“Looks like everyone’s decided to dredge up ancient history. Guess you better come in then.”
I stepped inside, taking in a faint smell of sawdust. There were no personal touches around the house, no warmth. It reminded me of a home someone lived in but never loved.
He motioned toward a chair but didn’t sit himself, choosing instead to lean against the counter with his arms crossed.
“Who’s been running their mouth?” He raised a finger. “Wait, lemme guess. Was it Wendy?”
“Among others.”
“What others?”
I hesitated, refusing to answer.
“Look,” he said. “If you want me to talk, you need to do a little talking yourself.”
“Fine. I’ve spoken with several people in your old friend circle. The most recent being Vaughn and Tilly.”
He rolled his eyes. “Figures. Let me guess. They painted me as the villain of the group.”
“They painted you as untrustworthy.”
He laughed. “That all? How generous. Bet they didn’t tell you I dated Tilly first.”
No, they did not.
“The affair makes a lot more sense to me now,” I said.
“Back then, when we were dating, I thought everything was fine between us. Next thing I know, she’s dropping me for that jerkoff.”
“Why?”
“Vaughn’s safe and predictable, like a spud with no toppings. And, honey, I have plenty of toppings to go around.”
Gross.
“How did the affair happen?” I asked.
He raised a brow. “How about we stop calling it an affair, like we were married or something, and call it what it was—sex.”
“Fine, how did you two end up having sex?”
“I’m better in the sack than him, for starters. She came to me. Said something about being in love with Vaughn but still missing me. I gave her the best of both worlds. For one night, anyway. She felt so guilty over it, she wouldn’t agree to do it again. Then she got pregnant and lost the kid, as I’m sure you know, since you seem to know everything else. You wanna know what I think?”
“I do.”
“I think she still has feelings for me, even now. Some people don’t forget their biggest mistake, if you know what I mean.”
His comment told me everything I needed to know about how he viewed himself.
“Let’s talk about Anne,” I said. “What do you remember about meeting her?”
He shrugged. “The missing girl? She was polite. Flirty. Talked to all of us.”
“All of you,” I repeated.
“Well, from what I can remember, she spent a lot of time with Vaughn and Gabriel,” he said.
Interesting.
