"Did she ever give the impression she would cheat?"
I narrow my eyes. "Cheaters don't advertise it."
"Sure, but you know her better than I do."
"I suppose… no. If anything, she seemed eager to be with me all the time."
"But you told her the truth about you. I got shot. She was nearly killed. And you saw a picture that confirmed your fears and you went full on bull in a fucking china shop rather than taking a breath." Ethan tsks under his breath. "You're hopeless. And from where I'm sitting, Zangier definitely benefits from this."
"How?"
"Well, for one, it makes him seem incredibly loyal to you, doesn't it? Something that only works in his favor, considering our search for a leak."
That makes a painful amount of sense and I groan. "Shit. But the picture is still real." I point at Ethan. "That'sreal."
"So ask her. And hope she tells you the truth."
Ethan's right.
Annoyingly.
After hugging him to ensure he's really there and not a drunken hallucination, I grab some coffee from the kitchen and slowly climb the stairs to the bedroom.
I yelled at Rose and told her I was sending her back to her father, and at that moment it felt like the best thing I could do because I was so angry.
I half expect her to slam the door in my face, but to my surprise, when I walk into the bedroom, she's on the bed with her teary face in her hands and one suitcase half-packed.
"Rose."
Her head snaps up. Tears stain her cheeks, and her skin is pale, but her cheeks flush red when she sees me. "Kon!" She's on her feet instantly. "Please, Kon. Don't hurt Calvin! He hasn't done anything wrong, you have to believe me! Do what you want with me but please don't hurt him!"
"Why?" I ask quietly. "Because you love him?"
Her face twists as she starts toward me, then she shakes her head and presses one hand to her abdomen as if it will help keep her together. "No, Kon. Because he loves you. He's loyal to you and he doesn't deserve this, okay! It's all my fault."
"Are you having an affair?"
"No! Kon, I swear! I swear on everything I have, everything I am! I'm not having an affair!"
"But this picture is real, Rose. It is not fake." My heart clenches as if caught in a cage. "Explain them to me."
"I…" She gasps softly and gazes at me while tears roll down her cheeks. "I-I can't."
"Cannot? Or will not?"
Her red lips press together and she barely stifles a sob. "Kon… please."
"Rose… I came here because I realized I may have overreacted. And for that, I am sorry. But you kissed him. Another man. My friend. And you refuse to tell me the truth. You refuse to let me in. So affair or no affair, I cannot be with or around someone that I cannot trust."
25
ROSE
The truth.
Kon deserves the truth.
The whole truth.
