Josh strutted up the stairs, smiling as DJ ran out into the hallway, jumping on him immediately. I sighed and raised one eyebrow, silently asking him what he was here for, unannounced, uninvited and unwanted.
“Do you feels better, Daddy?” DJ questioned, clinging to his dad as if he was going to disappear in a puff of smoke any second.
Josh smiled awkwardly, and I really hoped he felt guilty for not coming last night when he was supposed to. Maybe he was going to suggest he take him for tonight instead and bring him back tomorrow. He never usually turned up on the Saturday if he cancelled on the Friday night, so this was totally unexpected.
“Yeah, buddy, I’m feeling a lot better,” Josh replied, kissing the side of DJ’s head but keeping his eyes trained on mine. I couldn’t help but notice the smirk on his lips as he looked at me. His expression was, for want of a better word, smug.
“So, what’s up?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring at him so he knew he was in the doghouse.
He smiled sadly, but it seemed a little forced somehow. “I need to talk to you about something important.” He looked down at DJ and smiled. “I need to talk to Momma, why don’t you go play in your room?” he suggested, setting DJ down on his feet.
DJ pouted. “But I’m playing with Auntie Anna and Cam!”
Josh’s eyes tightened. “Yeah, I figured she was here because of the trained ape standing at the door,” he replied, his voice a little harsh.
“What is this about, Josh? Can’t it wait?” I suggested, flicking my eyes to the lounge to see that Anna was packing up Cameron’s stuff. I frowned angrily because Josh seemed to be chasing my best friend away.
“No, it can’t. I really need to speak to you now. In private. Maybe you could ask Little Miss Important, if she could watch DJ and we could go grab a coffee or something,” he suggested distastefully.
Anna made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat as she walked into the hallway. “Little Miss Important is now leaving,” she growled sarcastically. She turned to face me and forced a smile. “Want me to take DJ to mine for a couple of hours? Ashton can drop him back before your dinner with Paige,” she offered.
I frowned and looked back at Josh. I hated that he was ruining my day with my friend. Was it not enough for him that he ruined my night last night? When Josh nodded encouragingly, I chewed on the inside of my lip, wondering what on earth could be that important.
I looked back to Anna and smiled gratefully. “You sure that’s okay?”
“Absolutely.” She looked down at DJ. “Want to come to mine and play? Ashton will play on the Wii with you.”
DJ looked a little torn. You could see the want on his face, as soon as she mentioned the Wii he was hooked, but at the same time his eyes darted to Josh, obviously wanting to spend some time with his dad.
Josh nodded. “Go with Anna, buddy. I really need to talk to your mom,” he instructed. DJ smiled weakly; I could tell he was disappointed and it made me want to punch Josh in the face with a brick. Josh helped DJ with his shoes, while I went to the hall cupboard and pulled out the spare car seat that Nate had bought for his car. The whole time, Anna’s eyes were looking anywhere but Josh. I saw her jaw tighten as his gaze flicked down to her ass. She looked like he was three seconds from feeling her foot on his balls.
Once DJ left with Anna and Rick, I blew out a big breath and closed the door, turning back to Josh. I mentally crossed my fingers that he wasn’t going to tell me that he was going to fail on the child support again this month. If he was, I was totally screwed.
Josh smiled sadly as soon as we were alone. “So, I have something to tell you. I don’t know how you’re going to take it,” he started, shrugging. For some reason, I thought this was going to be really bad news, but his posture was to the contrary, he actually looked like he was secretly enjoying this. I nodded for him to continue, unable to speak. “I went out last night and I saw your boyfriend all over other girls. He fucked one of them in the bathroom. After that I saw him kissing another girl too.”
Oh God, no.
My heart sank as I took in his words. Nate, the guy who I had given the chance to, the only guy I had trusted with my heart since I got hurt, the one who made my day brighter, had cheated.
But would he though? Would he really? He’d promised me, he’d assured me so many times that he would never hurt me like Josh did. I trusted Nate. I trusted Nate a hell of a lot more than I trusted Josh.
“I don’t believe you,” I whispered, shaking my head fiercely. Although I trusted Nate, the smug look on Josh’s face was terrifying me. He looked so confident, so self-assured, so certain.
“I didn’t think you would, bunny.” He pushed his hand into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone, flicking through it quickly. “They say a picture speaks a thousand words,” he added.
I closed my eyes as he held the phone out towards me. I really didn’t want to look.
Chapter Thirty-Three
This had to be a mistake. Nate wouldn’t do that to me. All the times that I’d thought about us breaking up, it was never because he’d cheated; it was always because he just had enough of me and wanted someone better. I always thought he would have the decency to break it off with me first. Josh was lying, trying to split us up. He’d never liked Nate, that much was obvious from his attitude towards him, so maybe he was just trying to make me doubt my boyfriend.
But if he was lying, then why was he still holding out his phone to me with a smug smile?
“I don’t need to look at whatever you have on there. Nate wouldn’t cheat on me. He’s nothing like you,” I rebutted, shaking my head, praying that my words were right. I didn’t want to doubt Nate, but there was always that memory of Josh in the back of my mind, forcing that little bit of doubt there even though I was trying to be confident.
“Bunny, I saw it! He was all over this girl, then he took another to the bathroom. They were in there for ages. What was he doing in there with her? Getting make-up tips?” he asked sarcastically.
My whole body had started to go slightly numb; my heart was starting to hurt. I was silently grateful that Anna had taken DJ away so that I didn’t have to try and put on an act for him.
“I spoke to him on the phone last night. He didn’t… he can’t have!” I cried, shaking my head fiercely.
Josh laughed wickedly. “I used to call you too, remember? I’d be talking to you while I was zipping up my pants after screwing some chick. He’s no different to me, you just fooled yourself into thinking he was.”
I flinched at his words. I pictured Nate’s face and his eyes that were always so truthful when he spoke to me. I didn’t know what to believe. “Show me the picture,” I whispered.
Josh grinned and held out the phone to me again. “That’s the one he fucked in the bathroom.”
Oh God, please let this be a mistake.
I closed my eyes and held out my hand, praying with every bone in my body that this was something innocent. As Josh placed the phone in my hand, I realised that it had the power to shatter everything that I had built up in the last four and a half months. All the progress I’d made, all the growing I’d done by letting someone close to me. This little electronic device had the power to rip mine and DJ’s life apart. I didn’t even want to look at it. But I had to.
I held my breath as I looked down at it. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy or sad when I saw the two people on there. It was clearly Nate; he was holding a girl’s hand, they were just heading into a ladies bathroom together. I recognised the girl too. Emma. He’d told me that they’d slept together and that it was a casual thing that happened occasionally when they were both out and lonely. In the photo, they weren’t doing anything though. Nate’s expression as he smiled at her wasn’t the cocky smirk that he used to use on me when he was trying to win me over. Her body wasn’t pressed against his; in fact, she wasn’t even looking at him. If someone had just showed me this picture of their night out, I wouldn’t assume anything alon
g the lines of what Josh was implying.
I looked back to Josh and shook my head. “That doesn’t prove anything,” I said fiercely. Sure, Nate had slept with that girl, a lot, but that didn’t mean that’s what they were going in there to do. Or did I have a little too much faith in him? Was I just being blind because I didn’t want to see anything there? Was I being the old Rosie that would rather let something slide, rather than deal with it properly? I didn’t know the answer.
Josh snorted. “I have more photos.” He snatched the phone from my hand, moving to stand next to me as he swished through his gallery, showing me shot after shot of Nate and Emma. They were talking, she was standing close to him, his arm was around her shoulders. The photos were getting worse, but still no kissing like he’d said.
“I thought you said he kissed her,” I whispered, swiping at the tear that fell down my face even though I was trying my hardest to keep them at bay.
“I didn’t see him kiss her. I saw him kiss a blonde chick,” he replied, still swiping through his gallery, showing me more images of Nate and Emma. I gulped and wished this wasn’t happening. I wanted to trust Nate, I really did, but my past was coming back to haunt me. I felt like a worthless pile of trash just like I did when I let Josh walk all over me. I was stronger than this; I was supposed to be over it. I looked up at Josh as he continued to flick through the photos that he’d taken of Nate like some sort of crazy stalker. He had a grin on his face. He was totally enjoying this, and that just proved to me how different Josh and Nate were. Nate would never take pride in hurting someone. If the roles were reversed, then Nate would feel bad that I was hurting; he wouldn’t be grinning like a moron while he broke my heart like Josh was doing right now.
I stepped away and shook my head. I didn’t believe him. If I had to choose between trusting Nate, and trusting Josh, then there was no question. “That proves nothing. You’re seeing what you want to see there because you don’t like him,” I protested, glaring at him.
“Bunny, you’re damn right I don’t like him. He’s a dick! He’s got my girl and my son all under his spell and look what he’s doing to them. He’s making you think I’m lying when he’s the one that you should be glaring at, not me!” he shouted, throwing his hands up for emphasis.
“I need to speak to Nate,” I whispered feebly.
Josh stepped forward and slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest, stroking my back soothingly. “Bunny, I’m sorry, but he’s not what you think he is. He’s a player, and he’s doing the exact same thing that I did all those years ago. He’s out there screwing girls, leaving you waiting around for him thinking he’s the best guy in the world.”
I closed my eyes and tried not to believe that. But Nate had been so drunk on the phone last night, so maybe…
I moved my arms up and pushed on Josh’s chest, making him step back a couple of paces, his arms dropping from my waist. “What girl did he kiss?” I asked, squaring my shoulders. I wasn’t ready to give up yet.
“Some smoking hot blonde chick. He was hanging all over her, then later they started making out, she went home with him,” he replied, shrugging.
Smoking hot blonde chick. Went home with him. The words were actually painful as they repeated over and over in my head.
“You have a photo of her?” I asked, nodding down at his phone in his hand. “Why didn’t you take one of them kissing, if they really did?”
I raised one eyebrow at him challengingly. If he really saw Nate making out with a blonde, then why didn’t he take a photo of it? He’d taken loads of Nate with Emma doing nothing. Why not take a really incriminating one if it actually happened. That would really drive the point home to me, wouldn’t it?
He frowned. “I didn’t get a picture of them kissing, but I think she’s in some of the photos in the background,” he replied. He started flicking through his phone again, before holding it out to me again, pointing to the right hand side of a hugging Nate and Emma.
I looked down at the photo, and I felt anger boil in the pit of my stomach. “You saw him kissing that girl?” My voice was rough as I struggled to remain in control.
“He was all over her. He practically felt her up while they were making out.” He put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing supportively.
“That girl? You’re sure it was her?” I asked, tightening my jaw. He nodded in confirmation. I dragged my eyes away from the photo and looked up at him. His brown eyes locked onto mine, and I literally wanted to punch him in the face. “She’s a lesbian, Josh!” I snapped, shoving the phone back into his chest. “My man’s a fucking seduction master, huh? He can even charm a lesbian into bed, according to you!”
His mouth dropped open, his eyes tightened. “What? She can’t be!”
I laughed bitterly, pointing at his phone. “The girl in that picture is an old family friend. Her name’s Coraline Cooper. Trust me, she’s a lesbian. I’ve never had a girl look at me the way she does. Nate’s not her type, and you, you’re a lying fucking asshole!”
He shook his head. “Maybe it wasn’t her then, there were a couple of blondes there with him. Maybe it was the other one, I might have got her wrong,” he said, flicking through his phone.
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, show me the picture of the other blonde and I’ll tell you who she is, after you tell me again that he was feeling her up and kissing her.”
He held out the picture that I knew he would. I’d already seen her in the background when I was looking through the ones with Emma in them. I smiled at Josh triumphantly. “That’s Paige Peters. Nate’s little sister,” I informed him, folding my arms over my chest.
He made an angry growling sound in the back of his throat. “Fine! I didn’t see him kissing anyone, but he took that brunette into the bathrooms, I saw that. I took pictures of that, so you can’t say it didn’t happen! He cheated on you last night, and you just don’t want to believe it.”
My hands were shaking from rage. “He could have been doing anything in there with her. The evidence you have is bullshit. Why are you trying to hurt me? I’ve honestly never met anyone as selfish and self-centred as you are,” I ranted, shoving on his chest again.
“I don’t like seeing my family with another guy. He’s a fucking punk who’s stealing my life! I hate him, and I want him gone, Rosie!”
“Get out,” I ordered, pointing at the door.
He shook his head, stepping closer still, bending so he could look into my eyes. “I want you back, bunny. I’ve changed. I was young when we were together; I wasn’t ready to settle down with a girl and a child. But I am now. Please, leave that asshole and give me one more chance. I love you so much. I was an idiot for doing that to you. Please?” His eyes were pleading as he took my hand.
I snorted and ripped my hand from his grasp. “You’ve changed? From where I’m standing, you haven’t changed at all. You’re still a lying jackass.” I turned away from him and closed my eyes, trying to calm down. I was so angry that my body was shaking from it. I literally wanted to kill him for lying to me. “You need to leave, right now!”
“He’s going to hurt you eventually. Last night was the start of it. Taking some girl into the bathrooms for a quickie, that’s how it started with me. It’ll get worse and worse because, that guy, he’s not right for you. Please give me another shot. He doesn’t love you like I do.”
“You know how I can tell what you’ve just said isn’t true?” I asked, looking back to him, cocking my head to the side, ignoring how he was pleading with his eyes.
“How?”
“Because it came out of your mouth, Josh. I don’t think you’ve ever said one honest thing to me in your life, so why should I even listen to you anymore? All you ever did was hurt me over and over, and now you do the same with DJ, letting him down all the time. Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that you’re better for us than Nate is?”
He frowned. “I don’t have a fucking SWAT job if that’s what you’re talking about.
I don’t have money to burn or treat you to things I’d like to, and I don’t have a famous best friend like he does. But we’re family, you and I. We have a child together. That means something, doesn’t it?”
I shook my head. “It means that we had sex without a condom a few times, that’s all that means. As far as I’m concerned you’re barely even a father to DJ. If you were then you’d make an effort to see him more, you’d turn up when you say you’re going to. You wouldn’t make him cry with disappointment. That’s nothing to be proud of.” I stopped talking when I was just about to say that Nate was a better dad to DJ than he was, I didn’t want to go that far and hurt him like that. I decided to be the bigger person.
“I work!” he shouted, slamming his hand down on the side table, making a loud bang.
I laughed bitterly because he always blamed work. “Why didn’t you come and pick up DJ last night?” I asked, raising one eyebrow at him, letting him know that he’d been caught out.
He swallowed. “I was sick.”
I pointed to his phone in his hand. “Those photos took themselves then, huh? Or did you just feel like going out instead of being home with your son for the weekend? Boys night again was it?” I smirked at him as his jaw tightened, I could see him desperately scrambling to come up with some excuse as to why he was at the same bar as Nate last night when he told me he was sick with the flu.
“Don’t be such a bitch.”
I smiled at that. He was just going to change the subject so we’d argue about something else. That always used to be his tactic – diversion.
“You have no money so you can’t pay my child support, yet you can afford to go out drinking with friends when you’re supposed to be sick?”
“What do you want me to say? What will make this better? What can I do to prove to you that I love you?” he asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation.