“What the hell is going on here?” Monty shouted as he, Theo and Beau pushed through the crowd.
No, no, no. I didn't want them to find out this way. Not when I had no idea how I was going to explain it all.
“It didn’t mean anything.” Jase yelled at the same time the words “Nash, please, it wasn’t just sex.” left my lips. My lips trembled as tears fell from my eyes, and a knot formed in the pit of my stomach.
The world swam before me, each breath a ragged, painful gasp. I struggled to find solid ground, both literally and figuratively, as the weight of his words threatened to crush me completely. Oh, how I'd misjudged him.
It had all been a lie. His confession about wanting more, to try to be together for the sake of becoming a family. All of it was bullshit. How foolish of me to think, maybe, just maybe, I could give this thing between us a real chance.
“You wanna try again, Jameson? Cause apparently you fooled my sister into thinking it meant more, but now you’re telling me it wasn’t shit?”
Monty shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting to Jase. Disappointment was visible in his expression, and it hurt me more than anything else. Monty was like a father to me. He’d taken me in when he didn’t have to, put me through school and even helped me start my business.
Most of all, I was heartbroken by the indifference in his voice as he spoke. “Jase, what the fuck is Nash talking about?” Monty asked, but Jase could not respond before Bailey suddenly appeared, sensing what was about to unfold.
“Nash, what the hell is this?” she asked, worry etched onto her face. This was getting worse by the second.
Jase’s eyes flicked from Nash to Bailey’s hand upon his shoulder. “You are one to fucking talk, Nash,” Jase answered, completely ignoring both Monty and Bailey’s questions.
By now, everyone knew Nash and Bailey were together. The kiss he’d given her earlier today when he picked her up from her house was obviously their soft-launch. And according to the look on Jase’s face, he wasn’t happy about it. What a hypocrite.
Jase let out a sharp laugh that sounded almost vindictive. “Fucking my sister right in front of my eyes, again. I guess it’s my fault, right? I’m the one who practically forced you to live with her.”
The rest of their exchange faded into a muffled sound I couldn't understand. It felt as if I was underwater, unable to breathe or hear clearly what they shouted back and forth. Pressure built in my chest, mirroring the increasing distortion of their faces as the world warped around me.
My brother’s voice was the first to register after my moment of panic. “I’m talking about the fact that Monroe is pregnant with Jase’s baby. That your brother fucked my sister because I fucked you.”
“Fuck you, Nash,” Bailey cried out, broken by my brother’s harsh words. “Don’t try to belittle what happened between them the way you did with us.”
I reached for my best friend and wrapped an arm around her, feeling the way her chest heaved as she tried to force back tears. “No,” I said, unable to recognize my voice.
“Don't worry, B. Jameson took care of doing that all on his own.”
My murderous glare found Jase, his brows furrowed, hiding a deep helplessness in his blue eyes. He’d lied to me. All of it. Everything he'd said that night outside the bar when he helplessly begged me to give things a shot, to give him a chance at proving he wanted to be with me, was nothing but lies.
Now, amid all the pressure from my brother and the rest of the world finding out, he isn’t brave enough to make his wants heard.
“Monroe, please,” he pleaded, reaching for me, but Nash pushed him back.
“Don’t you fucking touch her! You’ve done enough.”
Jase's mocking laughter echoed around us. “You were gone for ten years. You hurt her on purpose for so long, and you think I’m the villain here?”
“You wanna talk about that, Jase? Since we’re all gathered here reminiscing about the past. Wanna tell them why I left?”
“What is he talking about, Jase?” Bailey’s eyes shot wide as tears threatened to come out.
Jase’s face paled, his mouth tightening into a firm line. “Nothing. Just another lie, I’m sure.”
Nash was so far gone in his fit of fury, I was truly terrified about what was about to occur. Especially since this debacle had drawn an entire crowd around us now.
“You're telling me you forgot how you told me to leave? Wait, I mean threatened with telling your daddy about what you saw the night Bailey snuck out of my room?”
Jase didn’t bother denying it. “You used my pitiful threat as an excuse to leave because you wanted to, Nash. You could have fought back, but you didn’t. You took the coward's way out and left.”
“Like you’re trying to do, leaving Monroe to fend for herself.”
Jase’s gaze met mine, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but he had to decide if that’s what he wanted. Did he want to salvage our relationship by admitting he wanted us to be together, or was his friendship with my brother and the promise to stay away from me more important?
