lie again. Or wait until I have more—until I can corner him with the truth he can't escape.
The anger is a living thing inside me now, slithering around my bones, feeding on every memory of him sayingnothing happened.
I grab a towel and wrap it around myself.
Then I walk downstairs to eat pancakes with the man who is still lying to me.
Chapter Fifteen
DEVON
Breakfast is…odd.
