Page 30 of Best Friend's Dirty Ex

The joke’s on me, I guess. I pick the worst men.

My phone rings again and I consider not answering it. “Hello?”

Lyla’s voice on the other end has me cringing. “I warned you he was a dog. You should have just listened to me from the get go.”

“How did you know it was a bet?”

The other end of the line goes silent for a moment. “I just... heard a rumor.”

“From who?” My gut is telling me she knows more than she’s letting on and I hear a voice in the background of her call.

“Just tell her the truth.” The masculine voice sounds vaguely familiar.

I hear a quiet, whispered argument between the two, then someone else takes the phone. “Hi, Everly. This is Arson. Since nobody else seems to want to tell you the truth, I feel that it's my duty and obligation to do so.”

As he says the words, my blood runs cold, and I know that there's more to this than I originally thought.

In the background I can hear scuffling noises as if Lyla is trying to grab back the phone, but Arson keeps talking in that drawling, rich boy voice of his.

“The reason that there was even a bet in place is because Lyla wanted me to win some extra money and we’d split the difference.”

Those words make my heart sink to my toes, but Arson isn’t done talking.

“Because she knew information that was insider knowledge about you and about how you would not sleep with Troy because of your friendship, she was reasonably certain that there was no way that I'd lose this bet.”

I feel all the air squeeze out of my lungs like a deflating balloon, and I just sit there in silence for a moment. The world moves around me as I sit down in the grass watching people walk their dogs as the sun throws rays of light across the lush green expanse of the park.

One of my best friends betrayed me. Troy betrayed me. James betrayed me. These people I barely knew were conspiring behind my back, and it's also embarrassing and painful.

“Thank you for telling me the truth.” My throat chokes up and I know there's no way I'll be able to keep talking, so I hang up the phone instead. I feel completely lost inside I smile at a woman as she walks two cute, trotting Pomeranians past on the concrete path. Their tongues hang out and their tails dance back and forth as they move, and I’d swear they’re smiling. The owner smiles back at me as she moves on by.

It feels like the whole world is moving while I'm just standing still.

Did everybody know about this? Am I the last person to find out about the bet that was all about getting me in bed? I have to wonder if this is the reason why Hunter and Konan kept asking me out. Were they part of this? Did they know about the bet the whole time? Were they just trying to sleep with me to win money too?

Unable to handle the emotions coursing through my veins, I get up and head for home, hating myself, hating the humiliation I feel, hating that I’ve been played for a fool. I should have known that all these rich guys wouldn't be chasing me without some ulterior motive. I’m not as pretty as Lyla and Thea, and I’m damaged from my past. I should have seen through this mess.

Only once I'm in the safety of my home, with the door locked behind me, do I finally let the hot tears come. Dropping my phone and keys on the table I head for the bathroom, needing a nice stinging hot shower, as if that'll rinse away all the pain and frustration I feel.

Under the slick needles of water, I think about my time with Troy. I think about my friendship with Lyla. I think about how much I missed Thea while she was on her honeymoon, and how little we've connected now because she's married. I think about James trying to push his way into my home, and I think about how happy I'd been at the beginning of all of this, and how I now suddenly feel beaten down by life.

I thought things were supposed to be getting easier, but instead it feels like everything's getting more difficult.

I finally realize the shower isn't making me feel any better. I get out, dry off and get dressed into clean clothing. I wasn't able to rinse the sensation of Troy’s hands from my skin, and I realize that he hadn’t used protection.

That thought strikes a little fear into my heart.

Not really sure why I do it, I decide to call Lyla. The second she picks up, I can hear that she's been crying. “I'm sorry, I screwed up. Arson broke up with me and my whole life is falling apart.”

“Why did you do it?” I just need answers at this point.

“I needed the money.”

And there it is. Everything comes back to money. “Why did Arson dump you?”

“He was disgusted that I could betray my best friend like that. He thought you were in on things. I guess he’s more okay with scamming someone than betraying a friend.”

While it might not be a message I completely agree with, I can understand where he's coming from with the logic. A knock at the door has me hurrying off the phone with Lyla.

---