Chapter 62: Jake

I didn’t know how to feel or how to react as Matt pushed past me to leave, not hesitating for even a moment. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, and I couldn’t blame him. Still standing back where he left her, Tameks’s eyes caught my gaze, and she blushed, the red tint rising to her neck and cheeks. I considered turning and leaving, hoping not to get involved, but it was far too late now. I already saw what I saw.

“Jake,” she said. “It—it isn’t what you think.”

“It’s not?” I folded my arms over my chest and watched her as anger simmered in my chest. Matt was just as much at fault, if not more so, but Tameka knew damn well he was taken, and she kissed him first. Matt would come later.

“I have to go,” Tameka said, stepping past me to where Matt had just stormed out. She stopped before vanishing, meeting my eyes. “Please don’t tell Renee.”

“I won’t,” I assured her. “That’s Matt’s responsibility.”

With a sigh, she walked away without a glance over her shoulder. I shook my head and clenched my jaw, relieved that Renee didn’t have to see that, but livid that it even happened. Matt was devoted to Renee, we all were. But tonight proved to me that even the smallest temptations could throw us off our game. Would Matt even tell Renee? He had to. He owed it to her. If he didn’t, I would, even if it meant pissing my best friend off.

With a sigh I made my way back to the party, glancing around to see if Matt had stayed or gone home. He was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t really reassure me. I hoped that he at least went home and wasn’t found by Tameka first.

I spotted Renee and Aaron across the room speaking to a woman with long dark hair and cherry lips. She was attractive, this woman, and I wondered if this was the agent Aaron had briefly told us about the other day. If so, things looked to be going well. Even Renee was beaming, and I hoped for the best. At this point, I didn’t think Aaron would notice if Matt and I left.

Figuring this was a good time to slip out and leave the rest of the night to the two of them, I got into the elevator to leave and rode it down to the ground floor. Fishing for the keys in my pocket, I was about to step off the curb and cross the street when I spotted a hunched figure leaning up against the side of the building right outside the doors. It was Matt.

“Dude,” I said. He looked up at me, eyes red like he’d been crying, but I didn’t see any tears. In his hand was a near empty glass of champagne. “I don’t think you’re supposed to take the flutes from the party,” I joked. Now wasn’t the time to reprimand him. Not yet, anyway. I’d known Matt long enough that I knew if I came at him in this state, it would just make things worse. So instead, I took a seat on the curb next to him, resting my head back against the brick wall and closing my eyes. I didn’t have to speak yet. I knew he would when he was ready.

After a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke. “I fucked up, man.”

Still, I said nothing. It was his time to talk, to explain. I kept my mouth and eyes closed, listening to his words, the anguish in his voice.

“Tameka’s been so flirty at work,” he continued. “And I—I’ve probably been leading her on without even realizing it. I just thought it was fun. For play. But then she kissed me tonight and—well, I liked it.”

“But you stopped it,” I pointed out. “I saw it happen.”

Matt sighed and shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah, I stopped it,” he said. “But I didn’t want to.”

“You’re only human.”

“A shitty one, apparently.”

“Are you going to tell Renee?”

He hesitated just long enough for me to nearly question him. But then he nodded. “Yeah, of course I will. When the time is right.”

“The time will never be right,” I told him. “And the longer you wait, the worse it will be.”

“This will break her heart.”

“I know.” I sighed and shook my head, wishing not for the first time that we didn’t all love the same girl. Sometimes, it made things tricky. When Renee hurt, we all hurt. “Renee is forgiving,” I told him. “After all, she gave us a chance when we didn’t deserve it. Maybe she can forgive this, too.”

Matt ran a hand through his dark, disheveled hair and sighed. He looked like shit, and for good reason. I hoped the decision he made tonight was weighing on him. He deserved to hurt just as much as Renee, even if I hated it. He was an ass, but he was still my brother.

“Let’s go home,” I said. “Let Aaron and Ren enjoy the rest of the night together. We don’t need to ruin it. You can tell her in the morning.”

Matt nodded, pensive, then got to his feet after me, swaying slightly. He was drunker than I’d originally assumed, and I wasn’t sure if that was for better or worse. It didn’t matter, I guess. Wasted or sober, he’d still fucked up, and it would hurt Renee just the same.