Page 15 of The Fallacy of True Love
She swung her head back and forth frantically. “No.”
“Were you drunk?”
“No.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “It was stupid and wrong and—” Shaking her head again, she sighed. “We were in Tokyo?—”
I reared back as the pieces fell into place. We were supposed to travel back to Juana last October, but her parents planned a trip to Japan with Aaron’s family. Of course, she hadn’t been able to say no to them.
“—I just wanted to try something new?—”
My stomach dropped further with every word she said. “You wanted to try something new? What, you were bored with me so you tried a different dick?”
She gasped. “No! I wanted to let loose. To shut my brain off for once. I didn’t plan on sleeping with anyone.”
“So you fell into his bed? You had sex with the guy you promised me you only saw as a brother?”
“If you’d gone with us…”
It was like adding fuel to the fire, only instead of heat, I felt like I’d been doused in water so cold it stung every cell in my body. “You’re putting this on me? Because I wasn’t there, you went ahead and fucked the guy who was?” I bit out. “Even if I worked a thousand hours, I could never afford to travel with your family.”
“I told you I’d pay for it!”
“Seriously?” She flinched at my raised voice, but I couldn’t help it. “They already think I’m leeching off you. I wasn’t about to join your trip and not pay my way.”
“They covered for A’s family too,” she cried out.
“Because they’re practically part of your family,” I almost shouted. My hands shook as anger and hurt coursed through me. “They’ve made it abundantly clear that I’m not.”
She sobbed. “I’m so sorry. It was a mistake, and I‘ve regretted it ever since. I hate myself for letting it happen. I love you, Z.”
The nickname that used to sound cute now felt like a sledgehammer striking the back of my neck. How could she say she loved me but sleep with someone else? And with the guy she called A?
That letter had always been his. Maybe so had she.
I stared blindly at the ceiling and fought to keep my emotions in check.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “It didn’t mean anything.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me right away? That was more than a month ago, Dani.” Even though we didn’t see each other often, we’d been together a handful of times since then. And again, we had phones, for shit’s sake. All it would have taken was one text from her. I would have dropped everything.
“I didn’t want to ruin what we have over a stupid mistake. You’re the only one I want.”
I looked her in the eyes. “Apparently not.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “It was a mistake. I promise you it meant nothing.”
I clenched my jaw, biting back the slew of angry words that threatened to shoot out of me.
“Z. Say something. Please,” she sobbed. “We can work through this.”
Shaking my head, I said, “I can’t. I need to go.”
And I left.
Chapter Seven
Cam
Lying on my board, I paddled with my arms through the water, finding the perfect rhythm to the roll of the waves. They were more turbulent than usual, coming in surges that followed no constant pattern or pressure. It demanded my full concentration and a mix of careful calculation and reckless risk.
