Page 77 of Finding London

I think back to yesterday, and that’s when it hits me. I can’t stop the laugh that erupts from my throat. Now, it all makes sense. “I didn’t cheat on you, London,” I say with a chuckle. “That was my roommate Maggie. You know, my best friend’s girlfriend? She’s like a sister to me.”

“Do you always carry around friends’ girlfriends while groping their asses and letting them kiss your neck?”

“She wasn’t kissing my neck, and I wasn’t groping her!”

“Could’ve fooled me,” she snaps. “Your hand was splayed across her ass, and her lips were on your neck.”

“If my hand was on her, it was simply to help me hold her, and she was just resting her head on my shoulder because she was too drunk to keep it up.”

“Or walk?” London huffs out.

“Yeah, or walk. Cooper and Maggie had a little too much fun a little too quickly at the bar and called me to go pick them up. I did, and I brought them back to our house. Then, I came over here and waited for over an hour for you to come back. That’s all.”

“Why couldn’t Cooper carry her? I didn’t see him anywhere.”

“He was just as drunk and probably stumbled into the house right before you drove by. London, nothing happened with Maggie. I don’t have any desire to do anything like that with her. She’s family.”

“You were laughing.” Her voice is soft.

“Probably. Maggie says some hilarious stuff when she’s wasted.” I shrug.

“In your body language, I could tell that you were very comfortable with her.”

“I am,” I agree. “I love her, London…like a sister,” I repeat slowly. “I would never cheat on you. Ever. That’s not who I am.”

“So, you didn’t have sex with anyone last night?” she questions.

“No.” I shake my head.

“You didn’t kiss anyone last night?”

“Unfortunately, no. The girl I wanted to kiss had vomit spewing from her mouth, and that’s a hard limit for me.”

She starts to smile, and I can see the tension leaving her body.

“You didn’t inappropriately grope anyone last night, especially on the ass region?”

“Maggie? No, not at all. But, in full disclosure, I might have washed your ass slightly longer than it needed, but I just wanted to make sure it was good and clean. It was purely unselfish on my end…for the most part.” I smirk.

“Oh my God,” London says before her shoulders sag. She wraps her arms around her bent knees, lets her face fall to her legs, and starts to cry with full-on shaking body sobs.

I sit up and wrap my arm around her shoulder and hold her as she cries. Her tears go on for a long time, and I continue to hold her and kiss the top of her head. I feel horrible that she thought I cheated.

“I thought I’d lost you,” she eventually chokes out.

“You didn’t.”

“I was a mess. I just…it was horrible, feeling that way.”

“I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.”

“I almost kissed another guy to get back at you,” she cries.

Wait, what?

My entire body stiffens. I have to focus on my breathing because I feel like I’m going to lose all control.

“I mean, I didn’t,” she continues. “But I wanted to. I wanted to hurt you. I went to the bar with every intention of making out with someone else. I thought I’d lost you.”