door. But she didn’t say anything to me. Not a word. Which was lucky—for her. ‘Cause I felt ready to rip her hair out.
I waited and waited for Riley to come out of his office, waiting to tell him I was sick and needed to go home, but he never came out.
Finally, after an hour, I dragged myself up to his office, but his door wasn’t shut all the way and I could hear him on the phone.
“Look, I’m not going to lie to her, man,” he said to the person on the other line. “Dude, you’re being a douche, just stop cheating on her—”
Riley turned and saw me standing in the doorway. He blanched and stopped talking in mid-sentence.
His jaw flinching, he stared at me for a long, tense moment, then quickly muttered into the phone, “I have to go.”
He hung up without waiting for a reply.
I swallowed, then let out a breath, but it caught in my throat. “Who—who were you talking to?”
Riley rubbed the back of his neck. “Zoey … ”
His voice sounded pained.
But he didn’t answer my question—which of course was an answer in itself, but no way could I handle it being left like that. No way.
I snatched Riley’s cell off the edge of his desk and, of course, he tried to grab it from me, but too late. I slipped away from him, hitting the call back button.
Riley winced. “Zoey, don’t.”
On the second ring, Finn answered. I clutched my stomach, practically doubling over. Okay, I pretty much knew it would be him—totally knew it in my gut. But still, I so hoped I was wrong.
But, of course, I wasn’t. Of course. My boyfriend had been cheating on me. Duh. I’d basically known since the concert. I just didn’t want to face it.
Broken and numb, without saying a word, I handed the phone back to Riley. He hung it up, his eyes never leaving my face.
Immediately, his cell started ringing again. Riley didn’t even look at it. He shut it down without a glance, still staring into my eyes.
His jaw flinched. “Jones …” He ran his hands through his hair, his eyes looking tortured, full of sympathy.
No. I didn’t want to see that. I couldn’t handle it.
I swallowed, holding back tears. “You should have told me.”
Riley glared up at the ceiling. “He’s my best friend.”
“You should have told me.”
I ran out of his office, though I could hear Riley calling after me.
My plan was, I was going to storm out of the restaurant and drive home and bawl my eyes out. That was my plan.
Only, I had orders up—plates of food sitting at the window, cooked and ready to go to tables. I couldn’t ask a co-worker to do it. I couldn’t even talk.
Gah.
On wobbly legs, I trudged to the kitchen window to pick up the orders, and I even managed to serve them and everything without crying.
Riley was at my side anyway. He took the pitcher of root beer I was filling. “Jones, go home. Talk to Finn.”
I shook my head, my lip trembling.
Riley let out a breath of frustration. “Then go to my office—now.”
He sounded like a boss, all firm. In control. That was good. It made me actually do what he said instead of trying to keep working, ‘cause I knew I’d start bawling any second.
I sat in Riley’s office, folding myself over in his desk chair. Still shaking. So bad. I tried not to think, but having all these thoughts scrambling around in my head anyway. Thoughts that made me want to cry. Finn—who I had once loved so deeply—had cheated on me. More than once. And Riley knew. But he didn’t tell me. I felt hurt and angry and betrayed.
By both of them.
I shoved at the tears in my eyes, moaning.
Riley quietly came into the office only moments later. He watched me trembling for a moment, then ran his hands through his hair, looking as though he wanted to comfort me—kind of bad—but also run away.
“I know I should have told you, Jones—I know that—but you love the guy, and he’s just making a mistake. He loves you. He does. He’s just … messed up right now. His hormones are all—”
I waited and waited for Riley to come out of his office, waiting to tell him I was sick and needed to go home, but he never came out.
Finally, after an hour, I dragged myself up to his office, but his door wasn’t shut all the way and I could hear him on the phone.
“Look, I’m not going to lie to her, man,” he said to the person on the other line. “Dude, you’re being a douche, just stop cheating on her—”
Riley turned and saw me standing in the doorway. He blanched and stopped talking in mid-sentence.
His jaw flinching, he stared at me for a long, tense moment, then quickly muttered into the phone, “I have to go.”
He hung up without waiting for a reply.
I swallowed, then let out a breath, but it caught in my throat. “Who—who were you talking to?”
Riley rubbed the back of his neck. “Zoey … ”
His voice sounded pained.
But he didn’t answer my question—which of course was an answer in itself, but no way could I handle it being left like that. No way.
I snatched Riley’s cell off the edge of his desk and, of course, he tried to grab it from me, but too late. I slipped away from him, hitting the call back button.
Riley winced. “Zoey, don’t.”
On the second ring, Finn answered. I clutched my stomach, practically doubling over. Okay, I pretty much knew it would be him—totally knew it in my gut. But still, I so hoped I was wrong.
But, of course, I wasn’t. Of course. My boyfriend had been cheating on me. Duh. I’d basically known since the concert. I just didn’t want to face it.
Broken and numb, without saying a word, I handed the phone back to Riley. He hung it up, his eyes never leaving my face.
Immediately, his cell started ringing again. Riley didn’t even look at it. He shut it down without a glance, still staring into my eyes.
His jaw flinched. “Jones …” He ran his hands through his hair, his eyes looking tortured, full of sympathy.
No. I didn’t want to see that. I couldn’t handle it.
I swallowed, holding back tears. “You should have told me.”
Riley glared up at the ceiling. “He’s my best friend.”
“You should have told me.”
I ran out of his office, though I could hear Riley calling after me.
My plan was, I was going to storm out of the restaurant and drive home and bawl my eyes out. That was my plan.
Only, I had orders up—plates of food sitting at the window, cooked and ready to go to tables. I couldn’t ask a co-worker to do it. I couldn’t even talk.
Gah.
On wobbly legs, I trudged to the kitchen window to pick up the orders, and I even managed to serve them and everything without crying.
Riley was at my side anyway. He took the pitcher of root beer I was filling. “Jones, go home. Talk to Finn.”
I shook my head, my lip trembling.
Riley let out a breath of frustration. “Then go to my office—now.”
He sounded like a boss, all firm. In control. That was good. It made me actually do what he said instead of trying to keep working, ‘cause I knew I’d start bawling any second.
I sat in Riley’s office, folding myself over in his desk chair. Still shaking. So bad. I tried not to think, but having all these thoughts scrambling around in my head anyway. Thoughts that made me want to cry. Finn—who I had once loved so deeply—had cheated on me. More than once. And Riley knew. But he didn’t tell me. I felt hurt and angry and betrayed.
By both of them.
I shoved at the tears in my eyes, moaning.
Riley quietly came into the office only moments later. He watched me trembling for a moment, then ran his hands through his hair, looking as though he wanted to comfort me—kind of bad—but also run away.
“I know I should have told you, Jones—I know that—but you love the guy, and he’s just making a mistake. He loves you. He does. He’s just … messed up right now. His hormones are all—”
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