“I ran into James tonight,” I tell her as I stop pacing.
“Okay…”
“He was outside of Arlo’s restaurant, waiting to be picked up.”
“And?”
“A car pulled up, and he went to get in…” She eyes me as I speak, and I know I’m about to break her heart, but I continue anyway. “Curious about who was picking him up, I leaned down to see into the car, and I saw a woman there. I then proceeded to introduce myself.” Delaney’s face is white, but she doesn’t interrupt me. “She told me she was his wife.”
“She’s dead,” Delaney says, shaking her head.
Just then, her phone starts to vibrate. We both turn at the sound, then she picks it up to see who it is. “It’s James.”
“His name is Rylas,” I tell her. She needs to know the truth.
“What?”
“She called him Rylas.” I take the phone from her hand and reject the call. “Don’t answer it.”
She gives me a helpless, pain-filled look before dropping onto the couch, then tucking her feet in and hugging her legs. I hate seeing her hurt in any capacity, and to know this was done by a man, I want to tear open his insides and check if he really does have a heart.
“He lied to me,” she says quietly, and my heart breaks at her words.
“He did.” I sit next to her and take her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe she meant she was someone else’s wife.”
“No, it was his wife. He was wearing a wedding ring.”
“Maybe I should call him and see what he has to say.”
“Don’t, Delaney. Don’t let that man have any more of you.”
She starts to cry, and I pull her in and hug her.
Her phone keeps vibrating, and we both ignore it as I rock her in my arms.
I’m woken abruptly by the sound of Delaney screaming. Rubbing my eyes, I get off the couch and find her at the door, her hands waving around in circles. I peer over her shoulder to see James, I mean Rylas, standing there pleading with her. That is, until he notices me.
“You,” he growls. “You’re lying to her.”
“Am I?”
“Cora doesn’t lie to me, James.”
“His name is Rylas,” I remind them unnecessarily.
“James is my middle name,” he admits, which makes Delaney glare at him.
“I found your wife on social media,” I inform him. “You have children together. Do you let your kids know you fuck other women besides their mother?”
“How dare you. You think just because Arlo is fucking you, that you can talk to me like that?” he blusters.
“What the fuck does he have to do with anything? I am talking to you this way because you are a cheating asshole who thinks he can have two different lives. You knew Delaney wanted marriage, and you lied, cheated, and God knows what else.” I throw my hands up in the air and shake my head in disgust. Turning to Delaney, I say, “Shut the door in his lying face.”
“She doesn’t listen to you,” James yells.
But Delaney does listen to me.
