The Right Kind Of Wrong Series: Books 1-3

by L. B. Reyes

  I shook my head, wiping the feel of her lips on mine away with the back of my hand. I walked over to the area where Jessica had dropped the robe to give it back to her, trying my best to avoid looking at her. I couldn’t believe she was doing this, that she actually believed that this was a way to get my attention. I would never deny she was beautiful and attractive, but this wasn’t going to ever happen.

  “What the fuck are you thinking?” I hissed, my fist holding the robe in a tight grip. Either our friendship never existed to her or she’d completely lost her mind.

  Shit.

  “You want me,” she murmured, arching her back provocatively as she spoke. “I can tell by the way you’re trying to hold back.”

  I cleared my throat, stepping back until I was by the door.

  Fuck it.

  This was bad, bad no matter how I looked at it.

  “Come here, Nathan.” She bit her lip seductively, destroying any remaining trace of our friendship.

  “You’re fucking insane,” I spat, slamming the door shut behind me as I walked out of the office and later locking the door to the gallery.

  I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and wishing the image of Jessica away. Taking out my phone, I dialed the only person who could handle her.

  “Hey, man,” Thomas greeted me.

  Not wanting to linger there any longer, I went straight to the point. “Come get Jessica at the gallery. Now.”

  I hung up without a further word and got in my car, my hands hitting the steering wheel with fury.

  Evie was understanding, but fuck, something like this was too difficult to understand. And I stood there like an idiot too long. Far too long. She would hold me accountable for the few seconds I remained stupefied in front of Jessica. How the fuck was I going to explain that?

  Talking to her in person had been a stupid idea.

  I had to tell Evelyn; there was no doubt about it. She would end up hurt again, but hiding this from her would cause her much more pain.

  It seemed as if all the problems would never end for us, each one of them proving harder than the last.

  Finally, I pulled out and began my drive to the house, trying to come up with an explanation that wouldn’t drive Evelyn completely insane.

  ***

  I arrived at the condo only to find it empty. It was night time, so I was sure that Evie was no longer at the hospital. With everything that happened, I didn’t check my phone, even when I called Tom. She’d sent a message earlier saying she planned on visiting Carter too. The air in the house felt constricting, the clothes I wore suffocating. It felt like I betrayed Evelyn just by seeing Jessica. Granted, what she did hadn’t been my fault, but it felt wrong.

  I tugged at the shirt I wore, taking it off and throwing it in the trash. I did the same with the rest of the clothing, eager to never see them again. To me, it was all dirty, stained, and worthless. Another woman’s body had touched it. I didn’t need a constant reminder of it. Surely, Evelyn wouldn’t want that shit around, either.

  Guilt appeared. I’d cheated on Hannah, my ex-wife, with her sister and never felt bad at all because I never loved her, and she didn’t love me.

  This time, it hadn’t even crossed my mind to cheat, and just having seen another woman in that state was too much to bear. Though I knew Evelyn well, like the palm of my hand, I had no idea how she would react.

  No matter how I tried to word the situation in my mind, it still sounded awful.

  Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even hear her arrive until the shower door opened. My eyes snapped open, meeting her curious ones that stared back already with many questions.

  “I’m home.” She smiled, her eyes roaming my body briefly before they landed on my face. They were slightly red, a little bit puffy…she’d been crying. Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to think of what to say. “Why are you showering again?”

  I swallowed. Evelyn was naive, yes, but she was intuitive. She knew something was wrong. “Just felt necessary,” I said.

  Her lips parted as though she was going to say something. I wanted her to say something, anything, but she didn’t. Instead Evelyn nodded, closing the shower door, and retreating away from the restroom.

  Fuck.

  I hurried out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist as I set foot in our bedroom. Evie sat on the bed, hands clasped together over her thighs, her gaze set on me. For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence surrounding us, until she decided to speak.

  “He’s not waking up,” she whispered, shaking her head.

  “No improvement?” I asked, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in mine. They were cold.

  “It doesn’t seem that way.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “But what do we talk about? Derek or whatever happened between you and Jessica?”

  I didn’t know how to answer. I cupped her cheek, catching the lone tear that escaped, unsure of what the fuck to do.

  Evie continued then, obviously needing to get whatever she felt off her chest. “They took a CT scan, and he’s having seizures now. He has brain activity. It’s just a matter of when or if he wakes up.”

  “He’ll wake up,” I assured her, kissing the back of her hand. I hated seeing her affected by this. I hated having to cause her more stress.

  She nodded, squeezing my hand. By the look in her eyes, I knew I wouldn’t like what she had to say. “I need to see Hannah.” Immediately, I shook my head. “I don’t care if you don’t want me to see her, Nathan,” she interrupted. “I need to see her. I need to talk to her.”

  “Why?” I asked with disbelief.

  “Because she has the answers I need,” Evie snapped. She ran her hands through her hair desperately, tugging at the ends as if to relieve some of the pressure. “Nathan, I need to know the truth behind Derek’s relationship with my family. I need to know what the hell happened. If she’s the one that can give me the answers, then I will go to her.”

  I stood up, growing irritated. It wasn’t Evelyn’s fault, but it was all taking a toll on our relationship. What we didn’t know, what we did…the things yet to learn. It divided us. “You don’t know if it’s a trap, babe. You can’t go,” I said, walking away from her.

  She stood up, her hand taking hold of my arm unexpectedly. I turned back around to face her, the determination on her face rendering me speechless. “I’m not asking you, Nathan. I’m letting you know that I’m going.”

  I scoffed. “That’s it, then? I have no say in this? It doesn’t matter that you’re pregnant with my kid, you’re still going to do what you want even if I don’t consider it safe?”

  Her gaze softened. “Please understand, Nathan,” she whispered. “I have to do this.”

  “I don’t want you to get hurt.” I couldn’t understand why the hell she’d put herself at risk.

  “I’m not a child you need to protect.” Evie’s fists balled up to her sides, blazing eyes speaking louder than I ever thought they could. They said she was strong. They said she was ready. As if it wasn’t enough, Evelyn continued, her words reiterating what I could already see. “I am tired of living in the dark. I am tired of living in fear, Nathan. I won’t. I refuse to do it again. I have the right to know everything.” Evelyn paused, taking a step forward and placing her fingertips on my lips. “And that includes whatever happened between you and Jessica tonight.”

  She held them up, and I saw her skin colored in a faded pink.

  Jessica’s lipstick.

  Shit.

  I hadn’t even bothered to look in the fucking mirror, and clearly, I knew nothing about removing a woman’s make-up.

  Everything was about to bubble over. The small fight was about to turn into a full-blown war. Evelyn was raging, and I could barely think about what left my mouth. It wasn’t the time to talk, but we couldn’t avoid it.

  I dried myself off quickly, throwing on some boxers and not bothering with anything else. Evelyn stood waiting with her hands on her small belly. She was strong, but the way she soothed
our baby as she drew little circles with her thumb told me she feared what I had to say.

  And I didn’t know how to say it.

  “Do you think this is a good idea?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, doing my best to not sound harsh. “Because I think it would be best to wait until morning.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said, a mocking smile on her face. “I’ll be pissed either way.”

  I nodded, taking a deep breath. “She got drunk in the office,” I muttered, nervous to tell her the rest. Evelyn didn’t say anything, however, knowing better than to think Jessica would just leave it at that.

  Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “What else?”

  “She kissed me.”

  Evelyn nodded, not surprised and unfazed. Her eyes didn’t lie, however, and as she ran her hands through her hair again, I knew this was just beginning. She walked around the room, setting her hands on the dresser and bracing herself for whatever else was to come.

  “I have the feeling there’s more. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me?”

  Chapter 39

  Evelyn

  There is a type of exhaustion that is much worse than the physical type. Of course, I was tired. I was pregnant and hormonal. Some days, all I wanted to do was sleep. So yes, physically I was tired. But mentally and emotionally, I was completely drained. I had no energy left. No fight left in me…or so I thought.

  I was tired, but part of me was ready for war. That part of me was anxious for a fight, against everything and everyone. I wasn’t a fighter; I didn’t like arguing or problems, but the understanding person I once was started disappearing. In fact, it felt that she was so far gone that I didn’t remember what it was like to be her anymore.

  I couldn’t do it anymore.

  There would be no more lies tolerated, no more putting up with any shit no matter where it came from. There’s only so much a person can handle no matter how good they are. I had finally reached my limit.

  My heart pounded against my chest with such force I was sure that Nathan could hear it. I had to keep it together, had to remain strong. Lately it seemed like it was all I did: pretend to be okay. Try to keep the pieces that remained from falling apart, from losing them. It wasn’t working anymore. It felt like the shreds of my sanity were also slipping away. My brain never got a break. I slept, and it was no longer peaceful. I was paranoid, on edge…and so, so tired.

  Hands gripping the dresser, I asked the question one more time. “So what happened, Nathan?” His hesitation only made me fear the worst, but I refused to show it. “You can be specific. You don’t have to keep it PG-13. I can handle it.”

  He scoffed, shaking his head as he took a seat on the bed. He was stressed, running his hands over his face, his gaze staying fixed on the ceiling.

  We could hear nothing else but our breathing. I was waiting…patiently waiting for the bomb to drop or for me to explode. I wasn’t sure which would happen first.

  “She was naked,” Nathan said, his eyes finally meeting mine.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  Keep calm.

  Lava made its way through my veins. There was no other way to describe it. It hurt. It burned.

  And refusing to show any of the pain I felt, I reacted with the only defense mechanism I knew. “You must’ve enjoyed it. She is very pretty.”

  Nathan’s jaw clenched. I didn’t back down.

  “What else?” I asked. There had to be more. If I knew anything about Jessica, it was that she wouldn’t have left an opportunity like that go.

  “Evie—”

  “Don’t.” I stopped him before he could say something to try to calm me down. I was calm, disturbingly so. It was like the calm before the storm, and this storm no one was prepared for. “Tell me what happened, because I will find out anyways.”

  Nathan nodded, letting out an audible sigh. “That’s it, Evie. She was just…there.”

  Every muscle in my body tensed. And yet, as if I was an expert at keeping my emotions in check, I remained level headed. I wanted to know so he was telling me. There was no enjoyment in his face, not as if he’d liked what he’d seen.

  But there was guilt.

  “How long?” I kept my voice steady as I spoke.

  Nathan’s brows pulled together in confusion. “What?”

  “How long did it take you to leave? How long did you stay while she was naked in front of you?”

  Stunned, Nathan blinked, confused as to why I would ask something like that. I didn’t even know why I was asking that.

  “I-I was shocked. She just—I didn’t fucking expect for her to do that.”

  “That doesn’t answer the question,” I replied calmly.

  Nathan scoffed. “A few seconds, maybe.”

  I nodded. It took everything in me to remember it wasn’t his fault; he hadn’t asked her to do this. Somewhere between rationality and sadness was anger, though, and anger was much safer than any of those two options. I couldn’t let my guard down.

  Eventually, I would let myself feel everything, but in those few seconds, all I wanted to do was to be numb. Perhaps it was the pregnancy, or maybe it was my nature, but everything felt a hundred times worse.

  Nathan didn’t cheat. I knew that, and mentally I understood he had been too shocked to react any quicker.

  “Well,” I sighed, tucking my hair behind my ear, “I think it’s time for bed.”

  “What?”

  “It’s time for bed.” I shrugged, already walking towards the restroom to brush my teeth. “I’m tired, and I want to rest. All this craziness is tiring.”

  “I don’t understand. Aren’t you pissed?”

  I glared at him. “Oh, I’m fucking fuming,” I snarled, feeling how my heart beat a little bit faster as the words left my mouth. “But showing it won’t do shit because you’ve already seen her naked, and there is absolutely nothing I can do.”

  ***

  The next morning, I awoke only to find Nathan already up, his face in his hands. My heart felt a little bit heavy at the sight, but I’d awakened with only one goal in mind. I sat up, getting his attention as I moved.

  “You’re up,” he murmured.

  “So are you,” I stated, matter of fact.

  “Do you want to go out for breakfast?”

  Before he even finished voicing his question, I shook my head. There was only one thing I had in mind, and to do it, I had to be alone.

  “Evie—”

  “No, I need to be alone today,” I said, forcing a smile.

  He nodded, pressing his lips together. Without a further word, I brushed my teeth, went on to take a shower, and changed into the only shorts that fit me comfortably and a loose-fitting shirt. I put my hair up in a ponytail and left my face make-up free, not wanting to waste any more time.

  Nathan fixed his eyes on me as if trying to figure out what the hell I was planning. I had to keep calm, because if he knew what I wanted to do, he would never let me leave.

  “I’ll be back later.” I smiled, leaning against the doorway. He ran his hand over the back of his neck, trying to soothe the tension there, and agreed, asking me to be careful before I walked out the door.

  Nathan and I hid nothing from each other, and it was very convenient. I knew the password to his phone, had the information I needed to get Jessica’s address. He wouldn’t agree with what I did, but I found it impossible to care.

  Jessica crossed a line, and I wanted her out of our lives forever. I didn’t feel threatened by her, but she had so little respect for our relationship, and she didn’t care at all how it would hurt the man who she considered her friend.

  I half expected to feel nervous as the cab pulled up to the house, but as I stepped out, it was anger that propelled me forward. There was no doubt in mind this was what I had to do.

  My hand knocked on the door, not an ounce of hesitation in my actions. It took a few seconds before the door opened, and Jessica’s messed-up hair and bare face greeted me. Her blue eyes widened in surpris
e as she saw me, and I walked past her, not bothering with a greeting.

  “What are you doing here?”

  I scoffed, unable to stop myself from rolling my eyes. I spared her a single glance. She truly looked like shit.

  “Oh, Jessica. You stand naked in front of my fiancé and you didn’t think I’d pay you a little visit? Surely, you’re smarter than that.”

  Her face reddened. “Evelyn, I’m really sorry—”

  I raised my hand, stopping her. “Save the bullshit. You are fucking lucky I am pregnant or else you’d be dead right this moment.” Jessica gasped, my words stunning her. “I could still do it.” I raised an eyebrow. “Blame it on the hormones, on the craziness going on in my life. It could be temporary insanity. Everyone would believe it, don’t you think?”

  Her face paled. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Why should I be? You weren’t kidding when you decided to disrespect my relationship, so why the fuck should I care? You think Nathan and I aren’t going through enough shit as is?”

  “I wasn’t thinking. I was drunk and—”

  “Were you drunk when you took that robe to the gallery in the morning? Because I highly doubt it.”

  Ashamed, she looked away. Far too lost in my rage, I carried on, getting everything I wanted to say off my chest. “He does not want you, Jessica. Getting naked in front of him was not going to work, so I have no clue what the hell you were thinking.”

  “I wasn’t,” she sniffled, shaking her head. “I’ve been going through so much shit, and Nathan has been the person I can rely on. I just…I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

  The one thing I had learned was that apologies were pointless when they came from people like Jessica. They were never sincere.

  “I don’t give a damn if you’re sorry,” I finally said, breaking the brief silence that had surrounded us. “All I’m here to do is to tell you that you need to stay out of our lives from now on. I don’t want you near me or near Nathan any longer.”

  Jessica had the nerve to look offended. “I can’t. I work with him. I own part of the gallery—”