Page 83 of Entwined (Monarch)

“He’d been sleeping with her for over two months, Aud. It wasn’t a one-night fling. He fucked her more than once.”

“Uh-huh. Typical.”

“Don’t patronize me, Audrey. Go ahead. Say it. Say, ‘I told you so. Once a cheater always a cheater.’”

“I’m not going to say that. I’m not that petty. This is your heart we’re talking about.”

Tears filled my eyes again. “But you were right.”

“Well, yes. And no.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, yes, I do believe that once a cheater, always a cheater. But maybe he only cheated this one time, and he won’t again. I don’t know.”

“There’s no way for me to ever trust him again, is there?”

“That’s something only you can decide.”

“He cheated on me for at least two months. Even if it was with the same girl, it was a long-time thing.” I lifted myself off the pillow and sat cross-legged on the bed. “I don’t know if that makes it better or worse.”

Her silence was unnerving me.

“What do you think, Aud?”

“Honestly?”

“Duh?”

“And you promise you won’t get mad?”

I knew she wasn’t going to hold back and that sometimes her truth could be blunt and a little ruthless. But I needed to hear it. I pulled up my imaginary big girl panties. “I promise I won’t get mad. Cross my heart.” And I crossed my heart to seal the deal, even though I knew she couldn’t see me.

“You just crossed your heart, didn’t you?”

I groaned. Sometimes I hated the way she totally and completely knew me. “Sure did.” Images of us as young girls, making each other cross our hearts or pinky swear whenever we promised anything to each other, flashed through my mind.

“You’re so dorky. But so adorable.”

“I know,” I snorted. “Anyway, tell me the truth. The honest truth.”

“In this case, I think it’s worse. It wasn’t just once. He knew what he did, what he was doing. And kept doing it anyway. He’s a selfish, self-absorbed asshole. He’ll never change.”

Her words didn’t sting as they hit me, and that surprised me. In that moment, I couldn’t help agreeing with her words.

“Sleeping with someone once could just be a total lapse in judgment. Like ‘Hey, I’m an asshole, I totally screwed up, but I swear it won’t happen again.’ But repeatedly? Especially for that long? That shit’s intentional.”

She was one hundred percent right. “I knew that deep inside before you even said so. But I just needed to hear it from someone else.”

“I know you loved him. But seriously, this is beyond fucked up.”

“Hearing those words sealed the coffin for him. The last nail kind of a thing.”

“I just know you. And I know you’re not going to be able to forgive or forget this kind of betrayal. I know I can’t either.”

“What?” Her words brought me to a halt. “What do you meanyoucan’teither?”

“Couldn’t. I meant couldn’t. Or wouldn’t.” I heard her shuffling some papers on the other end. “Sorry. I’m multitasking. I’m totally listening to you though.”

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