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The words hit me square in the chest, and for a second, all I can do is stare at him. I want to scream. I want to grab him and shake him and demand to know why he’s doing this to me.

Instead, I scoff, my voice shaking. “You’re getting married tomorrow. What the hell do you still need me for?”

“I don’t know!” he yells, his voice cracking as he looks at me like he’s already lost me. “I don’t fucking know, Xed. But I know that without you, none of it means a goddamn thing.”

My throat burns, and my hands clench at my sides as I fight to hold it together. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to break me, and then come crawling back when you’re feeling guilty. That’s not how this works.”

“I’m not trying to—"

“You already did.” My voice is quieter now, shaking with the weight of everything I can’t say. “You broke me, Matty. And there’s no coming back from that.”

I was so wrong when I thought that time and space would make getting over him hurt less. I’ll never get over Matthew. The only way to take away the pain is to cut the cord.

“I hope she makes you happy,” I whisper, getting back on the bike as Devon takes his place in front of me, thumbing the throttle.

The engine roars to life, and I glance back once—just once—to see him standing there, shoulders slumped, looking more lost than I’ve ever seen him.

For a moment, I almost jump off the bike.

Almost.

But then Devon guns the engine, speeding off into the night, and I bury my face into his back as he takes me away from the man who holds my heart in his bleeding hands.

Since my shit was still at the house, I had Devon stop there so I could grab it before we headed back to his motel for the night.

The house is dark, the driveway empty, and everyone is either on the beach preparing for tomorrow or off doing their own thing, so it’s quiet when we slip inside. One of Hannah’s shoes is on the stairs—a purple one with lights on the bottom—and my throat tightens as I move it aside. I planned to leave for Utah in the morning, but I’ll have to stop by and say goodbye. I wish she were here so I could just hold her for a bit. Soon, she’ll be too old to want snuggles, and I’m missing it all. It’s not fair.

When I step onto the landing to make my way toward Matty’s room, Valerie’s voice rings out from the loft, and I pause. Maybe Hannah’s here, after all? I turn toward the stairs leading up, Devon trailing behind me, and we both freeze when another voice joins the mix.

“Yeah, you like that, dirty girl?”

Slapping noises echo in the stairwell, skin hitting skin, the unmistakable smell of sex and sweat. We slowly creep up further until the bed comes into view, and my jaw drops when I spot Val bent over, Tyson taking her from behind. He’s got her hair wrapped around a fist, pounding into her as she moans his name, and fury lances through my veins.

“Holy shit,” Devon whispers, pulling out his phone to record right as I jump into view.

“What in the actual fuck are you doing?!”

Valerie screams, scrambling off the bed as Tyson covers his junk, and Dev has to physically hold me back from launching at the both of them.

“We thought no one was here!” She wails, quickly pulling on her clothes as Tyson does the same, his face twisted in anger

“Get the fuck out of my room.”

Ignoring him, I round on Valerie, hate for her so deep it sears my insides. “Seriously, Val? You’re marrying my best friend tomorrow, what the fuck?”

“Oh, please,” she scoffs, running trembling fingers through her knotted strands. “You haven’t been his friend in over a year. Don’t kid yourself.”

“My relationship with Matty isn’t the problem here,” I bite out. “I’m not the one cheating on my future husband!”

“We both know you wish that’s what he was.” Smirking, a cruel glint sparks in her eyes as she steps toward me. “You wish he were marrying you instead of me, don’t you?”

Never have I ever wanted to smack a girl before, but this bitch is seriously testing my patience.

Devon’s body heat warms my side as he steps up beside me, and a side glance tells me that he’s got his phone pressed into his side, still recording. “I doubt he’ll want to chain himself to you after hearing you’ve been knockin’ boots with his best man.”

Tyson laughs harshly, zipping up his pants. “Who do you think he’s gonna believe? His best friend and fiance, or the guy that couldn’t handle getting dumped by him?”

My skin heats so fast I swear I’m steaming, bile rising in my throat. Thankfully, Devon keeps his phone hidden as I glare at Val.