Everly’s POV

I stepped out the doors and the warm air greeted me as I exit the plane. But nothing could bring me down right now. I was struggling down the walkway in the heels I was still wearing, and moved my handbag from one side to the other, and when I touched the phone that was still tugged in my pants pocket it buzzed as if waiting for the clue.

Really?!

I hadn’t planned on looking at my phone till I got home. Something told me I had to deal with some long sappy story or rather message from Chris – either that or more insults raining on me, paired with a nice guilt trip about how I ruined his wedding and how karma would get me.

I had already mapped out a dozen different directions in which his inevitable message could go, so I was pretty certain that I was prepared for whatever was to come. But considering how many times I had been proved wrong in just a matter of weeks, I should have known I was by no means prepared for what he had in stores for me.

Not by a long shot.

Looking at the screen, I confirmed Chris message. I told myself I would just peek at the text without reading it all, but then it started with pictures. Four of them. One was a electronic receipt, three being images so explicit my stomach began to turn.

I wanted to smash my phone onto the floor. I should have too, but I chose instead to torture myself further, reading the message Chris had sent at some point during my flight home.

It was so far from what I expected.
It wasn’t long. And it wasn’t bitter or depressed or laced with insults.
It was just facts – cold hard facts that were so impossible to deny that my thumbing heart started battering my insides, making me feel bruised all over.

Fuck…
No…
Please, don’t let it be true…

I pressed my hand onto my mouth, because if I didn’t, I would scream.

Even as I shut myself up, I wanted to bite my own fingers and let it all out because suddenly, the haunting feeling was back. Those old regrets were back, stronger than ever and joined now by a heartbreak worse than the one Chris subjected me to because this time the lie had come from the man I was sure had just healed me – the man who was supposed to help me turn the page to my new chapter.

Goddamnit Brian.

I burst into tears the second I saw him emerge behind me. Catching my sight immediately, his smile dropped like a brick and his step quickened to catch up with me as I turned and furiously strode away, looking for the path to lead me away from the gate, to some other plane, some exit, just something so I could be anywhere but here.

“Everly!” Brian called behind me, his voice sharp with nothing but concern.

Appropriate, considering my anguish had only to do with him – and not just my anguish in this moment but every moment I had experienced in the past two years. It was on him.

“EVE! Stop!” He called again, but I didn’t wait, I walked further “Where are you going?!” His voice was closer now, I knew he would catch me any second. “Far away from you” I replied between teeth.

“What are you talking about? Hey!” His footsteps closed in on me.

“Eve!” He caught my arm and spun me around to face him, his eyes blazing as he studied me urgently.

“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, his breath hitting my cheek, so close was he holding me. “Tell me, Eve!”

“You tell me!” I hissed, jerking my arm out of his grip, my frantic eyes searching his face for something I would miss – some sign of deceit that I had just blissfully ignored. But there was nothing.

He was still breathtaking and beautiful and it only made the hurt a million times worse. “You know what, Brian? Fine. I will tell you since clearly, you have some issues with honesty!” His jaw went tight and when he didn’t protest, I knew I was onto something.

“It wasn’t Chris that night,” I whispered, watching all forms of expressions fall from Brian’s face. Damn it. I had all the evidence in my hands but it wasn’t till he looked at me with shame that I knew it was true.

“You know what night I am talking about. He said he was going to cheat on me. I tried to track him down all over the city and I couldn’t find him or stop him so I found Val and we drank till I could forget it. And I made myself so sick she got scared and she needed someone to come help. I thought it was him – for two years- Two fucking years! I knew in my heart that Chris didn’t cheat on me that night because instead he came to save me. Because he loved me. I was in so much pain that night and I was so goddamned stupid for drinking that much, but I thought it was somehow worth it because of how Chris came to prove himself to me. It thought it was worth it for how much stronger we came back as a couple after that night.” I cried, my tears falling against my cheeks, but my eyes were burning into Brian’s.

“But it wasn’t him that night, was it?” I almost couldn’t get my voice to come out, a sob trying to escape but only muted and sobbing words.

“Just fucking say it, Brian!” I demanded and Brian’s eyes were still locked with mine.

“It was me.”

My shoulders crashed as I cried hard, wanting so badly to crumple to the ground. Brian reached for me but I pushed him away, sobbing as I thought about how my gut feeling was right.
Completely and utterly right.

I hadn’t felt good about getting back with Chris after the “break” because I shouldn’t have. He did cheat on me that night. He did have sex with Tyler. And it wasn’t even just once. The texts he had just sent me included a picture for every round they went for, and he drove his message home with a confirmation of his check-ins and check-out time at the hotel where they had gotten the room.

Worse than that, the pics were all screenshots from Tylers phone. He hadn’t even looked at his own that night – hadn’t even known I was in trouble at the bar till he saw all the missed texts and voicemails from Val.

By the time he called her back, she told him to forget it, that I was home. And it was then that he listened to the voicemail left by Brian. Once he called him back, they put their stories together. Brian let Chris pretend it was him and together, they agreed to never speak of the night again.

“I didn’t know he cheated, Eve. Or I would have never agreed to let him have it.” Brian said, remorse thick in his voice.
“And even then I was going to tell you. We didn’t talk like that but I was going to.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

Grief dragged at his features, his whole posture. “I thought on it for long. And then it was too late” I shook my head… too late, because we were back together?! What the hell was he thinking?!

“Had I known the real story,” I murmured shakily, my entire body trembling, “I would have never taken him back. I would have never let him back in my bed. I would have saved myself a lot of suffering, if you just had told me the fucking truth!”

I was screaming but I couldn’t stop myself. Val and Matt stood frozen only a couple of feet away. Other stared at us, but I wasn’t sorry. Not for this.
All I was sorry for were the years I had lost to one lie.
When Brian came forward, I stepped sharply back.

“Don’t!” I warned, my voice sharp. “Don’t talk to me. Don’t try to talk to me. Don’t call or see me. Tell Val the same. Just leave me alone.”

I could see the hurt my words left in his brown eyes. I could see his body rigid, tortured as he controlled his urge to grab and hold me and kiss away my tears.

I wanted it but I wouldn’t let it happen and he knew that. He knew well that he wronged me – that there were consequences that I would never forget.

“I never wanted to hurt you” he said finally. “I only wanted to protect you.”

“You did the opposite” I returned straighaway “You hurt me worse than he did.” I said. He knew who I meant and only nodded. We didn’t exchange another word before I left without him.

Notes

Sooo I know it took me pretty damn long to get u the chapter...
but as you see it was a damn important one... or was it the end?! :O
What do u think?!