Page 62 of Back To You

Apparently, her and Grant had been on a break, and I wouldn’t put it past Devin to think this was killing two birds with one stone—getting back at Grant and hurting me in the process.

I look directly in front of me, feeling both Mia and Drew freeze beside me.

“The video was only a minute long of them making out before cutting off as Devin stands up and holds her hand out to Luke, but she was all too eager to fill in the blanks for me.”

“He cheated?” Mia questions, her voice now a whisper.

I nod my head.

“Does Luke know about the video? Or that you saw it?” Drew asks. “And are we sure we believe what she said?”

“No, and I don’t know, but it was hard to believe anything else after watching the video of the two of them. I almost told Luke last night, but I got so mad at him when he said he didn’t remember anything happening that night. I’m pissed we’re in this situation at all. I mean, it’s been seven years. I should be over it by now. And if it’s all been some big lie, then you guys are going to be bailing me out of jail when I beat the shit out of her.”

Drew shakes her head, trying to hide an inappropriate smile and my inappropriate response to dealing with conflict. “There might be more to the story.”

“And you guys deserve your second chance. Annie, Luke is so in love with you, it hurtsmethat he can’t have you,” Mia adds.

I blow out a breath that comes out a little like a laugh but then turns into a groan. “I know, you’re right. But seriously, seven years? Last night, Luke said the night was a blur because—”

I don’t even finish the sentence

It’s the first time I’ve ever told the story to anyone, actually said the words out loud.

It’s also the first time I realize that Luke had been drinking the night before Grant’s party.

I sit up straight and immediately feel like I have to get out of the car.

“What?” Mia and Drew speak at the same time.

“He could barely remember the night because he wasdrinking.” I finally say, looking back and forth at both of them, and I can’t believe I could ever be so stupid.

“Okay,” Mia says slowly, “but what does—” her eyes widen, coming to the same conclusion as me.

“He said the night was a blur,” Drew reiterates, and I feel like I’m going to throw up.

Chapter 24

Annie

I run to Mia and Eddie’s apartment as fast as my feet will go, Mia and Drew right on my heels. The powdered sugar is long forgotten in Mia’s car, along with everything aside from the realization that Luke was drunk the night Devin recorded him.

How could I be so stupid? Letting this go on for so long.

I’m going to kill her.

But first, I’m going to tell Luke that I love him, and thatI’mgoing to be the one spending my whole life making it up to him.

When we finally get to the apartment, Mia quickly unlocks the door, only for us to be greeted by the boys. Luke and Emmett both have bags with to-go containers in their hands, Emmett also strapped with Lennon across his chest, and Luke has Rosie’s leash in his hand as she sits beside him. Eddie is cleaning up the kitchen and dining table, and all six of us look at each other for a solid ten seconds without saying anything.

Finally, Luke breaks the silence. “We’re leaving.” He grabs my arm, and the edge in his voice is the one he uses when he doesn’t want me to argue.

“Wait,” I manage to say before he can drag me out into the hallway. “We need to talk.”

“We do,” he says before adding, “and like I said, we’re leaving.”

“Go,” Drew says as Mia pushes me closer to Luke.

I escape Luke’s light hold on my forearm to wrap my arms around Drew and Mia, hoping that all the words of gratitude and love and thanks get across with how tightly I hold onto them.

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