Page 32 of Duty Became Desire

I looked down at the ground, having to give Demi that point because she was right. At any point in time, the duty that was placed upon our shoulders could have been pushed off. But instead, we stepped up and helped.

Why?

Because as best friends we thought it was right.

But also, because deep down, we maybe wanted to spend time together and use that as a mere cover up.

“What happened a month ago, Alec? And you don’t lie to me.”

I glanced up at Demi, her tone demanding and I knew nothing short of the truth was going to get me out of this shithole now.

“We went to dinner. Sky was leaving town, she wanted to talk, so I met her at the restaurant. The moment we walked through the doors, I saw every man staring at her. We started talking, joking around, when some random jerk came up and hit on her.

“Right before that, though, I was put into the friendzone, which is better than what we had been in the past, I guess. Anyways, the gleam in the jerk’s eye told me well enough that he wouldn’t have left her alone, even if I showcased the rings.”

I glanced down at Skylar’s left hand, surprised to see the band still in place. Which, I guess I shouldn’t be, as mine was still on too.

“So, I did the only thing I could think that would get him off her back. I told him I had spent too much money on her to let her go for the night.”

“You’re kidding me. Please tell me you didn’t call her a hooker, twice!”

“I didn’t call her it, I just implied it,” I told Demi, shrugging my shoulders slightly.

“Bad enough. Please tell me you kicked him again, Skylar?”

“Oh, I did. Left his ass on the ground, clutching his dick, just like I did the first time too.”

“What do you mean again, Demi? What am I missing?”

I opened my mouth to answer James’s question, but Skylar raised her hand, stopping me.

“We met at a bar a while back. He hit on me, I brushed him off, he called me a hooker, I kneed him in the balls. He did it again, so I did it again.”

“You mean to tell me, Alec,” James started, pinching the bridge of his nose, “that the woman you told me about, that pissed you off for doing that, is Skylar?”

“Does it make a difference?” I tossed back. All of a sudden, a sinking feeling was settling in the pit of my stomach, and I didn’t like it.

“Of course it does. Your union was freaking ass perfect. The passion fueling your dislike for each other was through the roof. But had I known that this was the woman, I might not have been so quick to say yes. And now you two go and ruin the perfect marriage to ever exist. Or at least you thought you did.”

I opened my mouth to speak, not sure what to comment on first because that whole little speech was a mic drop if I had ever heard one.

I chanced a glance at Skylar, who seemed just as stunned as I was, her mind trying to work through it all as well.

“Let’s back this up, James.” He paused and then looked at Demi, who was frozen in place. “What did you say yes to, exactly?”

“Um, a simple plan,” he muttered.

“Oh, I’ve gathered that. What plan?”

“You got us to the altar,” Skylar exploded out.

She moved closer to me and out of instinct, I wrapped my arm around her waist. I wanted to shield her from the truth we were about to be told but I couldn’t protect her any more than I could myself at this moment.

“Skylar, you have to understand,” Demi started but Skylar shook her head.

“You played with our lives here?”

“For your own good.”

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