Page 85 of Fumbled Beginning

“I’m going to ask you this one more time,” I said, trying my best to hold on to my composure. “What are you talking about?”

“Someone tagged you in an Instagram post. I showed up at your office to find out why the fuck there were pictures of you dancing with your ex last night and some other guy. Instead, I ran into the douche himself.”

I rubbed at my forehead, wishing I was less hungover and had gotten a little more sleep on the airplane. “I don’t know what you saw on Instagram, but I can explain.”

“Really?” he mocked. “While you’re at it, can you explain to me what possessed you to tell Dominick about Caroline?”

My breath caught in my chest. “I did no such thing!”

“Then how does he know about the accident, Rylee?”

“I don’t know.” I started to panic, and my mind began sifting through our conversations. Dominick was the last person I would confide in. “You honestly think I would do that to you?”

He held his arms out. “I think it’s pretty fucking obvious, don’t you think? You’ve been with him for days. You were pissed, and instead of talking to me, you went and told him things that you knew I didn’t want anyone to know about. I don’t trust many people, Rylee, but I fucking trusted you.”

I stared at him, mouth agape, feeling like I stepped into an alternate universe. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

He threw something on my couch, and it took me a minute to realize it was my phone. My mind spun. So much confusion was rolling through me as pieces from last night started clicking into place.

“I know how you operate, Rylee. You were hurt and on the defensive. You needed your feelings validated, so you turned to the one man you knew wanted you. All to make yourself feel better.”

I flew toward him so damn fast I was out of breath and ready to tear him a new one. He wanted to fight; I would give him a fight. “I don’t know who you are right now, but this isn’t you. I didn’t say anything to Dominick. I have no idea how he got that information, but it wasn’t me. You can either believe me or not.”

“You were with him for the past two nights. How the hell else would he have found out?” His voice was getting louder with each passing second, causing Oakley’s head to pop up from his dog bed. “I can count on one hand who knows what happened the night of Caroline’s accident, Rylee.”

“You really think I would go behind your back and betray you so easily?”

That made me angry, and a wave of hurt ripped through me.

“I’m starting to wonder how badly you did betray me. Did you cry on his shoulder? Did he give you the comfort and attention that I didn’t give you? Were you so hurt that you fell into bed with your ex-boyfriend and allowed him to fuck the words right out of you?”

My hand connected with his cheek before he could say another word. His head whipped to the side, and I stumbled back. His face paled. My palm stung. What the hell was happening?

“You want the cold hard truth?” I shouted, getting angrier by the second, hating the tears forming in my eyes. “I have been faithful and loyal to you.”

“Those pictures of you dancing at the club in Nashville say otherwise.”

“I don’t know what pictures you’re talking about?”

“Maybe if you looked at your damn phone, it would jog your memory.”

“JP, I haven’t had my phone since last night. I left it in the Uber. Dom was having it sent…” I threw my hand over my mouth. “Oh, my God. What did he tell you happened?”

He looked at me with disgust. “Seeing you guys are so close again, why don’t you ask him?”

“I swear to you, nothing happened. I don’t care what you think you saw in a photo. I’m telling you, nothing happened. We were out at a club. We were all drinking. He asked me to dance. I didn’t want to, but he made me feel bad, so I told him one dance. We all left in the same Uber and went back to our individual rooms.”

He crossed his arms. “Anything else?”

Shit! The last thing I wanted was for him to find out about that kiss, but I wouldn’t lie to him. I was damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

“He kissed me, but I pushed him away.”

His nostrils flared. “You let him fucking touch you!”

“No.”

He stepped forward. “So, are you saying he forced himself on you?”

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