Page 85 of Surviving Lies

“Wait,” Ava said. “I thought you gave up on Jace already?”

I realized we hadn’t done this enough. I was completely unaware of much going on in their personal lives. We spoke about general things like our classes and shit around the apartment. But we hadn’t all sat around and gotten to know each other like this. Last year, living in the same dorm room with Lanie seemed to force us to talk more. Well, let me rephrase that. I forced her to talk more in the beginning. It took her some time to warm up to me, to us, but she did. And living in the small confines of a dorm, there was little room for secrets. We knew what was going on with each other most of the time, even though Lanie kept her fair share of stuff from home secret. But in this four-bedroom townhouse, there was privacy.

“Well, I did, for a like a day,” Macie started, “but he came groveling back to me, so I gave in. But the shithead stopped texting two days later!”

We all scoffed at that. That was just downright wrong.

“That’s a dick move, even for him,” Ava said. “You’re so outta his league, he should bow at your feet for even giving him the time of day.”

Macie gave Ava the sweetest smile after that compliment. “Thanks, hon, but I only bring it up as a point.” Macie stopped talking and looked around at all of us, making sure she had our attention. “All men are assholes.”

The two of them continued their banter, complaining about the various guys in their lives. Lanie remained quiet. I knew she was not about to contribute to the conversation about “asshole guys.” Her ex took the cake. And she also never talked about him anymore unless she had to.

And mine. Well, right now he was in contention to be second on the podium for the biggest asshole in the group.

Lanie looked my way, a small smile touching her lips, and her eyebrow lifted toward Macie as she blabbered on and on. This was exactly what I needed, and maybe Ava and Macie knew that.

Eventually, they quieted, and we all resorted to eating from our bowls. Once our metal spoons scraped the bottoms of our bowls, all eyes fell on me. I fidgeted, not liking the scrutiny for once.

I wasn’t sure I could tell the other two my news. I wasn’t sure I could get the words to come out of my mouth.

“Bec, you obviously need to talk about something. Do you want to? Or are we just putting a movie on?” Ava asked. Her pierced brow lifted with her question.

I wavered, not sure what to do. I knew I needed to; I just didn’t know if I could.

“Bec, do you want me to tell them?” Lanie asked, looking up at me from the floor. She leaned up against the couch with her hand resting on my leg, the small touch offering solace.

All I could do was nod.

I turned my head toward the back of the couch as though if I didn’t hear her say the words, words I already knew to be true, they somehow wouldn’t be.

“You guys know she’s been struggling a bit with Ty, but they’ve been talking a little,” she started. “She, um, drove to his house to, I guess, surprise him for the weekend?” The question in her voice came through. And the groans from the other two told me they knew I had made a poor choice. “Listen, I’m just gonna say it.” But she still paused, and I held my breath, knowing what was coming. “Ty has a baby. He’s a dad.”

I still had my head turned away, but I heard a tiny gasp come from Macie.

Ava remained quiet.

And that was it; no more words were said. I slowly swiveled my neck, my eyes peering under my arm, to see anyone’s expression. Lanie and Macie’s eyes held sadness for me.

But Ava was waiting for me to look at her. As soon as I did, she sat up straighter, leaning closer to me on the couch. “You know all of you are just making assumptions, right?” she started. “You are all assuming the worst. I’m not saying the worst isn’t what’s going on with him, but you can’t do that with people.”

“But he has an infant, Ava,” I said, incredulously.

“How old?” she asked. “These conclusions you’re jumping to may not be what’s really going on. That’s all I’m saying. Fact find, my friends. Facts are your friends.” She fell back against the couch.

“Ya know, she’s right, Bec. You need to talk to him,” Lanie said.

“No!” I yelled. “I can’t. There’s no way I can. Not after seeing him with her and his ... his daughter. Fuck!” I screamed. “They looked like a perfect little family getting into the car.” I jumped from the couch, needing space from them, needing to move, to pace. “You didn’t see them. They weresmiling– they were happy. Like, what the fuck? It’s like he has this whole other life that he never told me about.” I wrapped my hair around my fingers as my nails dug into my scalp, the pain grounding me in the moment. “Holy shit.” I froze and turned my gaze on the three of them as they stared at me. “I’ve been the other woman the entire fucking time!” My sudden realization not only angered me but brought a new veil of sadness over my heart. “He’s been cheating on her ... with me.”

I barely got those last words out. I couldn’t believe what Ty had done to me, to her.

Lanie’s arms were around me in seconds as she brought me back to the couch, sitting with me. “Hey, Bec, relax,” she murmured. “And Ava’s right. You’re jumping to conclusions before getting any of the actual story.”

“I don’t know, I’m with Becca. This shit is fucked up,” Macie chimed in. “I mean, is there really an explanation that can make this OK?” The laser eyes that landed on her from Ava and Lanie made her scoff. “What? I’m just saying what you’re thinking, that’s all.”

“Macie doesn’t know Ty the way we know him.” Lanie grabbed my face and made me look at her. “Right? Tell me you’re going to talk to him about this, Bec. You can’t jump to conclusions, just like Ava said. There has to be more to this story.” Her eyes didn’t waver from mine, even as a scoff came from Macie’s side of the couch.

“I guess I don’t know him as well as you guys do, but guys are assholes,” Macie muttered, almost to herself, as she stood up and walked toward the kitchen.

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