“It’s fine.” Max shrugged. “He’ll forgive me. He always does.”
A muscle worked in my jaw. I spun to walk away, but paused when Max spoke again. “Oh, and Ryan?”
I tried to shut out his voice. To not let any more of his venom poison me. But I heard him all the same.
“If you’re so sure it’s not me he wants, maybe you should remember what you were wearing to Amy’s party. You know, the night you kissed and decided to make a go of things.”
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, willing myself to hold it together. The memory of Max shoving his clothes into my hands flashed before my eyes.
Max’s clothes.
I’d been dressed like him.
I wasn’t sure what cut deeper—that knowledge and what Max was suggesting, or that he also knew that was the night Dom and I had got together.
Just how much had Dom told him?
Here I was being kept in the dark, while Max knew everything.
Max knows everything.
I swallowed, needing to know how deeply Dominic had betrayed me. “How long?”
I didn’t need to explain my question. Max knew. “Since the party. He told me the next day.”
I was running again, but this time, I wasn’t just scared.
I was furious.
I burstinto the chippy a few minutes later. This time, Max hadn’t followed me. There was no point. The damage was already done. Part of me wondered if that was truly why he’d tackled me.
Dominic’s head snapped up, his grin at seeing me fading fast. “What’s wrong?”
“Is it true?” I demanded.
Dom paled, his tongue flicking nervously over his lips. “Is what true?”
“Are you leaving?”
Dominic froze for a second before jerking into action. “Fuck.”
He yanked off his apron and lifted up the partition. Ignoring his boss calling his name, he took me by the elbow and led me out into the street.
I shook off his grip, stalking down the road. My heart was thudding in my ears. Part of me had expected him to deny it immediately.
But he hadn’t.
Now, I didn’t know if I could hear it.
“Shadow, please.” Dom grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. “I can explain.”
Above us, the stormy sky rumbled.
“Okay,” I said woodenly. Numb, that was how I was feeling. That was good. Better than the searing pain I suspected was coming. “Explain.”
Dominic inhaled slowly. “I joined up, but I did it months ago. Long beforeanythinghappened with us.”
So it was true. “You’ve signed up with Max.”
