Page 4 of The Path To Us

“Oh my gosh, nooooo,” Addy says quietly.

Lizzy.

Tyson.

My girlfriend of a little over a year.

My best friend for over a decade.

“Always. Always so good,” comes Tyson’s reply.

Always.

Always?

Grunts and moans and soft music and…

“What the fuck is going on?!” I roar and Addy whimpers next to me. What a stupid question to ask. It’s pretty obvious what’s going on right now.

Tyson’s and Lizzy’s heads both jerk up at the same time from where she’s mounted in his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist. Shorts are discarded next to them. Their shirts still in place.

“Answer me!” I shout and Addy jumps, placing a hand on my back.

Lizzy scrambles off Tyson’s lap and moves toward me before remembering that she’s naked from the waist down. Quickly the two dress themselves, eyes wide when they finally right themselves enough and gain the courage to look at me.

“Beau!” Lizzy cries. “Beau.”

“Well, you were right about one thing. I am definitely surprised. Though, I’m not happy with the surprise.”

“Beau,” Tyson says quietly. Apologetically. Takes a step toward me, hands in the air like he’s surrendering. “Let me explain.”

“Explain the fact that you were just having sex with my girlfriend? Oh, this ought to be good.” I plant my feet wide and cross my arms across my chest.

Lizzy’s pathetic cries don’t go unnoticed but for the first time since I’ve been with her, they don’t faze me. She can play this any way she wants, but the last several months are coming back to me with glaring clarity. All those times I couldn’t get ahold of her or didn’t know where she was. All those moments where she would seem distant or her thoughts centered anywhere but on me.

“Lizzy?” Addy’s sweet voice calls out from next to me. Sad. Disgusted. Irritated. “How could you?”

“I…”

Addy starts marching toward Lizzy like she’s about to pounce on her but I pull her back. “Doesn’t matter. Seems to me it’s been going on for some time now. Tell me I’m wrong. Lie to me, just as you’ve both been doing for… how long? Admit that you’ve been deceiving me, double crossing me.” My voice is calm, unlike my heart that’s threatening to pound right out of my chest. My body feels tight, pulse beating hard in my neck as I grit my teeth against the desire to pummel my friend. It’s hard for me not to beat the absolute shit out of him right now. I’ve always had a short temper, quick to use my size and strength if needed. Or, sometimes, wanted. Never did I imagine I’d want to turn that onto Tyson

“Beau, man… I’m sorry. I have no excuse.”

“You’re right, Tyson. You don’t,” I bark. Addy places a hand on my back and something in me calms. I take a deep breath and look down at her. Down at my friend who’s been by my side and makes me laugh and has never wavered in her friendship. Her brown eyes soften, even in the darkness that surrounds us. I swallow hard and turn back to the two people I once trusted with my life. “But neither does Lizzy. It makes no difference whether or not you’re sorry. I can’t even look at you. Either of you. Get the fuck out of my face.”

I thread my fingers together on top of my head and feel the muscles in my arms protest, aching to throw a punch. “Fuck! Years. YEARS! Years of friendship. No, fuck that. Of brotherhood. Gone. Because you couldn’t keep your dick out of my girlfriend?” I drop my hands and shake my head. “And you…” I turn to face Lizzy whose tears are streaking down her cheeks as she holds her hands to her chest. I suck in a breath as I stare at the girl I gave all my firsts to. Was blindly in love with. Whether it’s because her parents just got divorced or not, there’s no excuse. “You’re nothing but a cheating bitch.”

I spin around and storm away, shrugging off Tyson who tries to stop me with a hand on my shoulder. I ignore the way he shouts out my name. I ignore Lizzy’s cries to stop walking away. I ignore her pleas to come back to them and listen. I ignore the looks of everyone as I push through the crowd around the fire and climb into my pickup. I start it up with a satisfying roar, take a breath, and close my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts.

How could I miss this?

How could I have been so blind to the fact that the friend I consider as much a brother than my own two had been sleeping with my girlfriend?

The passenger door opens and Addy climbs in.

“Drive.”

“Addy…”

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