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“You okay, Stella?”
I nodded, even though my stomach was still in knots.
“Is that the first time Denise has spoken to you like that?” he questioned.
I shook my head.
He muttered a word under his breath that I wasn’t allowed to say, then brushed his thumb against his nose before looking at me. His eyes watered, and he sniffled.
“I’m sorry I made you sad, Kevin,” I told him.
“No. No, you didn’t, sweetheart.” He pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead. “It’s my fault, you know. I’m sorry I even brought that woman into our house. I guess I’ve just been searching for something in the wrong people.”
“What are you searching for?” I asked.
He parted his mouth as if he was going to talk but then closed it fast. He had something to say, but still, he didn’t say it. Instead, he replied, “How about we go get some dinner? Just you and me?”
“Maybe Grams, too?”
He smiled. “Yes, of course. Her too.”
22
Stella
Present Day
“You can’t be serious,”Jeff remarked, standing flabbergasted after I broke things off with him. “After all I’ve done for you, you have the nerve to break up with me?”
“All you’ve done for me? Jeff, you’ve cheated on me for three years with my coworker. You’ve lied straight to my face. And heaven knows who else you’ve been sleeping with.”
“So, I make one mistake, and you throw me to the curb?”
One mistake? Was he serious? A mistake was burning a pizza, not repeatedly screwing my friend. That wasn’t a mistake—that was a choice. One he felt very confident in making.
Thinking back on all the times the three of us were together, I felt like a fool. I’d been overthinking if there were any signs that they were sneaking behind my back. Clearly, there had to have been, seeing as Damian was so quick to pick up on the scandal.
I wished I’d been able to read people as he had. I would’ve probably saved myself a lot of heartache.
“This isn’t a one mistake thing. You betrayed me,” I explained.
He rolled his eyes. “Give me a break, Stella. This whole good girl act is exhausting. I’ve been nothing but good to you. I’ve put up with your emotions for ten damn years. I’ve dealt with your massive weight gain and still screwed you. I dealt with your weird obsession with talking to the ocean like a freak and listened to your stupid dreams. I’ve supported you! And then you have enough nerve to throw me to the side like a used puppy as if you’re just this innocent victim?”
But I was…
I was innocent.
I blinked a few times, shaken by his words and insults. Then I cleared my throat. “This place is in my name, and I’ve been covering the bills for it. I’ll need you to move out.”
“Excuse me? No. Okay, slow down. We can work this out. I mean, yes, we were both unfaithful and—”
“We?!” I gasped. “Jeff, I have been nothing but faithful to you.”
“Oh, please, Stella. Stop with the good girl act. You think I’m an idiot? You think I don’t see how you look at Damian? Or hell, how he looks at you? He stares at you like you’re the freaking sun. And you expect me to believe that you two haven’t been screwing this whole time?”
“Uh, yes because we definitely haven’t. I would never do that!” Plus, Damian didn’t look at me like that. He was just a friend.
Jeff pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re a damn liar! You’ve been screwing him from the jump, I’m sure. Because you are weak and can’t deny yourself the temptation. I mean, hell, Stella. You married a man when you had a boyfriend.”
