Chapter 28 - Ryan
Ryan
“What the fuck?”
My disbelieving question finally alerted Kate to my presence. Her head snapped up, all the blood draining from her face. “Ryan? Oh fuck. Oh fuck.”
Her hands shot down to shove Rafe away. He must’ve known I was there, but he didn’t move. Not until she grabbed his hair, twisting sharply. “Rafe, stop.”
Rafe finally pulled away. He rose to his feet to face me, slowly licking his lips. “Delicious.”
God, he was an arrogant arsehole.
Just like Dominic.
Clearing my throat, I turned to face the wall to give Kate some privacy.
“I’m so sorry,” she was saying, over and over again.
“It’s fine.” I stared intently at the floral wallpaper as I tried to process what had just happened.
“You’re damn fucking right it’s fine,” Rafe growled.
I raised a brow, twisting to face him. “Oh, sorry. Was I supposed to walk in here and not even blink at the fact that my fiancée’s getting head from her stepbrother?”
Kate let out a small, mortified moan. Rafe cupped her face, stroking her cheeks soothingly. “It’s okay, Kit. Stop freaking out, okay? I’ll take care of this.”
“I’m not sure there’s anything to take care of.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “I think we all know there’s no wedding happening today.”
“Like you’d want that to happen anyway.” Rafe let go of Kate, grabbed a fistful of papers from the table, and strode over to me. He slammed the papers into my chest, forcing me back a few inches. “You’re a hypocrite if you’re going to stand there and call Kate a cheater.”
My brows drew together in confusion. Confusion that quickly became horror as I looked through the documents he’d shoved at me. Not documents, photographs.
Bile filled my mouth as I sifted through image after image of me and Dom. All of them had been taken at the cabin. Us dancing on the patio. Cuddling on the bench. Even one shot through a window, of him pinning us to the wall, jerking us off.
My stomach churned at the knowledge that someone had spied on us. That they’d captured these intimate moments that were meant to be ours.
A deadly fury rolled under my skin as I looked at Rafe. “How did you get these?”
There was no remorse in his glare. “I knew there was something between you and the squaddie as soon as I saw you at the party.”
“Funny. He said the same about you and Kate.”
Kate sank down on the sofa, dropping her face into her hands. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“This isn’t your fault, Kit,” Rafe said, not looking away from me for a second. “It’s this cheating fucker’s right here. You can’t deny it, Ryan. Kate’s seen the photos already.”
“I wasn’t going to deny it,” I said, tearing the photos to pieces and dropping them into a bin. “I came here to admit to everything and break things off, I swear.”
“Rafe,” Kate said, getting up and coming to his side. She touched his arm gently. “Give us some privacy. Please.”
He snarled, giving her a disbelieving look. “I’m not going to leave you alone with him.”
My eyes widened. “What the fuck? I’m not going to hurt her. Jesus, what kind of man do you think I am?”
Rafe’s jaw was tense as he turned his attention back to me. “One stupid enough to have a precious jewel like Kate and then throw her away.”
I winced at that. He wasn’t wrong. “I’m not going to hurt Kate. I just want to talk.”
Rafe’s hand slid under his jacket. I realised then that he was dressed for the wedding. Had he really planned on watching her marry someone else? Or would he have waited until the opportune moment and stood up to claim her as his?
Something told me he’d been planning the latter.
His hand reappeared and the sight of what he held had my blood running cold. “If you so much as make her feel bad…”
I choked on a gasp, backing up against the door. “Jesus, fuck. No. What is wrong with you?”
Kate narrowed her eyes at my reaction and rounded Rafe, cursing when she saw the gun in his hand. “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Raphael. Why do you always have to make shit ten times more complicated? I love you, but you can be a fucking idiot sometimes.”
I didn’t know what I was more surprised by. That my quiet, sweet Kate was snapping and cursing at him with a temerity that would make Xander proud, or that she casually took the gun out of Rafe’s hand and shoved it into a drawer.
Or that Rafe let her.
She wasn’t done either. Bristling from head to toe, Kate put herself between us. Hands on hips, she squared up to Rafe, glaring up at him from her five feet and three inches. “Right, Raphael Marino. Time to put your money where your mouth is.”
I marvelled as the man who’d just been glaring daggers at me with a fucking gun in his hand literally curled in on himself under Kate’s glare. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh yes you fucking do,” she retorted hotly. “If you meant what you said about not interfering in my life, about letting me make my own choices, then you’ll walk out of here right now and let me speak to Ryan. Alone.”
Rafe glowered down at her before giving a tight nod. “Fine. But you’ll call me the second you need me.”
She went up on her toes to brush a kiss over his lips. “Go make trouble somewhere else, Rafe. I’ll be fine.”
With one more murderous look in my direction, Rafe stormed out of the room.
“I’m sorry about that.” Kate sighed. Exhaustion lined her face as she watched him go. “That’s not how I wanted you to find out.”
“It’s okay.” I gestured at the bin. “That’s not how I wanted you to find out about me and Dom either.”
She gave me a weak smile. “Shall we sit down? I suspect this conversation might be easier that way.”
Somehow, I didn’t think this conversation would be easy for either of us. But if it made Kate more comfortable, then I’d do it. And not out of fear of what Rafe might do to me, but because I wasn’t a complete twat.
Just mostly.
I couldn’t help but smile softly as she arranged the skirt of her dress around her. “You look beautiful, Kate.”
The wistful smile she gave me in return had my chest aching. “It’s a shame no one’s going to get to see it.”
“Is it? Because given what I just walked in on, and that you know I’ve cheated on you, I thought you would’ve been glad.”
She snorted, dropping her head against the back of the sofa. “God, I wish it were that simple. I really do.”
“Would you really have gone through with the wedding?”
“Yes… No… I don’t know.” She sighed again. “I was planning to, but then Rafe showed me the photos. Next thing I knew, he had me up on the piano and you were there. Honestly, it’s like he scrambles my brain or something.”
I chuckled, thinking of Dom. “I know the feeling.”
She smiled gently. “So…you and the hot tattooed soldier?”
“Yeah.” I carded a hand through my hair. “I was coming here to tell you, I swear. I’m sorry I cheated on you, Kate. You deserve better than that.”
“Not sure that’s true, given what you walked in on.”
Curiosity got the better of me. “Why aren’t you with Rafe?”
“Isn’t that the million-pound question.” She blew out a breath. “Honestly? It’s complicated. He’s my stepbrother, for a start.”
“But not your actual brother.” I thought back to the little she’d told me about him. “You didn’t grow up together, right?”
“No, he moved in when I was eighteen,” she said, nervously rubbing her fingers together. “I thought things were different then.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Yeah. I know that feeling too.”
“Anyway.” Kate straightened briskly. “Enough about me. Tell me about Dominic.”
My lips twitched. Of all the ways I’d been expecting this conversation to go, this hadn’t been one of them. “Well…like you, it’s complicated. We had a whirlwind romance when we were eighteen, but it came to a screaming halt when I discovered he’d signed up for the army.”
“Did you not want to do long-distance?”
I gave her a tight smile. “He didn’t give me that option. Not at first. I didn’t find out he was leaving until pretty much the last minute. And not from him either, but from Max.”
Kate winced. “Ouch.”
“Indeed. Add in the fact that Max told me Dom was in love with him, that he was only with me because Max was straight, and…yeah. Safe to say, it didn’t end well.”
She gave a low whistle. “Christ. I can see why.”
“I didn’t see him for ten years. Not until my stag do. I swear, Kate, I didn’t propose thinking I’d ever cheat on you. When I got down on one knee and offered you forever, I meant it. If it had been anyone but Dominic…”
My voice trailed off, because while it was true, it didn’t make it right.
“It’s okay,” Kate said, her eyes kind. “I get it. You couldn’t give him up.”
His face flashed into my mind. His hurt as he left my flat two days ago. “No. I can’t. Not even for you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she sighed. “As obviously shown, this isn’t all on you. I’m not sure I can give Rafe up either.”
Something odd itched at my brain. “Have you been with him this past week?”
She flushed. “Yes. I’m sorry I lied but—”
“No.” I held up my hands. “That’s not what I meant, sorry. It’s just… I’m confused about the muffins and the card. If you were torn between us, why did you send that?”
Kate stared at me blankly for several long seconds, then she groaned. “Oh my god, yeah, I can see how that’d send mixed messages. I arranged for those to be delivered weeks ago—before the engagement party.”
When she’d been reunited with Rafe. Funny how we’d both been blindsided with our true loves at events meant to celebrate our future together.
Fate was clearly a comedian in a different universe.
“Maybe this is for the best for both of us.” I offered her a tentative smile. “Now we can both be happy with the people we truly love.”
“I wish I had your optimism.” She traced a pattern on her dress. “It’s never going to be that simple with Rafe.”
I thought about the gun in the drawer. “You’re safe, right? He wouldn’t ever hurt you?”
Her head snapped up, eyes widening. “God, no. Don’t get me wrong, Rafe is not a good man. Far from it. But he’d never hurt me. He’d burn the world down before letting that happen.”
“Good. Just because we’re ending this way, that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”
“Ditto.” She smiled sadly. “I hope we can stay friends.”
A weight lifted off my chest. Not all of it though. The majority would stay there until I finally laid eyes on Dominic. “I’d like that. A lot.”
“Me too.”
“About the gun…” She winced as she said the word. “I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but can you keep that to yourself? Rafe can be…unpredictable. I’d feel better knowing there won’t be any consequences from today.”
I imagined telling Dominic about it. Xander. Hell, maybe even Max. The reactions they’d have. Not only to the gun, but the pictures too. “Yeah, I don’t think any good would come of me telling anyone. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thank you.” Her beautiful face softened. “You’re truly far too good for me.”
I barked a laugh. “I don’t know about that. I think you’re seeing the version of me I wanted you to see, not who I actually am. I suspect you might say the same?”
“You’re probably right. I’ve spent the last ten years trying to shape myself into a different person. A person who wouldn’t be stupid enough to yearn for a man like Rafe.”
Her words struck me deep. “I don’t think we get to choose.”
“No.” Her lips twisted sadly. “I don’t think we do.”
It hit me then that Kate was in a different place to me. Where I’d realised that Dom was the one I was meant to be with, that I was fucking thrilled to be in love with him and him with me…I didn’t think she was quite there. Not with Rafe.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated. “I wish you nothing but the best, Kate.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “Same goes.”
As much as I was itching to get to Dominic, I was aware I couldn’t just leave Kate in the lurch. “Do you want me to help you sort out cancelling everything? Making calls, that sort of thing?”
She waved a hand. “Nah. Knowing Rafe, it’s already been taken care of.”
I raised a brow. “That seems…presumptuous.”
“That’s Rafe. Always assuming he knows what’s best for me,” she said darkly, glaring at the ceiling.
Yeah, Kate definitely wasn’t in the same place I was.
“Okay, well, call me if you do need help,” I said.
“We won’t.” She touched my wrist as I stood, smiling up at me with a kindness I’d never deserve from her. “Go get your man, Ryan.”