Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“That’s not what happened,” Gary says. “We were never in an open relationship. And unlike Peter, I didn’t fuck anyone else while we were together.”
Evan’s crying fit settles as he eyes Gary like he doesn’t believe him.
“Come on,” I say. “Can’t you see he lied to Gary just like he lied to you when he cheated on you?”
“Oh God,” Evan says. “Everyone totally knows Peter cheated on me, don’t they?”
“Yes, and I told most of them.”
Gary sighs. “Not helping again, Derek!”
“Sorry.”
“He said he only cheated on me because of how you hurt him,” Evan tells him. “You made him feel like he wasn’t good enough. I’m meeting him here tonight to discuss what happened and see if we can work through it.”
“I fucked him up now?” Gary asks. “That’s the story he’s telling?”
“Evan, he was obviously lying to you to get into your pants,” I explain. “Come on. Use your head—the one on your neck. The guy played you like he played Gary. And you caught him doing the same thing to you, and now he’s trying to lie his way out of it again.”
Evan’s face quivers before he bursts into tears again. “No, no, no.” He slides onto a stool and bawls against the bar.
“Um…Evan,” I say as Gary turns to me and mouths, What the fuck?
“I’m so sorry, Gary,” Evan whines. “I just always assumed you were a total shithead. No offense.”
“I’m kind of amazed anyone could think Gary was a shithead,” I admit.
Gary pats Evan on the back, though it’s clear he’s doing it because he doesn’t really know how to handle the situation. “It’s okay, man. He did the same thing to me. He’s some sort of pathological liar. We both got played here.”
“Peter was the first guy I was ever in a serious relationship with,” Evan adds. “I mean, we started messing around when I was twenty. How was I supposed to know he was such a creep?”
“Oh,” I say. “I get that. See, Gary, he was just young and stupid.”
“Hey!” Gary snaps. “I was young, and he was my first serious relationship too.”
“So you were both young and stupid…”
Gary bites his tongue. “Okay. Maybe naïve is a better word for it.”
“You say tomato, I say—”
“I say we get some shots. Everyone good for a double?”
“Hey, Gary.” We turn just in time to see Peter approaching. In a button-up and jeans, he’s got his dark hair slicked back, and his scruff is wiry—like he hasn’t had a good shave in a few days.
He looks uneasy, the way I would expect a guy to look if he was nervous that two guys he’d hurt were chatting and unraveling all the lies he told them.
“I was just coming to talk to Evan,” he explains.
“You’re a fuckin’ asshole,” he says.
Evan slides around on his stool. “You told me you only cheated on me because you were so hurt from Gary screwing you over. Was any of that true?”
Suddenly, I find myself liking this kid. At least he’s willing to call Peter out on his bullshit.
Peter looks at Gary, who folds his arms and cocks his head to the side. He’s obviously eager to hear Peter’s defense. How is he going to lie his way out of this one?
“I think we should talk about this somewhere else,” Peter says.
Evan shakes his head, his thin blond brows pulled together as he frowns. “No. I want you to tell me the truth. Was all that stuff you said about being in an open relationship and about Gary lying to everyone about us true?”
“You can’t honestly believe anything Gary tells you,” Peter says. “He’s just trying to cause trouble for us.”
“Really?” I ask. “Evan fucking calls you on your bullshit, and you’re still trying to lie. Bold move, asshole.”
“You okay, babe?” Travis asks as he approaches. His super-boyfriend instincts must have kicked into high gear and warned him that his man needed him.
Jackson, Frankie, Cody, and Hayden aren’t far behind, circling around the scene. Suddenly, we have a small mob that I can tell by the way Peter’s gaze shifts around, makes him uneasy.
Travis wraps his arm around Gary and glares at Peter. “Petey…did you need something?”
“I think Peter was either about to fess up to what a douchebag he is or leave,” Gary says.
Peter directs his attention to Evan, maybe because he realizes he’s not going to persuade any of us with his bullshit. “Evan, listen to me.”
“No,” Evan says. “You’ve said everything there is to say. And after what Gary told me, I don’t want to hear any more of your bullshit.” He gets up from the stool and walks away.
“Damn straight,” I tell Peter, snapping my fingers in his face.
He grunts before chasing after Evan, who heads around the rail alongside the steps that lead onto the back deck.
“Listen to me,” Peter says as he catches up with Evan and snatches his wrist. He forces him down two steps with a yank.