Page 23 of Rhett Redeemed

“Cara?” I call out in question, and Rhett’s head snaps to me instantly.

“You know her?” he asks. I frown at his harsh tone.

Clover appears next to Cara, and the two of them approach us.

“Cara,” I say, glad I’m going to have someone to hang out with while here.

“You’re kidding me, right, Rhett?” Cara whispers, eyes filling with hurt.

Clover’s eyes are pinned on me, filled with anger. I take a step back. “Nice to see you showing your true colors, Con.”

I’m confused. They both look so mad, and I don’t know what we’ve done wrong. I never want to see Cara upset, and I just want to fix whatever is wrong.

“What’s going on? Cara, I didn’t know you’d be here,” I say, but Cara refuses to look at me.

Another girl comes and joins us. She has beautiful green eyes, done with cat eyeliner, and long dark hair. She’s wearing a birthday sash, which lets me know that she is Natty, the birthday girl.

It’s then that a feeling of dread comes over me. Natty. Natalie. Cara’s sister is Natalie.

“What is going on here?” she asks, glancing between Rhett and I. “Who is this?”

“This is Con,” Clover informs Natty. “And she’s here with Rhett.”

Natty’s eyes widen, and her mouth drops a little. “Con? As in...?”

“Yep,” Clover says.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Rhett asks Cara, letting go of my hand, and I feel the absence immediately. “Cara?”

Cara looks between us and then just walks away, disappearing inside. Clover and Natty watch her leave, and then turn their fury onto us.

“I knew you wanted to be part of her life, but never once did I think you’d pull something like this,” Clover says, shaking her head. She could have slapped me across the face because her words feel that way.

She looks up at Rhett. “And you. I’m so angry right now I can’t even be around you. You have no shame. You’re so much better than this, Rhett.” She storms off after her best friend.

Natty crosses her arms and purses her lips together before speaking. “I don’t even know what to say right now.” She turns to me. “And Cara spoke so highly of you, Con.”

“Natty—” Rhett grits out between clenched teeth.

She turns to Rhett and cuts him off straightaway. “And you. Can’t have Cara back so you go for the Wish version? Desperate even for you.”

Ouch.

And that’s when I finally understand just how much I have messed up.

Rhett is Cara’s ex-boyfriend.

Natty is her sister.

And this clubhouse I’ve just walked into?

It’s her home.

I turn around and get the hell out of there.

I retrace my steps until I’m outside and standing next to Rhett’s bike. I don’t know how I’m going to get back to my car, but I need to leave right now. I’ve never been more humiliated in my life.

I can’t believe that Rhett is Cara’s ex-boyfriend. I truly had no idea, since she has never spoken about anyone to me except Decker. She did mention an ex, but she never told me his name. I hope she believes me when I say that I never would have slept with him, or given him a second of my time, if I knew who he was.

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