Page 5 of Sins of Autumn

I had no idea where my ability to speak went, why mouth chose then of all times not to work. Normally I never shut the fuck up. When I didn’t answer, he shut the door and took a step closer, observing me carefully.

“What happened, Mint?”

I finally lifted my gaze to his again. Whatever he saw on my face, had him looking from me to his cellphone. Asshole was always too damn quick-witted. I watched the moment it clicked—the realization settled over him like a shadow. He took a slow breath, his expression shifting to something unreadable. He did that well too, wore a mask of cool composure that never cracked.

“You looked at my phone,” he stated, his voice still calm. Too fucking lax for what I’d just seen.

Anger and hurt clawed their way up. “You’re not going to deny it? The pictures, the messages?”

He continued to study me, his silence louder than any words. He ran a hand through his dark hair. It was always cut in a clean, undercut style, usually swept back or slightly tousled. There was just enough length to allow him to rake his fingers through it, which was exactly what I’d been doing when his face was between my thighs.

He placed the water on his nightstand. “It’s not what you think.”

“Oh? Please do tell me whatIthink about the deleted text between you and that bitch-whore Amber Hughes.” Her name tasted like sour venom, each syllable twisting something painful in my chest.

“It was before you,” he admitted, his tone clipped.

Well, if that wasn’t the cherry on top of this shit sundae.

I almost gave him half a point for not lying, but then took it back because it fully dawned on me what he’d just revealed. My voice came out hoarse. “You... you fucked Amberbeforewe got together?”

He didn’t flinch, didn’t look away. His gaze stayed steady on mine. “Three times,” he replied, his tone cold and indifferent.

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry.

I clung to my anger, holding onto it like a lifeline, refusing to let the tears spill. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. “And you didn’t think that was something you should have mentioned?”

“It was before you,” he repeated as if that made it better.

Somehow, that felt worse.

Everything about Amber, the snide comments, the looks she gave me any time we crossed paths, all of it suddenly made sense.

She’d always had this look, like she was keeping a secret, something she knew would destroy me. I thought back on their thread and the date they’d been sent.

“Andwhilewith me!” My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms to keep from shaking. “I saw the texts, Wilder. Those were recent.”

“Mint.” He took another step towards me.

“This looks bad. I know, baby, but it isn’t what you’re thinking. I wouldnevercheat on you. I’m a little insulted you’d go there.”

I silently started counting to ten.

I didn’t make it to five.

“Are you trying to gaslight me?You’re a little insulted? I saw the text messages. Isawthem with my goddamn eyes!”

“And I can promise you that what you saw and what the truth is, isn’t remotely the same. It’s…complicated,” he explained in such a calm manner I wanted to scream.

I let out a hollow, bitter laugh. “Oh, it’s complicated? What’s next,this isn’t what it looks like?Did you memorize theDumbass Cheater’s Handbookfor all the classic excuses?”

“I can’t say anything right now that will make this better other than that those texts were nothing more than work.”

I felt my mind spin, and then my voice rose, loud enough that the entire penthouse could hear. Not that it mattered. He and his dipshit friends owned the whole top floor.

“Work?” I echoed, anger and disbelief mixing into something dark. “How thefuckdoes your job have anything to do with screwing other women, Wilder? Huh? Is it some kind of status thing? You get a promotion or extra stocks for every girl you line up?”

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