He squeezed my thigh. “I’ll show you something hard,” he growled.
My mouth dropped open, and my eyes bugged out, but I still couldn’t help but laugh, knowing I’d gotten to him.
“Cade,” my brother snapped.
Cade swung his head toward my brother. “What?” he snapped back.
“You can’t have sex with my sister.” Beau threw up his hands. “I mean, you already had sex with my wife.”
I froze, and all thoughts of humor vanished from me. “What?” I practically whispered.
An empty feeling opened up in my stomach despite the home-cooked meal I’d just had.
When had this happened? How? Why was I just now finding out about this? And why did it make me feel sad?
“How are you okay with that?” I asked Beau as Cade squeezed my leg again.
I wanted to throw his hand off, but I couldn’t. Not only would everyone know he was touching me, but then he would also know I was upset. And I’d promised not to develop feelings for him.
My brother shrugged. “It was back in high school. Before Em and I started dating.” He put his arm around his wife. “We both liked her, but Cade hit on her first.” He smiled at Em. “But I was the one who won her in the end.”
Cade rolled his eyes, and I let go of the breath I’d been holding.
Even though I was still bothered by this new information, it had happened over a decade ago, and that made me feel better.
I didn’t want to think about why it made me feel better though.
Em kissed her husband and looked at me. “Don’t worry, Rayne. You’re right about hard pass. It wasn’t any good.”
Cade scowled. “It was your first time. Of course it wasn’t any good.”
“Whatever you say. My second time was with Beau, and it wasmuchbetter.”
The feeling was starting to come back. Cade had taken Em’s virginity? And the only other guy she’d ever slept with was Beau?
“Yeah, well, I don’t really remember you being the best either,” Cade said, clearly bothered by Em’s assessment of him.
She cocked her head. “You came, didn’t you?”
Cade snorted. “I was sixteen. A stiff breeze could have made me come.”
Beau, laughing at the banter between his wife and best friend, looked at me and tilted his head. “Rayne, are you okay?”
No. Not at all.
Em was thin and had the perfect figure. No wonder Cade and my brother had liked her. Meanwhile, I couldn’t even get one date back then. Not even from a manwhore like Cade.
And knowing he was Em’s first ate at me. Did Cade hold a special place in her heart? Did she in his?
But I couldn’t say all that, could I?
“I just can’t believe no one ever said anything. How did I not know this?”
Em’s smile fell. “Oh, Rayne, I’m sorry. We never meant to leave you out. I was a freshman. You were still in middle school. It was before the four of us began hanging out so much.”
It made sense, and if that were the only thing bothering me, I wouldn’t be so upset. Which meant I had to fake being okay.
So, I did the only thing I could think of. I made a joke.