Page 62 of Unspoken Rules

“Enlighten me. Tell me what the hell is going on with you two.”

He looks away, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. I give him some time to figure out what he wants to say, but we’re having this conversation. Seconds turn into minutes, and he hasn’t said a word.

“Christopher,” I urge. “I’m your best friend, always have been, and honestly, I’m offended that I don’t already know about this. No, not offended. I’m pissed and hurt. I’ve always shared everything with you. Everything. We’ve always been open with one another. What the hell happened?”

His jaw works, still not looking at me. I can’t read his expression. Have no idea if he’s angry at me for speaking my mind. Pissed that I called him out. Or trying to stop himself from crying.

But then he blurts it out, and it isn’t anything like I was expecting.

“I found out why my parents split up, and it wasn’t my mother’s fault, like I was led to believe.”

He’s mad at his father over a divorce that took place over ten years ago? This is what he’s throwing a fit about? Why he’s been drinking so much and barely speaking to his father? Over a fucking divorce? Something that has nothing to do with him?

“What exactly does that mean?”

He runs a hand down his face and finishes his drink.

“You know my mother left. She said her and my father had differences they couldn’t work through, so she just left. I chose to stay with my dad because of school and also, he and I got along better than I did with my mom. And of course, you.”

“So what really happened then?”

I find myself anxious to hear the answer. What could Cole have done to fuck up his marriage? It’s hard to think he’d do anything to mess it up, but who knows? It was a long time ago.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud,” Chris mutters, shaking his head. He huffs and adds, “He cheated on my mother—”

“What?”

“—with a guy.”

My breath catches in my throat. I blink a few times, wondering if I heard that right.

Cole cheated on Tabitha with a man?

“Hold on. What?” I say, leaning forward on the table. Chris nods like he can’t believe it either. “How long have you known?”

“About a year.”

This is a lot. Even for me. I can’t say that I’m angry over this. I have no business being angry over what goes on in someone else’s relationship, but I’m certainly surprised.

“How did you find out?” I ask carefully.

“Mark’s bandmate? It was his father. Apparently, their parents got a divorce over it too.”

I’m about to ask him which band mate, but then all the pieces fly together, forming the image right in front of my eyes.

Tomas said his brother was in the band with Mark.

Tomas got upset when he found out I was staying at Cole’s.

He didn’t seem weird about Chris, just about Cole.

Cole cheated on Tabitha with Tomas’s father.

Clearly Tomas and Chris both know this. Chris has been up in arms about it. Is that why Tomas isn’t pissed at Chris too? Is Tomas judging me and assuming I’m sleeping with Cole just because I’m gay and Cole is, I don’t know—into men?

I’m not one to judge and make accusations. I don’t know what Tomas is thinking about any of this, and it isn’t fair of me to assume he’s being a judgmental asshole, but hey, I’m an over-thinker. And because of that, something else hits me. Something I cannot ignore about this conversation with Chris.

“Are you mad about your father cheating on your mother or about him being with a guy?”

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