Page 50 of Falling For Us Again

It’s Brian. Lola’s fiancé.

And he’s not alone.

He’s leaning against his car, arms wrapped around a woman who isn’t Lola, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

I cock my head in disbelief. Brian doesn’t see me at first, too caught up in the moment, but then his eyes flicker open, and they meet mine across the distance.

He pulls away from the woman quickly, his face pale in the dim light. We stare at each other, the silence between us heavy, the unspoken threat hanging in the air. His eyes dart to Lola in my arms, and his mouth falls open as he registers her presence. Maggie is beside me, still holding onto Lola, but her grip on my arm tightens, sensing the shift in the air.

“Dylan?” Maggie whispers behind me, her voice laced with confusion at my sudden stop.

“Get Lola back inside.”

Maggie steps beside me, and then she looks between me and Brian, her eyes widening in realization. She doesn’t ask questions; she just nods and pulls Lola back toward the bar, whispering something soothing to her.

Lola, blissfully unaware, just giggles and stumbles along.

I watch as Brian untangles himself from the woman, saying something to her before she slips into the passenger seat of his car. He moves toward me, his face twisted with something that might be guilt or maybe anger. It’s hard to tell.

“Dylan,” he starts, his voice low, cautious, like he’s trying to figure out how to play this.

I don’t let him finish. “What the hell are you doing, Brian?” My voice comes like whiplash. “You’re cheating on Lola, your fiancée. Seriously, man?”

He rubs the back of his neck, looking away. “It’s... it’s not what it looks like.”

“Not what it looks like?” I repeat, incredulous. “You were kissing another woman, Brian. How’s that not exactly what it looks like?”

He doesn’t have an answer for that, and the silence between us stretches, thick and uncomfortable. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, my fists clenching at my sides. I want to punch him to wipe that guilty look off his face, but I know it won’t fix anything. It won’t change what I just saw.

And I know my anger is not just about seeing Brian cheating on Lola; it reminds me of Jenna once again. The pain I felt when I saw pictures of her with my ex-best friend, Paul. I’ve never felt as much betrayal as I did that day.

I can’t stand cheats.

“I’ll talk to her,” Brian finally says, his voice soft, almost pleading. “I’ll make it right.”

I shake my head, disgusted. “You don’t get to ‘make it right.’ You don’t get to hurt her like this and then just sweep it under the rug.”

Brian’s jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he’s going to argue, but then he just nods, stepping back toward his car. “I’ll fix it,” he says again, though this time it sounds more like he’s trying to convince himself.

I don’t respond. I just watch as he gets in his car, the engine roaring to life as he drives off into the night. My fists slowly unclench, and I let out a breath. I don’t realize that I’m holding.

“Piece of shit,” I mutter under my breath.

I walk back to the bar, my steps slow and steady. Inside, Maggie is sitting with Lola at a booth, her arm draped aroundher friend’s shoulders. Lola is laughing, oblivious, her eyes glazed over from too much alcohol.

Maggie looks up at me, her expression grim. “What are we going to do?” she asks quietly, though I can see the answer already forming in her mind.

“We take her home,” I say, my voice flat. “She doesn’t need to know about this. Not tonight.”

Maggie nods, her lips pressing into a thin line. Together, we help Lola out of the bar and into my car, her drunken laughter filling the space as we drive. She slumps against the window, her breath fogging up the glass, and I can’t stop thinking about how this is all going to come crashing down around her.

When we pull up to her house, we help Lola inside, laying her gently on the couch. She murmurs something incoherent, and then she’s out, her breathing slow and steady. I stand there for a moment, watching her sleep, my chest tight with the weight of everything that just happened.

I feel sorry for her.

After we step back outside, I drive Maggie to her place. She reaches over and touches my arm as I drive, her fingers cool against my skin. “Are you going to tell her?” she asks, her expression tinged with worry.

I don’t answer right away. I don’t know what the right thing to do is. Lola deserves the truth, but is it my place to tell her? And if I do, I’m going to be partly responsible for ruining her life.

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