Chapter 34
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
ABBY
Sam: I’m calling you, pick up. I need to explain.
Cami: Hey…please call me.
Sam: Don’t ignore me.
Sam: Sienna is crazy. Don’t listen to her. It’s always been you, baby.
Cami: Why aren’t you picking up?
To say I’m confused is an understatement.
I know he’s been seeing Sienna since I caught them in bed together.
Even though he tells me ‘it was a one time thing.’ He tries his best to hide it because he wants people to think he’s still dating that, and I quote, ‘hot influencer with a million followers.’ He’s been desperately trying so hard to get back with me so he hasn’t been publicly dating anyone, but I know he’s still seeing Sienna.
I have no idea why he continues to try. He’s a lying, manipulating cheat and I would have to be out of my goddamn mind to even consider such a thing.
He treated me like shit, used me, and then cheated on me. I’m so done.
I don’t care much about what he has to say, but Cami’s text is concerning.
As I click on her name to respond to ask what is going on, a message from Sienna pulls down on the top banner of my phone. My heart rate spikes and I can’t help but instantly tap to open the message.
Sienna: I’m tired of being his dirty little secret.
Sienna: iennastylesyou/1kpgI2
Oh, god. Oh, no. I don’t know what she’s posted but what if she got a hold of something that I don’t want public. It’s not like I did anything scandalous with Sam but what if he recorded something without me knowing about it that Sienna found. Sadly, I wouldn’t put that past either one of them.
My breath stalls in my throat and my heart beats wildly out of control as I click on the link.
A video pops up from Sienna’s social media with a shaky recording of a dark screen. There’s no sound, just static scratchiness overlapping heavy breathing and footsteps clacking in the background. Like heels on concrete.
A sliver of light from a distance highlights the outline of a car then suddenly, a bright light flashes on the screen, the autofocus overcorrects itself with the harsh contrast. I even squint adjusting to the brightness.
“You fucking asshole!” Sienna shrieks as her hand flails forward over the screen, nailing a man in the back of his head. The screen is shaking but I can easily make out Sam’s profile as he pulls his arms over his head to protect himself.
“Sienna, stop. Jesus. It’s not what it looks like!” he screams. Deja vu, because I’ve heard that before.
She doesn’t stop smacking him as she continues to spit out profanities and names at him. It looks like he was truly caught off guard and at this point can only defend himself by covering himself and the woman he’s laying on top of.
I breathe out a small chuckle at the sight because, well, karma.
“Sienna, stop!” the other girl screams out.
“I know you were sneaking behind my back, you slut!”
Sienna stops hitting Sam and her camera focuses on the girl laying topless underneath Sam. Her arms are crossed over each other to cover her breasts as she peers up into the camera.
“Oh my god,” my hand covers my mouth as my voice cracks even though my words are barely a whisper.
Cami.
“Are you recording this?” Cami shrieks as she squints, her eyes bouncing between the screen and Sienna standing behind it.
“You’re damn right I am, and you know exactly where it’s going.” Cami pushes Sam off and sits up just as the screen cuts off and the video ends.
“Cami—” I cut myself off because it’s all the words I can muster. I’m frozen in this position. Staring at the blank screen dumbfounded, shocked, disappointed, and completely heartbroken.
That was Cami. My best friend. The person I would confide in the most. The same girl that spent the holidays with me. The same girl that stood next to me during my mother’s funeral.
I drop my phone to the ground as Major rushes up to the right side of me, while Jasper consoles me from my left side. Dipping my head into my open palms, I cover my face because I don’t want them to see the tears in my eyes and the shame on my face.
I didn’t make my break up with Sam known because I was trying to maintain some privacy. Now I realize how stupid that was because everyone just found out he wasn’t just cheating on me with Sienna but it appears with Cami, too. My two closest friends.
My phone starts pinging incessantly and I can see the notifications popping up from the screen. I’m getting tagged nonstop in the video, it’s being shared and reposted. Alert after alert after alert. It scrolls up over the screen like credits at the end of a movie.
How fucking embarassing.
I could care less about Sam at this point. Sienna can get trapped in a traveling porta potty for all I care, but Cami. Cami’s betrayal wrecks me.
“He’s not worth it, pumpkin,” Jasper whispers to me as he kisses my temple.
I don’t have the energy to explain how little I care about Sam and what he did.
I actually don’t even care that it’s shared all over social media.
I’m used to my life being public and people saying whatever shit they feel like spewing out about me at any given moment.
I can be the most beautiful, kindest woman one second and if I promote or dislike something they don’t, I instantly become the villain in their life story. It’s like my opinion was a personal attack against them.
Even if I wear the wrong thing that doesn’t flatter my body type or if I’m wearing a warm tone versus a cool tone that doesn’t compliment my skin type. They have more than enough to say about their opinions on how I look or what I do.
My skin has grown thick over the past year and fortunately I’ve learned how to move past it.
But this is a level of drama I don’t feel like dealing with. Not when I feel grief and mourning from the loss of someone who I thought was a true friend.
“Was that the same Cami you were talking to earlier?” Major asks, and of course he does, because he pays attention to every minute detail. Jasper's body tenses next to mine and somehow I find it in me to nod.
“I see,” he says as he glances at Jasper, then back over to Wade.
Wade hasn’t moved from his spot behind the kitchen island. He’s just been watching the three of us and I don’t know if it’s because he knows I have Jasper and Major here or if he’s uncomfortable with crying women but I feel like I need them all.
I glance in his direction, silently asking for his comfort, too, but he doesn't move. He stands there like an iceberg, stuck in the same spot and stoic as hell.
He was so kind to me in his room earlier today when it was just the two of us.
During our Truth or Dare and Guess Who game he was adventurous and brave but now, he’s the same cold Wade that answered the door when I first arrived.
His scowl has returned and as much as I don’t care about other people’s opinions, I really care what he’s thinking.
And that grates on my nerves.
It’s natural to lean on someone you feel close to in a time of need but as I look at these three men staring back at me I realize I’ve done that far too often in my life. And look where it has gotten me.
My trust issues are hitting hard.
I’m not sure if it’s the video I just saw, the betrayal I feel, or me just trying to sabotage everything in my life but I can’t handle Wade’s judgmental gaze. The embarrassment of this happening in front of them is devastating and mortifying.
So what do we do when trying to handle emotions we don’t understand, but can’t manage to control because of the overwhelming sensation of humiliation, uncontrollably lash out.
“What is your problem?” I stand, staring straight at him.
His eyes widen and trail up with me as I rise to my full height.
“Are you judging me? Do you want to tell me how stupid I am? Make fun of me like a million other people are right now?” His look is a mix of confusion and pity, as he shakes his head, but he remains silent, not fighting for me, not saying anything, and that pisses me off even more.
“Abby—” Major’s hand wraps gently around my elbow. His voice is soft and assuring as he attempts to calm me down but I hate how impersonal my real name sounds coming from his mouth with that tone.
“This was a mistake. Staying here was a mistake,” I say as I bend down to grab my phone.
I’m being completely irrational. I know I am.
The normally level-headed Abby is screaming at me from one side but the completely unreasonable, devastatingly heartbroken Abby is taking the wheel and there’s no stopping her.
“Abby, it’s not a mis—” Jasper stands, taking a step toward me but I put my hand up stopping him from continuing to move or talk. Even Jasper's kind tone sounds harsh to my sensitive ears.
I can’t do this. I need to form the words. I need to say them out loud because it’s the only way this won’t end up with me even more broken than I already feel. I can barely handle a relationship with one person, much less three. And what are they going to do, share me?
“This was never going to work.” I manage to spit out the words and they feel like razor blades on my lips.
I hate it, because I know it was more than just sex.
There was a connection. A desire we all shared.
But I’m thinking too much with my broken heart to do anything that will continue to hurt me.
Major steps forward with purpose, his body language is demanding and I expect the same with his words but as he goes to open his mouth an ear splitting ringing blares through the station.
I have to bow my head and cover my ears as the deafening sound pierces my ears. The shrieking sound of the fire alarm bounces off the cement walls and echoes through every room in the station.
The guys all look at each other and Wade is the first to react, diving around the kitchen island and racing toward the lockers in the garage.
“Goddamn it.” Major runs his hands through his hair, then steps toward me. “Stay here, please stay here.” His eyes beg along with his words. I return a dispirited look and he frowns as he steps back because he knows.
He knows I won’t stay.
“Fuck,” Major spits out. A single word laced with so much mixed emotion. Frustration, hurt, anger. “Jasper, let’s go. Now.” He takes a giant leap back then turns, running into the garage behind Wade.
“No!” Jasper screams back at Major as he grabs my hands. “This can work, we will work.”
I can’t have him touch me right now. I can’t get pulled into this orbit I’ve been in with him, with them. His touch is soft and inviting and as much as I wanted that a few minutes ago, I need to protect myself. I pull my hands away and avoid his gaze. “You have to go, Jasper.”
“Abby, please.”
There he goes with Abby, too. These men have spoiled me with my nicknames so much that now I despise my real one.
“You have to go.” I pin him with a look that says I’m serious.
I have literally been saved by the bell and need to take full advantage of it. This is the perfect excuse to leave with no ties, nothing. “Go!”
Wade runs past the open doorway completely dressed in his gear, screaming for Jasper as the garage door opens. “We can’t stay for her, Jasper. We have to leave, right now!”
“Wade’s right,” I reply to Jasper.
Wade’s always been right. He’s been the stand-offish one. The one that makes the right judgment calls and thinks with more logic than heart, which is exactly what I need to do.
Jasper’s eyes squeeze shut, as if in pain then turns around, running into the garage with more speed than both of the others combined.
The truck's engine roars to life as Major runs to the passenger side and it begins to inch its way out of the garage. Jasper flies by jumping onto the back of the moving truck, pinning me with one last look. It's full of sadness and a silent plea, but it’s useless because today is over. It’s come to an end like it was always meant to.
I already feel so hurt and I have no interest in damaging myself any further.
And by the pained look he returns back at me, he knows it too.