Page 104 of Breach of Honor

43 Miranda

LILY OPENED THE door, and I was pulled into her embrace. The door closed behind me, and I clung to her as I wept over Will’s betrayal.

Another woman.

Had I been foolish to think he’d always be faithful? Did I cause him to stray?

“Come and sit,” Lily whispered. “Did he admit there was another woman?” All week I’d been talking about my suspicions, so she knew tonight I’d planned to push him for answers.

“Not directly, but I smelled the perfume and saw the lipstick. He didn’t deny it.”

“I don’t believe it.” She huffed. “So much for the St. James honor code.” Her words reeked of bitterness, and it had everything to do with Henry. It’d been two months, and she still hadn’t gotten over him. “What else?”

“He was at Club R tonight with Jason… andher.”

“Asshole! Maybe we should go there and hook up with someone!” I cocked my head at her, and Lily softened. “I know, bad idea. What are you going to do?” She took my hand. “Your old bedroom is vacant.”

“I love him, Lily. I want to work through this.”

“But he cheated on you. I thought infidelity was the mother of all offenses?”

“I thought so too. Now I don’t know. He hasn’t been himself for months.”

“Well yeah! He’s been cheating! You probably never really knew him.”

“No, I know Will and he loves me. He wouldn’t hurt me like this.”

“But he has. Don’t be stupid.”

My phone buzzed. Of course, it was Will. Lily shook her head, but I answered it anyway. “Hello?”

“Are you okay?” He sounded so broken; it tore me up.

“What do you think? I just discovered my boyfriend is cheating on me. Yeah, I’ve never been better.”

“M, come home so we can talk. Please.”

“Oh, sure, now you want to talk. What changed?”

His heavy breathing filled my ears. Why did it make me think he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders?

“Please, baby. Just come home.”

An ache in my chest nudged me forward. “Not tonight. I need time to think and so do you.”

“Okay, I’ll give you time. Whatever you want. When will you be home?”

“Tomorrow around noon. Will you be there?”

He sighed. “Yes. I’ll be here.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Miranda!” he shouted, fear and panic wrapped around each syllable of my name.

“Yeah?”

“I love you. And I’m sorry.”

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