Page 57 of Flawless

“You wouldn’t think so, would you? But it turns out he’d been recording us during…” I cleared my throat. “Intimate moments, while we were dating. I guess he found a way to change the date and timestamp and sent them to Cam, convincing him I’d cheated on him.”

“Come on.” Easton sank back, looking stunned. “For real?”

“I’m afraid so.”

I felt the hot burn of tears sting my throat and blamed it on pregnancy hormones. But if I was being honest, it was losing Cam to my ex’s scam that still stung.

“I’m gonna run that asshole out of town,” Easton said, looking fierce. “I’ve never trusted the sleazy little bastard and when I start spreading the word that he’s a maggot, he’ll never work in this town again.”

“I appreciate that.”

I didn’t have to ask my friends to go to bat for me, but I loved that they would. I didn’t want to see Dean’s face again, so if Easton really could run him out of town, I’d be grateful.

“You should press charges though. He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with that, Ry.”

“I’ve thought about it,” I admitted. “But he’s still got that video and who knows how many others. He leaks them and it would be humiliating. Might even end my career. I can’t risk that.”

“Yeah, but he ruined the best thing that’s happened to you in a hell of a long time. He can’t be allowed to get away with that.”

I wiped my mouth with a napkin after taking a bite of my burger. “How do you know Cam was the best thing⁠—”

“Because I saw the way he looked at you at the engagement party. And that look in your eyes the night we talked about him, before y’all broke up. It was obvious he was it for you. And a loser like Dean shouldn’t have the power to rob you of that. You deserve to be happy. And you deserve a good guy you can count on. I want that for you, hon.”

“Don’t you dare make me cry,” I whispered. “Or I will kill you.”

He grinned, flashing a smile that made most women act stupid. Thankfully, I thought of him as a big brother, so I was immune.

“I can’t believe Cam would fall for that though,” Easton said, looking thoughtful. “I mean, the guy’s a sheriff, right? So, he deals with scum for a living.”

“Yeah, I think he was just shocked when he got that video and acted without thinking it through. His ex cheated on him, so he’s got trust issues.”

He worked on his burger for a minute before he said, “So, the guy made a mistake, Ry. Give him a break.”

I scowled before huffing at him. “Would you quit telling me to give him a break? What is it with you? He clearly doesn’t trust me, and if he doesn’t trust me, this can’t work, right?”

“You’ve never made a bonehead mistake and needed to beg forgiveness?”

“I…”

I sure as hell wasn’t perfect, but this was more than a mistake, wasn’t it? This was about trust. The very foundation of any solid relationship.

“Of course, I have. But he⁠—”

“Listen to me,” Easton said gently. “I keep encouraging you to cut the guy some slack because I’m so far from perfect, you have no idea. If you’d known me before I met Lyla, you wouldn’t have liked me. I wasn’t a good guy. But she made me a better man.”

For that very reason I wanted to plead with him to fight for her.

“And from what you’ve told me about Cam, and what I’ve heard about him over the years from Austin and Eden, he’s the real deal. Strong. Smart. Loyal.” He let those words sink in before he said, “Someone you can count on.”

“That’s why he’ll make a great dad.” Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them away. “The kind of dad I wish I could have had when I was growing up.”

“He’s the kind of man you deserve, Rylee. Don’t cheat yourself because you’re trying to punish him for one stupid lapse in judgment.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but snapped it shut.

Damn. Was he right?

Chapter Twenty-One