“Don’t be mad at her, Dev,” Rose begs me, her cheek against my chest as she clings to me. “She can’t keep secrets and she’s worried about you!”
“Callie did the right thing, Dev,” Luc says as he steps forward and pulls his girlfriend off me, obviously knowing this kind of sympathetic outpouring is exactly what I don’t want. “You should have told us—and your parents, and Jordan, and Cole.”
“It’s not your business,” I reply coldly.
“Youareour business, dumbass,” Luc counters firmly. “We could have helped you.”
I shake my head. “There’s no help needed. It’s fine. We’re working it out.”
They both give me skeptical looks.
“Are you going to counseling?” Rose asks meekly.
“We couldn’t fit it in this week, or last week, but we’ll go soon.”
“Are you fucking around?” Luc asks, and Rose looks just as shocked as I do that he would think he has to ask that.
“Luc, fuck you.”
“It’s not unheard of, Devin. We all know there are girls in every city who throw themselves at professional athletes. If your wife isn’t…”
“Luc!” I snap. “I amnotcheating on my wife.”
“Is she cheating on you?”
“What?!” I seriously want to punch him. “No!”
“Are you sure?” he asks quietly, his tone deadly serious.
I stare at him, anger spreading like hot lava through my body, and then I turn to Rose, who has been suspiciously silent. When I catch her big, dark eyes, she looks away instantly.
“What?” I ask harshly.
Rose continues to look at the pavement. Luc takes a step toward me, his hands buried deep in his pockets and his shoulders slumped forward. “Devin…Callie thinks she saw something when she dropped in on Ash the other day.”
“She doesn’t think,” Rose finally speaks. “Sheknowsshe saw something.”
“Saw what? Where?” I demand, getting frustrated and, if I’m honest, slightly frightened by where this conversation may be going. “Could you two just spit it out, for fuck’s sake? I want to get home and get some rest.”
“When Cal went to your house yesterday, there was a guy there with Ashleigh,” Luc blurts out.
“Who?”
“She didn’t ask,” Rose explains in a strained voice. “Ashleigh told him to leave right away.”
“Maybe it was a plumber,” I say and my mouth is incredibly dry. “The sink in Conner’s bathroom has been dripping.”
“Callie accused Ashleigh of sleeping with him,” Luc announces in a pained voice. “And she didn’t deny it.”
“And she was in a bathrobe,” Rose whispers.
I stand motionless. I don’t know what to do or say. I don’t know what to feel. This can’t be right. Callie has to be wrong. Every possible emotion is ripping through me: embarrassment, fear, rage, betrayal and humiliation.
I start toward the street.
“Devin! Where are you going?”
“Where the fuck do you think?” I holler back and storm to the subway station a block away.
