Page 110 of Trusting Tanner
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately, even before I came here, but more so since being here…” She sighed. “I love you, Tanner. No matter what’s happened, no matter how hard I try to get over you, I can’t.” She shook her head as if emphasizing her point. “I don’t want to.”
He was stunned. Frozen. Was she saying what he thought she was? His heart jackhammered against his rib cage, forcing him to take several shallow breaths before he could inhale deeply.
Tucking one leg under her, she twisted toward him and took his hands in hers. “I’ve forgiven you for what happened, and now I want to try to move past it. Together.” She hung her head, then glanced up at him. “If you want to.”
He laughed. “IfI want to? Did you really just say that?”
Her eyes widened. “I just meant—” She started to pull back. He held her hands tighter, refusing to let her get away again.
“God, Jules. Do you have any idea how—?”
“Hey, you two got your clothes on?” Xander knocked on the door.
Tanner sighed with frustration. “Not now, Xander.”
“Yes. Now.” Xander walked in, hand over his eyes like he was afraid he’d see something he didn’t want to. “I’m moving my hand, so if you don’t want me to see your girlfriend naked, you’d better speak up now.”
“I’m not naked,” Jules said, humor in her tone.
“Oh, good. Not that I’d mind seeing that show, but y’know.” He grinned.
Tanner scowled. “What do you want?” His brother always did have the shittiest timing.
“I have a last-minute gift for you two.” Xander wedged himself in between Tanner and Jules, nudging them apart with his hips.
“Can’t this wait? Jules and I were kind of in the middle of something.” Tanner moved over so he wasn’t sitting so close to his brother. He was tempted to forcefully remove him from his room.
“Trust me, you want this.” Xander pulled out his cell phone and turned his attention to Jules. “Remember when I said I was going to prove that Tanner didn’t cheat on you?”
She nodded.
Tanner’s stomach clenched, and he risked a glance at Jules.
“Well, here you go.” He tapped the screen on his cell phone then turned up the volume.
The room was filled with a loud rustling and then a male voice Tanner didn’t recognize. “C’mon, tell me.”
The sound of Rebecca’s giggles was like an annoying fly that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times you swatted at it.
There was a dramatic sigh. “My ex-roommate, Juliana. God, even her name pisses me off. She stole the guy I’d been seeing. And no one fucks with me like that. But I got even with her.” More giggling. “I drugged her boyfriend.”
Juliana gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Xander hushed her. Tanner’s head spun, and his ears rang. What the fuck?
“Drugged her how?” the guy asked.
“He was at a party. Alone. Little Miss Perfect had left, and Tanner was so sad. Talk about fucking pathetic. When he was downing shots, I slipped a roofie in his beer. Do you know how easy that shit is to get?” Rebecca laughed.
Tanner felt all the color drain from his face. That explained why he hadn’t felt good that night, and why he hadn’t remembered a damn thing about what happened. Acid churned in his gut.
“Then I climbed into bed with him and staged selfies of us having sex. I even took his cell phone and sent myself a text message to make it look like he’d called me for a booty call. I sent everything to Juliana. Dumb bitch bought it and dumped his ass.”
Tanner leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees and covering his face with his hands. The selfies. The text messages. They were all faked.
“But that’s not even the best part,” Rebecca continued. “Her ex had cheated on her, too, so this must’ve been—”
“Turn it off.” Juliana stood, her arms wrapped around her midsection like she was in physical pain. “I said turn it off!”
“Jules, honey.” Tanner was by her side in an instant, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her against him. He could only imagine what other rotten things Rebecca had said.
