Page 51 of Before We Were Us

“It’s his story.” She shrugs and it only irritates me more. Maybe I’m taking out my frustrations on the wrong person, but she is the one pushing.

“A story he should have told from the start. Him trying to backpedal and make things right now doesn’t change the fact that I’m humiliated. I stood outside that restaurant feeling like I was on top of the world. I’d finally met the guy. Then the next thing I know I’m facing his wife and everything crashed in around me. His wife! There is nothing okay about that, no matter which way you look at it. I am now a mistress to some woman’s husband.”

“Oh sweet sweet friend, you are not a mistress.”

I’m frustrated and pissed. “Then what in the hell am I?” I throw my hands up in the air. My temper is getting the better of me.

“Misinformed.” I wrinkle my forehead in confusion at her words. “Angry. Sad.” With each word she speaks I feel my emotions getting the better of me. “You have every right to be all those things. But you’re also stubborn and all I’m asking is that you please give him a chance.”

“I did!”

“No, you gave him a few minutes in the middle of a loud crowded dance club,” Taylor corrects me. “Give him a real chance to clear some things up. If after that you still don’t want anything to do with him then that is your choice. But you owe it to yourself to get the full truth. Trust me when I say it's so far from what either of us thought.”

I walk through the aisle looking at dress after dress, but not truly seeing them. I left after Taylor and I had our little heart to heart, needing to get out and get some fresh air. I’d hoped to clear my head but thirty minutes in and I’m walking through a department store with no real purpose.

At this point I know I am so far past retail therapy.

“Hello again.” I spin around surprised with the close proximity of someone and come face to face with none other than the woman that took an amazing night and turned it to shit. Honestly though I can’t blame her, she didn’t lie.

“We met.” She tilts her head to the side and fakes a whisper. “When you were out with my husband.”

My stomach drops, and nausea rolls in my stomach.

“Do you make that a habit?” She crosses her arms over her chest. Her enhanced chest becomes more noticeable with her current pose. “Sleeping with married men?”

I look around worried that someone may overhear and she literally laughs.

“Oh, does that embarrass you?” I can’t even get mad at her for her attitude, because I feel like I deserve it. “If you’re embarrassed by your actions then maybe you shouldn’t be screwing men that aren’t available.”

“I didn’t know.” The words rush from me.

“Of course, they all say that.” She lowers her arms to her sides. “You think you’re the first woman he played? Please, you should know that you are nothing special. He’s probably already got your replacement in his bed. Jensen has always had a wandering eye and when we got married he swore to me he’d changed. Yet here we are, me standing in front of one of his many sluts.”

“You don’t know me.” I’d reached my limit and maybe lashing out was wrong but I refused to be ridiculed for a situation I walked into blind. “You want to stand here and throw insults, maybe you need to analyze yourself a little closer. If you were doing everything you should, if you were satisfying your man then he wouldn’t have to go elsewhere to get what you're lacking.”

Her eyes widen, and I know I’m wrong, no one can control the actions of another, but I refuse to be attacked any longer. I also know with her actions and her need to verbally assault seems off.

“Come at me again, and I can promise you this, I will not be so kind.”

With that I turn and walk out of the department store.

Hailing a cab, I give the driver the address and grab my phone and type out a message to Taylor.

Me: I’ve had enough. This shit ends today!

thirty-two

. . .

Jensen

The knocking on my door gets louder as I grab my shirt and pull it over my head. Looking out through the peephole I do a double take thinking that I have to be imagining things.

The knock echoes over my apartment once more and I slide the chain, then twist the deadbolt, opening the door.

There opposite me stands Brynn, I can visibly see her shoulders lift as she takes a deep breath.

“I just had a very sweet chat with your wife!” The way she’s arching her brow, if I hadn’t already realized she was being sarcastic, I would now. “Apparently you’ve always had a wandering eye and I’m only one of your many sluts.”

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