“Call Ethan,” I manage to whisper, and Max looks at me, confused. But calls him anyway.
Thank God.
I clutch on to Max, holding him tightly, letting his scent calm this raging feeling of rejection and hurt.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, and now, I don’t know what’s about to happen.
My heat is here, and everything is fucked.
CHAPTER 23
The drive to my house is like I’m on autopilot. As soon as I walked in on them, I just tossed everything into my bag and ran out of there.
The only reason I went in the room in the first place was because I could scent Sloane and was wondering if she was waiting for me to get back from my game to surprise me.
Well, I was surprised but definitely not in a good way.
I didn’t know I could feel hurt the way I’m experiencing right now. There’s an ache in my chest that feels like it might swallow me whole.
How could I be the only one in this relationship feeling this way? How could she do this?
She promised that she would tell me if she was interested in someone else. Why would she fuck Max? Let alone at the goddamn stadium?
Is this what she was hiding from me since the charity gala? I saw her talking to him, but it didn’t seem like they were anything beyond friends. Is that why she was asking me why I hated Max? Because she’s been sleeping with him too?
There’s such a deep feeling of betrayal that I’m not sure if I can work past this.
Even if she had told me she was interested in Max, I’m not sure if it would work out. At least not in any conventional sense.
I need to breathe and have space to process everything.
I’m in love with her, and the idea that she was with him hurts more than anything I’ve ever felt before.
My phone is vibrating in my pocket. Ethan has called four times, probably trying to rationalize this bullshit. Fuck, did he know too?
I toss my bag on the floor as I sit on my couch and stare at the blank glaring screen of my TV.
How did I get here?
I thought I was being an attentive, good Alpha for Sloane. She told me I was a good man and that she missed me.
But then I found her knotted with a man who’s also left me with this similar gaping feeling in my chest.
What’s wrong with me that no one wants to stay?
Why am I not enough?
My phone continues buzzing, and I put it on silent, Just sitting and stewing, trying to make some sense out of it all.
I’m not sure how long I sit here, not even changing out of my clothes from the plane ride, when there’s a loud banging at my door.
I look through the glass pane and see Ethan standing on my front step. I sigh and consider telling him to fuck off, but some soft part of me opens the door.
Ethan presses the door, pushing it open and entering my space.
“Why aren’t you answering the fucking phone?” he questions.
“You know why.”
