Page 214 of Reverse

“Ben,” Lexi gasps as her eyes flood, and Ben stalks toward her before cupping her face. “It’s just us now, baby. You and me. It’s our time, Lexi. It’s time.”

“I love you, too,” Lexi confesses, gripping his wrists as he searches her eyes, “so much. Always will.” A strangled noise sounds from next to me, and I look over to see Benji utterly entranced by his parents’ interaction, a tear coasting down his jaw, hands fisted at his sides.

Ben continues to gaze down at Lexi with unguarded affection, the world around him forgotten as he swipes every tear she’s shedding with gentle thumbs. “Come home with me?”

Elated, Lexi replies with a repeated, “Yes, yes, yes,” before Ben kisses her soundly. Next to me, I feel the second Benji cracks as a sledgehammer is taken to his impenetrable wall of beliefs. His incredulous eyes follow their every movement as Ben turns back to Benji, telling him they’ll be back. With the slight dip of Benji’s chin, they disappear down the hall, plastered to each other’s sides.

Rye and Adam trail their escape before looking back toward the rest of us with astonished faces. True to his nature, Adam speaks up, tossing a thumb over his shoulder. “Someone,please tell methat just happened, and the mushrooms haven’t kicked in yet.”

Everyone bursts into raucous laughter, aside from Benji and me. Unable to take another second, I head toward the dressing room for a moment to myself. Rian stalks past me toward Benji, concern marring her features. Closing the door, I stand in utter disarray before heading straight toward a dark bottle. Uncapping it, I toss back a few shots, thankful for the short time I stole for myself to try and get my shit together. Visions of my wifeless future flit before my eyes as I tip more of the bottle back in an attempt to blur them out.

Not long after the liquor begins to circulate, I hear the click of the dressing room door and feel his presence behind me as I rummage through my duffle and speak up. “I need a minute alone, G.”

“She didn’t file, Easton. I told you that months ago.”

His statement stokes the fire which begins to consume me wholly.

“And I told you I already knew that,” I snarl before taking another swallow of Jack.

“How?”

“Because I know my wife,” I say.

“What happened in that bathroom?” he asks, circling the couch to get a read on me. “What did you say to her?”

“I just shared a career-high many don’t get,” I grit out, pulling off my shirt and wiping the sweat off. “So, back the fuck off.”

“It’s been months, and you’re still bleeding out. I told you not to go after her that amped up. What did you do, Easton?”

“What any man would do when he sees his wife put her lips on another man . . . I behavedbadly.”

“Jesus,” he drags his hands through his hair. “You’re destroying yourself.”

“What the fuck do you care?” I pull on another shirt, still holding tight to the bottle. “I thought you’d be relieved.”

I glance over to see a rare streak of fear in his eyes.

“What, Benji,what?”

“The night of the gala, I told you I told her to fuck off and leave you alone.”

Bottle already halfway to my mouth, I draw my brows. “Yeah, you told me, so?”

“I was vicious. She called me for help, and I was in a bad place. I told her to make up her mind, and if it wasn’t you—if she couldn’t choose you, then and there, if she couldn’t be what you needed, what you deserved, to stop answering your calls, to let you go.”

“Exactly, G, and where is she?” I tilt my head. “Beauty,you here?” I scoff, lifting the bottle. Benji snatches the Jack from my hand and blatantly drops it at our feet. The shattered bottle leaks my temporary salvation between us as I glare at him. “I’m about two seconds from throwing another right, the same way I did thefirst timeyou came clean.”

“As much good as it did. Fucking listen to me,” Benji barks. “I wasviciouswith her to the point I might have pushed her into ending it with you.”

“Don’t credit yourself so much, asshole. She’s got a mind of her own and a bite much harsher than yours. Case in point, she showed up here on a fuckingdate. You’re off the hook.” The truth of that is the hardest part to swallow. “We’re over. That’s what happened in the bathroom. Your dad just ended his career. Go be there forhim.”

“He’s not the one that needs me,” Benji declares.

Every cell in my body aches as I finally allow myself to acknowledge how much love ricocheted between us in that bathroom, even as my fury overshadowed it. It is still there, just as powerful—the draw, the need, the goddamn breath-stealing ache.

“I’ve been faithful.”

“She’s probably still here,” Benji tries to encourage.

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