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My eyes stung, so I tried to blink away the urge to cry. I wasnotgoing to cry, not there, not with Dylan.
“Lana, I’m sorry he lied to—”
“It’s not your problem to be sorry about, Dylan. But thanks.” I put my hands on my thighs, about to get up and leave. But the way Dylan was looking at me kept me in place. “What I can’t really figure out is why he didn’t just tell me he wanted to go out. Why he had to lie to me.”
Dylan looked like he wanted to say a lot of things and didn’t know how to do it.
“It’s okay, Dylan. I’m not asking for an answer. Just thinking out loud.” Then I cleared my throat. “I do have a question for you, though.”
“Okay.” He inhaled through his nostrils and leaned a little closer. “I’ll answer it, if I can.”
“I’m really sorry to put you on the spot, Dylan. It’s not fair, but I have to know.” I watched Dylan’s face carefully as he nodded, his lips pressed tightly together. I swallowed hard and said, “Do you think he’s cheating on me?”
Before the entire sentence was out, Dylan’s face fell.
And I knew. I felt myself start to crumble. I put my hand over my face.
“Lana—”
“That’s ok,” I said, already in tears. “I’m not all that surprised.”
I’d been so foolish to work at our relationship when he clearly didn’t give a shit. I felt humiliated.
I should have gone with my gut and ended things when it started to go downhill. I should have ended it the night he didn’t show up at the diner.
Maybe if I’d had the guts to break up with Todd earlier, things could at least be different between me and Dylan.
What kind of person are you? You’d just jump from one brother to another?
That thought pushed me over the edge. I started sobbing into my hands.
“Hey, Lana.Hey.” Dylan pulled me into his arms and rocked slowly side to side. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything,” he said, as if he had any hand in this.
I pressed myself against him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I let myself cry into his shirt like a little girl.
“He’s an asshole,” Dylan said.
“He is,” I agreed.
“A real butthead,” he added.
“A bug—crumb—” I was trying to call him too many names at once and they got jumbled. “A big crumb pickle,” is what came out.
Dylan snorted. “Okay. A big crumb pickle. With a side of slime.”
I laughed, despite being so upset.
Dylan stroked my hair. “A damn stupid idiot,” he whispered.
Being in Dylan’s arms, even while I was crying over my own messed up guilt and regret, felt so right, I almost forgot myself.
I lifted my face, letting my cheek brush against his chin, to look into his eyes.
His warm brown eyes stared back at mine. His lips parted. It would have been so easy to lean forward, just a little, and press my mouth against his.
And God, I wanted that so much.
But I couldn’t. He was Todd’s brother. Even if the bastard was lying and cheating on me.
