Page 61 of The Wrong One

I nodded, my throat dry, unable to form words. His words were laced with fury. This couldn’t have been a worse time. He was already pissed about the Patrick thing and now we were putting this on him. It was not good. I wanted to run after Patrick and kick his ass for making such a mess of things. Izzy and I could have told Ramsey with a little more finesse. We had certainly talked about how to do it a hundred different times.

“Fallen?” Izzy asked quietly.

I looked at her and smiled but I didn’t get a chance to respond to what she was asking.

Ramsey ran a hand through his hair, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and hurt. “I can’t believe you’d do this, man. You know how protective I am of her. How could you keep this from me?”

My gut was churning, bile making me feel like I was going to puke. I tried to explain myself. “Ramsey, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. Izzy and I… we didn’t plan for this to happen. It just… did.”

“I don’t know what to say, man. This is a lot to take in. You guys have been lying to me. How could you lie?”

My heart ached, knowing the damage my actions had caused to our friendship. “I understand if you’re angry, Ramsey. I really do. But please know that I care about Izzy, and I would never do anything to hurt her. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I want Izzy in my life. By my side. She’s my girl.”

Ramsey’s shock quickly vanished. He glared at me. He was furious. “You asshole. How dare you! You know what she’s been through. You took advantage of my sister. Of all the things you could have done, you took advantage of her when she was most vulnerable.”

I flinched at his words, feeling the weight of his accusations. “Ramsey, it’s not like that. I’m crazy about her. I didn’t take advantage of her. We’ve been together for weeks. Those have been the best weeks of my life.”

His eyes were cold, unforgiving. “I trusted you, man. You were like a brother to me. And you do this behind my back? You’re dead to me. Both of you.”

Izzy’s face crumpled with tears, and I wanted to hold her, to comfort her. But Ramsey’s words had cut deep.

“I know you’re pissed, but this isn’t fair to Izzy,” I said.

Ramsey stepped up. I expected him to hit me. I wouldn’t hit him back. I’d let him hit me once and get it out of his system. I looked him dead in the eye and waited. But instead of punching me, Ramsey took a step back. His face softened slightly, but the fury still burned in his eyes. “You’re right. This isn’t fair to Izzy. She deserves better than a guy who would lie to her brother and take advantage of her. You’re not good enough for her, and you never will be.”

Izzy let out a sob, and I felt a pang of guilt and regret. I had messed up, and now I was losing the girl I loved and my best friend. “I’m sorry, Ramsey. I never meant for this to happen. I just… fell for her. And I couldn’t help it.”

Ramsey shook his head. “Save it. I don’t want to hear it. You’re a piece of shit, and I hope you both rot in hell.”

Izzy rushed over. “Stop, Ramsey. Don’t.” She gently pushed Ramsey away from me.

“Get off me, Izzy,” Ramsey growled.

“Ramsey, please,” Izzy said. “Calm down and let us explain.”

“I don’t need a picture book to figure out what’s going on,” he snapped.

“You have no right to be angry,” Izzy said. “Don’t you want us to be happy?”

“I want you with someone who knows how to treat a woman.”

“He does,” Izzy said. “He makes me happy. Isn’t that what you said you wanted for me? You told me you just wanted me to be happy. You know Cam. You’ve been a brother to him. Why can’t I be with him? I don’t understand why you’re so against the idea of us being together? You love Cam like a brother!”

Ramsey’s expression softened as he looked at Izzy. “Of course, I love Cam. But I also love you, Izzy. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. And I don’t trust him. He’s always been reckless and impulsive. What if he hurts you? I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”

Izzy took a deep breath. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions. I know Cam can be impulsive sometimes, but he’s also kind and caring. And I know he would never intentionally hurt me.”

“I won’t,” I argued. “Izzy is different. She’s not like the other women. I wouldneverhurt her. I cherish her. I’ve been looking out for her most of my life. My feelings for her have always been very strong. I’ve pushed them down for a long time. I can’t anymore.”

Ramsey looked at me with betrayal in his eyes. “It’s the fact you’ve been lying,” he said. “You’ve been lying right to my face. Is this why you didn’t want to work with her? You were afraid I would find out your dirty little secret?”

I told myself honesty was the best policy going forward. I shrugged. “It’s always been there,” I said quietly.

He shook his head with disgust. “You’re both liars,” he hissed.

With that, he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Izzy collapsed into a chair, crying uncontrollably. I knelt beside her, taking her hand in mine. “Izzy, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you or your brother. I care about you so much. I want to make things right.”

She looked up at me, her eyes red and puffy. “How can you want anything to do with me after what he just said?”

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