Page 166 of Gym Bros
I know I asked the question—that I was the one to bring it up and put it out there, but I’m in no way prepared for what his admission does to me. The corrosive effect it has. The rage it stokes. The self-righteousness surging inside me. I fuckingknewit. Lying, cheating son of a bitch.
“Jesus Christ,” I breathe, pushing myself away from the table. From him. “Does Mom know?”
He shakes his head minutely, the same way Calyx shook his head at him at the arena.
Calyx.
Calyx and my dad.
My father cheating on my mother. My amazing supportive mother who adores this suave, sophisticated man who’s rarely in town and always, always generous. Too generous once he knew I was onto him.
I stand up.
“Samuel, sit.”
The laugh that barks out of me is loud enough to turn heads. “Make me.” I need to get the fuck away from him. Now.
He follows me out. Of course he does. He should know better than to put his hands on me, but he doesn’t. We’re on thesidewalk when he grabs my shoulder to stop me. A second later, I’ve slammed him against the brick building. We’re chest to chest, my face in his face. “Don’tfuckingtouch me.”
“Samuel!” he says in the most fatherly tone of all time.
I let go of him but stay in his space. My hands are shaking, and I’m shouting. “What the fuck did you do?”
“I—it didn’tmeananything.”
“Does Mom know?” I ask again.
“No,” he says in that same choked whisper.
“It wasn’t just him though was it? And it wasn’t just a fucking handful of times. You’ve been doing this foryears.”
He drops his gaze, unable to meet my eyes again, and I can’t blame him. I probably look like I want to kill him. But if I don’t walk away, I can’t guarantee he’ll stay so fucking handsome.
“How many are there?” I ask, because I deserve a fucking answer. “Are they all your clients? Are you that big of a cliché? You piece of shit?”
He throws his head back, and it slams the wall again. It’s an expression of guilt. The shame of being caught. “I never claimed to be perfect?—”
“Oh yes you fucking did. You lied to my face. How many are there?”
His gaze is watery when it meets mine.
“You don’t even know, do you? Are they all men?”
He shakes his head.
“Was Calyx—” my own voice threatens to give out. “Is he theonlyman?”
“Yes.”
I don’t know why, but that makes it so much worse. It’s something he and I have in common that I never would have known, but I’ll never be able to forget.
“Divorce her,” I say.
“No. Samuel—that’s not what I want. I love your?—”
“Thefuckyou do. What iswrongwith you? You don’t think she deserves to know what she’s married to? You can’t even give her enough respect to tell herthat?”
For the first time in my life, I think I’m about to see him cry. “I can’t lose her.”
