Page 64 of The Wrong One

“You’re pretty wrong about that.” I laughed. “I’ve had better. You’re right, Patrick. I am hooking up with Cameron and it’s incredible. I’ve never had it so good. I didn’t know it was possible to actually have an orgasm I didn’t have to fake.”

Patrick looked like he wanted to hit me. He was furious and humiliated. The security guards both snickered and turned their backs, but not before Patrick saw it. I knew exactly how to get to Patrick, and I had just hit a zinger.

“You’re such a bitch,” he hissed.

“I probably am,” I said. “But you know what? I don’t hate you. How can I? Your actions drove me into the arms of the man I’m supposed to be with. If you had not done what you did, I wouldn’t have found someone who treats me like I matter. Honestly, I hope you can find a woman who will make you happy. I must give you some free advice though. You really need to get your shit together before you ever find a good woman. I hope you don’t give your heart to a woman, and she breaks it like you did to me.”

“You’re so fucking dramatic,” he barked. “You were trying to tie me down. You smothered me.”

“Patrick, I didn’t smother you. If you don’t want to be married or engaged or in an actual relationship, don’t be. No one is telling you; you have to be settled. Go out and sleep with anyone you want to. Just don’t cheat. Be a man and just be honest with yourself. You don’t want to be in a committed relationship. Don’t lie to another woman and promise her the world and then walk away. You need to get help. Get your shit together. I’m done. I’ve moved on. I wouldn’t go back to you for all the money in the world. Goodbye, Patrick. Lose my number.”

I turned and walked away. That little speech should have made me feel on top of the world. I should be dancing and celebrating. Unfortunately, I had to go talk to my brother and try to make him understand this thing with me and Cam wasn’t just a fling. We were very real.

I mustered up all my courage and went to Ramsey’s office. I knocked but he didn’t answer. I opened the door, meeting his gaze. “Ramsey, we need to talk. Can I come in?”

“Cam send you?”

“No,” I shook my head. I could see the confusion in his eyes, a mix of hurt and betrayal.

I sat down across from him and took a moment to gather my thoughts. “Ramsey, I need to be honest with you. I wanted to tell you myself before you heard it from someone else. We both did.”

“I am really not interested in hearing anything you have to say,” he said. “I can’t trust you. You’ve been lying to my face.”

Ramsey’s expression hardened, his jaw clenching. “You’ve been seeing Cam. My best friend. Behind my back.” His voice was laced with disbelief and anger. “Right under my nose. Have you guys been messing around in the lab?”

“No,” I said.

“I know it was wrong not to tell you, and I never intended to hurt you. It just happened, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m sorry, Ramsey.”

He leaned back, his eyes searching mine for answers. “How long has this been going on?” he asked. “Don’t lie to me. I want the truth. Did you leave Patrick to be with Cam?”

“No!” I exclaimed. “Nothing happened between Cam and me until a couple of weeks ago. Like Cam said, there’s always been chemistry. We’ve always had this thing bubbling between us. We have never acted on it. I swear.”

“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to believe you,” he said.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to explain myself. “It was never planned. Feelings developed, and I was torn between my love for Cam and my loyalty to you. I didn’t want to destroy our relationship, but I couldn’t deny what I felt. We have something really good.”

Ramsey ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. “You should have talked to me. You should have been honest from the beginning. Now, it feels like a betrayal from both of you. It hurts. You are the two people in this world I never expected to be betrayed by.”

I took a deep breath and tried to carefully choose my words. “Ramsey, I understand you feel like we betrayed you. Maybe we did, but this isn’t about you. I know what I want. I trust Cam. He’s not going to do anything to hurt me. You trust Cam with Lily, why can’t you trust him with me?”

“You know damn well this is not the same,” he spat. “You’re an adult and you’re right, you can make your own decisions. Who am I to say otherwise? Just the guy who’s been looking out for you your entire life. I told you Patrick was bad news, and you didn’t want to hear me out. Quite frankly, I don’t think you know what you want. You jumped from Patrick to Cam. Now, you’re going to end up breaking his heart or vice versa. Where do you think that leaves me? Am I supposed to choose one of you to back? You’re being selfish. You could have talked to me like an adult. The fact you guys kept it from me tells me you weren’t really all that interested in making it real. I only know because that asshole thought he would fuck with me.”

“We were just getting our footing,” I told him. “You can think what you want, but this is real. It’s very real.”

He stood up, sending his chair flying out behind him. “Great,” he muttered.

He walked out of his office, leaving the door hanging open.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

Cam

Igripped the steering wheel tightly as I made my way to Ramsey’s house. The weight of the argument we had sat heavy on my mind, and I knew it was time to address it. The road stretched out ahead of me, the passing scenery doing little to calm my racing thoughts. Ramsey wasn’t talking to me or Izzy apparently. I had to find a way to make him listen.

Last night, Izzy stayed the night at my house. She was having a hard time with the situation. I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t dealing with it all that well either. It was weird not being able to text him or check in with him. Usually, I spent Saturday with Lily and Ramsey. I was feeling adrift.

Izzy was talking about not going to work tomorrow because she didn’t want to see her brother. I needed to fix this. I broke it. Ramsey could hate me all he wanted but he couldn’t abandon his sister. She didn’t deserve to be kicked to the curb. It wasn’t like we had actually done anything wrong. We didn’t elope. I wasn’t using her. It was just love. I knew it was love. I had never felt like this for anyone else.

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