Page 23 of When You Had Me Adapting

“Yes, Jace, I’m very aware. Thank you for clarifying that for the group,” she deadpans. Her eyes shift around the room. “Is it my turn?” she asks. The room is painfully silent and everyone is staring at the two of us.

“So, then why did you drink?”

“Huh?”

“Why did you drink?” I repeat my question because I can’t help myself.

“It’s none of your business, Jace,” she says.

Gray mouths “sorry” in her direction and everyone is giving each other looks like they know something I don’t.

“You know what? This was fun, but I gotta head out. Early day tomorrow at the office,” Tanner says, shifting in his seat and pushing up from his thighs to stand.

“You’re kidding me?” I say, putting the puzzle pieces together. “You slept with my roommate?” My eyes dart to Lacey and then back to Tanner.

He meets me eye to eye. “Bro, before you get mad,” he starts, “I didn’t know she wastheLacey. It’s a popular name.”

My brain tries to process this information and it can’t. Lacey and Tanner. Tanner and Lacey.Is this why they didn’t want me on the boat?

Tanner shrugs his shoulders and offers me a grin. “We’re good, right?” He throws his hand in the air like I would actually give him a high five for sleeping with my ex.

“Unfuckingbelievable. You can’t be serious. Did everyone know except for me?” I scan the room and by the looks on everyone’s faces it’s apparent they all knew. I shake my head.

“Oh get a grip, Jace,” Lacey snaps. “You have no right to be mad at either one of us.”

“Yes, I do. He’s supposed to be my best friend and you’re,” I pause because I know I shouldn’t finish that sentence in front of everyone we know. “Well, you’re you.”

She scoffs. “Just because we dated when we were kids doesn’t mean you own me. I can sleep with whoever I want.” She takes another large sip of her drink.

I stand there stunned. Tanner looks down at Lacey and back to me. “Okay, well, like I said, I gotta head out. This was fun. We should do it again,” he says, moving towards the door.

“But he’s my best friend.” My voice comes out more defeated than I intend. “I mean fuck, Lacey. How’s that supposed to make me feel?”

I can feel the eyes of everyone in the room on me. She crosses her arms.

“Oh my apologies for not thinking about your feelings when I slept with Tanner. It must really hurt to know I could move on like you never existed. I wouldn’t have any idea what that feels like.” Her voice cracks and she swallows hard. The hurt I saw behind her eyes the day on the boat returns.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh please, cut the act and just own up to all the shit you put me through.”

“Let’s keep playing. It’s your turn, Lacey,” Gray says, obviously trying to save the night.

She takes a deep breath. “No, I’m done playing games. If this is going to work they deserve to know what happened, Jace. Tell them or I will.” Her words are slurred. She stands and slightly rocks back and forth.

“Lacey, why don’t you and I go talk in private?” I say, looking around the room. I don’t know what she’s getting at, but I know this doesn’t need to happen in front of everyone we know. She’s obviously drunk and while I don’t want to have this conversation after she’s been drinking, she’s not giving me much of a choice. She shakes her head and looks like she might cry. She quickly blinks away her tears and downs her cocktail.

“Never have I ever cheated on someone,” she says. She looks me dead in the eye, gesturing at me with her hand. “Drink up, buttercup.”

What. The. Fuck?

CHAPTER 11: GOOD NEWS! I’M NOT THE PT

LACEY

The Tortured Therapists Department

Wren: How are you holding up after tonight, Lace?

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