An ocean of possibilities swims across my mind, all jumbled and confirming my worst fears. Each worse than the one before.
My fists tighten as the rage at this betrayal courses through my veins. The hurt I experienced years before because of Jenna’s cheating resurges, almost weakening my knees enough to buckle right here on their door.
Nevertheless, this blond dude should’ve paid heed to my threat. Rushing forward, I extricate his hands from my woman and grab the collar of his shirt, yanking him to me.
“Ezra, hey! Stop it!” Kaeli calls out and tugs at my hands, putting herself in between us and pushing us apart as I stagger on my feet.
I don’t want to believe she could do something like this to me. Not after knowing everything about what I’ve been through. So, I lock my eyes with her, and ask only once, “Are you cheating on me? Did you bring me here to break up with me?”
I desperately want her to say no, but her reaction leaves me all out of sorts.
Kaeli bursts out laughing, and the dude with adeath wish follows.
Bending over her waist, she holds on to him, and he slings his arm over her shoulders.
I clench my jaw, my eyes bouncing between those two like they’ve grown two heads. And they almost bug out when they do a high-five, and Kaeli gives a hundred-dollar bill to the dude who pockets it.
What the fuck? They’re betting on me? Why?
I’m running out of patience. “Kaeli.” The warning in my tone does nothing to dissuade her.
“Give me one second, sorry,” she wheezes between her bouts of laughter. “I know…IknowI shouldn’t, but—”
I drag a frustrated hand through my hair and then cross my hands at my chest, while my foot incessantly taps on the cement ground beneath me.
When she finally feels like she can breathe, she straightens and clears her throat. “Roman, meet Ezra, my boyfriend,” she introduces me, her hand outstretched in my direction.
My teeth grind to powder when she puts her hand on his torso, but I stay put. “And Ezra, meet Roman.”
What a pretentious fucking name!
“My brother.” I think I heard her wrong.
My hands drop to my side as I blink at her. “Sorry, who?” I ask her to repeat herself.
“My brother, darling,” she chirps, barely holding back her smile as she bites into her lower lip.
My eyes widen in horror when the derivation of it all draws on me. I stumble back, glancing between those two. There’s hardly any resemblance, and the contrasting shade of their hair colors didn’t help either. I never would’ve guessed.
Fuck!
I bend over my waist, planting my hands on my knees, wishing the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I rub a palm over my face when I finally muster enough dignity to stand and look him in the eyes.
I step forward and outstretch my hand, “Nice to meet you, Roman.”
He snickers but clasps my hand nonetheless. “Only because I’m her brother. Remember that call? I had to tell Kaeli about that terrific and rather scary guy who picked up her phone.”
I wince, my face heating up. “Yeah, not myfinest moment.”
“You don’t say.” He arches an incredulous eyebrow at me.
“You’re never gonna let me live it down, are you?” I ask with the shake of my head.
Roman’s golden retriever smile widens at that as he pats my shoulder. “Not if I can help it.”
“Will you keep hounding the poor boy or let him in?” A mature, feminine voice calls out from the small porch of the house.
I move my gaze to the owner of the voice and find a woman old enough to be their mother at the door, standing with a pleasant smile.
