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My stomach tightens with utter sickness. I wander toward the French doors and watch our father pace behind the glass, cell to his ear. He’s oblivious to the brewing argument in the next room. “I was just a substitute that happened to look exactly like you.”
“That’s not true. She cares about you.”
“She hasn’t let me touch her in months!” I whirl, heartbeat knocking behind my ribcage, and glare at my brother.
My fucking brother, of all people, who fucking betrayed me.
“Why do you think that is, Kade? And don’t you dare tell me nothing’s been going on.”
“You’ve gotta believe me,” he says, an undeniable plea in his tone. “After Monica made her choice, I accepted it.”
“You expect me to believe you haven’t been screwing her all this time?”
“I haven’t, and that’s the truth.”
“If not you, then who? I have a photo that proves she’s been screwing someone. It sure as hell isn’t me.”
“You have a photo?”
“Someone sent it to me two months ago.”
Kaden seems to consider that for a moment. “Mom told me about the affair. I confronted Monica while you were in Oklahoma.”
“Why would you do that?”
“I wanted to hear her side of it.”
“Because you’re in love with her?”
“Because you’re my brother, and I needed to hear it from her.”
The angles of his face are cut from guilt. I read between the lines of his non-denial, but for now, I let it go. “Did she admit it?”
“She told me to mind my own business.”
“That sounds like Monica. She’s been shutting me out for months. I don’t know who she is anymore. Apparently, I don’t know you as well as I thought I did either.”
“I’m still your brother. I swear to God I haven’t touched her since the wedding.”
“Your word doesn’t carry the same weight it did. If I’m to believe everything at face value, then Monica’s been fucking someone else, and you’re still someone I can trust.”
“You can trust me.”
“Then tell me what happened in that parking garage.”
“She called asking if I’d heard from you, but she sounded off, so I went to your place. Found her in the garage loading a duffle into her car.” Kaden’s brows draw together at the memory. “She was a mess, crying, saying shit that didn’t make sense.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“No. She said she needed to get out of town for a while. I tried to stop her from leaving, but she was too upset and wouldn’t listen to me.” Kaden pauses. “Now it’s my turn. Where were you when all of this went down?”
Another heavy beat passes as I twirl my wedding band around my finger. I’d do anything to go back to yesterday when the ring sat abandoned on Jules’ nightstand. For a glorious twenty-four hours, I’d felt free and alive with her. “Where do you think I was?”
Kaden gives a slow nod. “I figured as much.”
“Not that you have the right to judge, but I was about to tell Monica I wanted a divorce.”
“Seriously?”
