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Of course, all of the wonderful things I’d been experiencing lately should have been a clue that something was about to go awry.
They weren’t.
I was oblivious and so caught up in how much my life had changed for the better that I didn’t stop to think for one second that I might wind up losing it all.
And it all started when Deanna came back in the middle of her break and burst into tears.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” I asked, moving toward her.
“It’s over. It’s officially over,” she cried when I pulled her into a hug.
I had a feeling I knew precisely what this was about. “Did something happen with Lance?” I asked.
She nodded against my shoulder.
“Tell me what’s going on,” I urged her.
Deanna pulled back, looked at me with her red, splotchy face, and said, “It’s over. He doesn’t want me anymore.”
My heart broke for her, and I turned around to find Cam close by. “Hey, Cam, do you mind if I take a break now?”
Cam’s eyes slid to Deanna before they shifted back to me. He shook his head. “No. Go handle that.”
Deanna hadn’t hidden the details of what was happening in her personal life. I wasn’t surprised that Cam took one look at her and came to the conclusion that this wasn’t good. Not only was it bad for Deanna, but it wasn’t exactly ideal to have a crying waitress working on the floor.
So, while Cam, Ernie, and Kelly held down the fort, I’d ushered Deanna away from the bar and any prying eyes. I guided her down the hall that led toward the back door, and when we were just a few feet away from the rear exit, I asked, “What happened?”
Deanna burst into tears again and cried, “He’s cheating on me.”
“What?”
“He didn’t want time away to figure out if he was ready to take the next step. He just wanted to have the freedom to fuck someone else.”
My heart was breaking. Deanna’s voice was a mix of anger and hurt, and I felt absolutely horrible for her.
“He came out and told you this?” I questioned her.
She shook her head.
Confused, my brows knit together, and I pressed, “So, how do you know?”
Deanna reached into the front of her apron and pulled out her phone. After tapping on the screen a few times, she held it out to me and said, “I saw this while I was on my break.”
On the display was a photo of a two people. A girl, looking right at the camera and smiling brightly while the guy had his face buried in her neck where he was kissing her. I didn’t know either of these people, obviously, but I had the feeling that Deanna did.
I mean, the guy’s face wasn’t even showing, so I didn’t know how anyone could say who it was.
Then again, I had to imagine that if I saw a picture like this with Jesse doing precisely what this guy was, I’d know it was him. I’d studied his features many times, and I’d recognize him anywhere. If it had been the underside of his jaw on display, I’d know it.
“Is this him?” I asked.
She nodded. “And in case there’s any question about it being him, just swipe through the next two pictures.”
I did as she suggested and realized where she’d gotten her proof. In the second photo, Lance was kissing the woman’s cheek as she continued to smile at the camera. And in the final photo, his face mirrored hers.
“I’m so, so sorry, Deanna. Where did you find these? Could they possibly be old photos?”
She shook her head. “One of my friends is mutual friends with this girl, and she sent it to me. It was posted on Lance’s new girlfriend’s social media last night.”
