Page 73 of You're so Bad

“Want to sit a minute?” I ask.

He heads toward it and sits down. It strikes me that it would be a pretty romantic spot if I weren’t sitting next to Champ. Trees block our view of most of the lake, but it looks like the path goes all the way around.

“I didn’t mean for it to go down like this, Doc,” he says, sounding like he’s near tears. “Shauna’s important to me.”

I don’t say anything, because when a man’s on the cusp of a confession, it’s best to leave him to tumble over the edge by himself.

“It just happened…We were all at a party. Bianca spilled something on my shirt, and then she said I’d better take it off so she could work on the stain, and—”

“Whoa, now.” I tap a hand on his arm to stop him. “I don’t need a play by play, friend. Was Shauna there?”

He mumbles something under his breath.

“What’s that, now?”

“It was her birthday party,” he says louder, sounding miserable. “It happened at my house.”

He’s not miserable enough. Anger pounds through my veins, but I keep my voice even. “You fucked Bianca for the first time at your girlfriend’s birthday party?”

“It was like you said!” He rises to his feet. “I realized she was the one. That she’d always been the one. We have more in common, you know?”

That’s for damn sure.

“How long ago was that?”

“Almost twelve months, like that woman said. I didn’t want to tell Shauna on her birthday, obviously, and there were some other things to work out, so…”

Champ keeps on babbling while my mind chews on that one…

I get to my feet too, blood rushing through my veins, sending adrenaline shooting through me. Fight or flight. Story of my life, but I already know what choice I’ll be making tonight.

“When’s her birthday?” I ask, my voice no longer even.

“You don’t know?” he chokes out.

“When’s her birthday?”

“September 30th.”

The day of the wedding.

That’s it. I don’t warn him, I just round up and punch him in his stupid fucking Ken face.

ChapterTwenty

Shauna

Twelve months.

That should be what I care about. I’ve wondered, obviously. I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s become pretty obvious there’s not a lot they wouldn’t do. Bianca’s been scratching at me for months, trying to get me to show that I’m upset. That I hate her for going for Colter. Or maybe she’s worried I’m still in love with him. I don’t know what she wants from me, but it feels very important not to give it to her.

It started when they announced they were getting married on my birthday, but when I sent her a “so excited” gif instead of calling her up sobbing, she doubled down by asking me to be her de facto maid of honor.

I sat with that one for a while before agreeing. Ultimately, I told her yes because of my mother.

The only times I’d ever seen my mother truly happy were when she’d brought someone down. She’d done it with me over and over again, because my father wasn’t easy to bait. One of the things Bianca and I had bonded over, in the beginning, was that her mother had been the same way. Except Bianca has become just like both of our mothers.

Still, I’m not wandering down the path by the pond because of Bianca and Colt. I’m not crying because of them either. I’m upset because Leonard must have learned the truth from someone, either tonight or last night, and this was how he chose to tell me. Maybe he figured it would be more dramatic if my fears were confirmed in front of thirty of Bianca and Colter’s friends. In front ofShelly.

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