Page 129 of The Revenge Plan (Forbidden Descendants 1)

Reading my expression, Kerri cringed. “It is a problem for you, isn’t it?”

One hundred percent yes, it was. But I had to admit, I’m glad she was honest with me about it. If it’d been any other guy beside Reuben, I might’ve been able to deal with it, because she’d been right, we weren’t exclusive and one date didn’t mean she had to commit herself to me in any way.

“It’s just…” I hedged, trying to break it to her easily. “I thought Reuben had a girlfriend. You know, one he was exclusive with.”

Her eyes went wide. “Oh God. You’re not going to tell Avery about us, are you?”

Um, wow.

“So, he is still with her?” I asked, shaking my head and trying to understand how Kerri had been into Reuben so much so that she was still willing to sleep with him, even though he was seriously dating someone else.

“Yeah, but…” she started, causing me to lose all respect for her. “It was a mistake. I totally didn’t mean to do it. He was just so charming and funny, and one thing led to another. I’m not like that, though. You know…the other girl. I swear. It was just one time. I’m not a cheater.”

She was the very definition of a cheater. And so was Reuben.

Holy fuck. Reuben was a cheater. He’d cheated on Avery. Why the hell would anyone ever cheat on Avery?

“I hope you’ll still want to go out again though,” Kerri was saying.

My brow furrowed as I sent her an incredulous glance. “Yeah, not in this lifetime,” I answered before stalking off. She’d just been dropped from my consideration completely.

Forgetting about her, I jogged straight to Rush, where he was jamming with the rest of the drum line.

“He cheated on her,” I blurted, breathless and frantic as soon as I reached him. My heart was pounding and thoughts were racing. “He fucking cheated on her.”

He stopped playing to blink at me as if I was insane. “Jesus, slow down. Who’s cheating on who?”

“Reuben!” I growled as if I couldn’t possibly be referring to anyone else. “On, you know, her.”

“Seriously.” He lifted his eyebrows. “Wow. You’re just now learning he’s not faithful?”

“What do you mean not faithful?” I cried in horror. “Are you saying he’s cheated on her more than once?”

But… How in God’s name could anyone cheat on her? Especially multiple times?

Rush shrugged as if it were no big deal. “I’ve heard of a few different girls. Why? Who’d you learn he was banging?”

“Kerri,” I mumbled sourly.

His eyes flared wide. “You mean your Kerri? He nailed Tuba Kerri?”

I snorted. “Trust me, she’s not my anything.”

“What the fuck? She was so into you, though, and you guys had a great date. How could she—”

“Focus,” I growled. “Why is Reuben still with—with her? If he’s going to other girls, why doesn’t he just cut her loose?”

“Damn, man.” Rush shook his head slowly. “You still can’t even say her name, can you?”

“Will you just answer my damn questions?”

“Dude, I don’t know why you’re even asking. Why haven’t you already figured all this out for yourself? It’s plain as day to me. He’s still with her because he knows you want her.”

“What?” I wrinkled my face with disbelief. Then I shook my head insistently. “No way. He wouldn’t stay with her that long just because of me. Besides, why would he bother? I know I can never have her. Not now. I don’t even…you know, entertain the idea anymore. I’ve given up on that.”

He snorted. “But have you? Have you really?” Bumping his arm into mine as if to get my attention, he nodded his head toward something behind me before he pointed at it as well.

I turned to find what he wanted me to see, and there she was, jogging across the open grass of the practice field to come up behind Reuben and laugh as she covered his eyes with her hands, surprising him with her appearance.

---