That he’s on my side?
He shouldn’t be on my side.
I don’t deserve people on my side.
I hurt them. I will always hurt them. It’s too ingrained in me to win at all costs to not hurt everyone I love and everyone I want to love.
I can’t see the line where I don’t cause collateral damage.
“Shut up,” Lucky says to Decker. “Not helping.”
“Nothing’s fucking helping,” Decker replies. “You know what would’ve helped? Ifsomeonehadn’t decided his dick was more important than blindsiding a friend.”
“That was my fault,” I say quickly, because Rhys doesn’t deserve this. He doesn’t deserve to hurt more because of me and my mistakes. “I—I blackmailed him.”
“She did not,” Rhys says.
“I did?—”
He cuts me off again, looking at Decker. “You knew the risk that it would all come out when you invited her.”
Decker snorts. “Not the full risks.” He nods toward me. “Onlysheknew how bad it could be.”
“That’s fair. Blame the child for the father’s actions. Way of the world, isn’t it?”
“Stop it,” Lucky says. “Mom, Dad, we’re leaving. Margie—Margot—whoever you are—I can’t talk to you right now. We have bigger things to handle.”
It’s not just a punch to the gut.
It’s a thousand little splinters to my heart.
I have a family that I need to take care of and you, Margot, are not it. You’re not family. You don’t count. You don’t belong.
He’s not wrong.
I don’t belong.
Not here.
Not in my job.
Not in my family.
I don’t even deserve Daphne.
And Rhys—Rhys.
Rhys and that massive, massive wounded heart—my god, he deserves so much better.
I suck in another shaky breath. “I didn’t—I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”
All of them ignore me as they hand over the phones they found to Laney, then turn and head back toward the party or their own vehicles or wherever they’re going.
To anywhere but here.
All of them except Mr. Sullivan.
He looks at me one last time, his eyes pinched and watery, mouth turned down, a sad hollowness lingering around him.
