***
"Why are we going by Erica's?" Damon gave me a sideways look as we got back in his Mercedes, both of us so full that it hurt to walk.
"She's not responding to my text." I shrugged and got in the car, buckling up. "She went to some art event last night and was sick over having to see Mitch there."
He let out a sigh and pulled away from the restaurant. "I don't understand what the fuck Mitch has to do with all of this."
"Did you at least look into him?" I barked and glanced over to pin my brother with a hard stare.
"Yes, and he's the same guy I told you he was. He lost his wife, he's devoted to dad, and him and his kid don't really get along, but that's pretty normal, Matt. What were you thinking I was going to find?"
My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out like it was on fire in my pocket. Erica's text was short, but at least she was texting.
We need to talk.
I put the phone to my ear to call her. It rang five times and went to voicemail. What the hell?
"Alright. So are we going to look at places or what?"
"Yeah. Let's go over to that big reality company by the office." I was glad he had changed the subject from Mitch. I was sick over Erica not answering my call, but I wasn't about to let my brother know that I was freaking the fuck out.
We pulled up to the reality company a few minutes later, and I'd mentally fucked myself a million times with what could be going on with Erica.
"I need to run up to the office first. You want to come up or stay here?"
"I'm good here." I leaned back in my seat and forced my face to be as expressionless as possible.
"Alright." He reached for the door and paused. "You okay?"
"I've been better, but I'm good. Go do what you have to do and then we'll head over to the reality company."
"Hang tight. Be back shortly." He got out of the car and walked away as I let out a long sigh of relief.
I reached up and turned the air on high, wondering what the fuck to do. Should I try and call her again?
Jonathan. I'd asked Jonathan to go to the event the night before. He'd be the best way to check up on her without making her think I was getting obsessive, which I was. A little.
I dialed his number and pressed the phone to my ear as I tapped my foot. Nerves tore up my stomach, and I knew I was going to be sick whether everything was fine or if it wasn't.
"Jonathan Luntz."
"Hey. It's Matt. How are you?"
His normal upbeat tone was all but gone. "Matt. I'm good. We're just heading out for brunch. The wife loves to indulge a little on Sundays, and the place just down the road from us has fresh berries and whipped cream. I always go for the champagne, but I like to live a bit buzzed."
I forced a chuckle. "Well, I won't keep you. I just wanted to check in on how things went last night. Erica hasn't texted this morning, and I'm feeling like a pussy for wanting to call until she picks up. She's just been so off lately."
"Right." He paused, and I grew sicker. "She was at the event last night."
"And?" I clamped my teeth together. Was I going to have to pry out of him what the fuck happened? "Was she herself? Did you guys talk."
"She wasn't at all herself, and yes, we did talk for a minute."
"Jonathan. What's going on? You're repeating everything I'm saying. Did something happen?" I gripped the door handle beside me and tried to find enough air to breathe.
"Look, man, I don't know how to tell you this, and I wasn't supposed to have to."
"Tell me what?" A cold sweat broke out on my skin.
"She was there with Mitch Roberson. He works at the firm with her."
"Oh yeah." I let out the breath I was holding. "I knew Mitch was going to be there." I chuckled, but the sound was shaky. "She was a little upset about him going."
"No. I don't think she was."
"What do you mean?" I reached up and pressed my hand to my chest as my heart sped up again. "Just be straight with me, please. You and I have a long term plan of working together until we're both too old to lift a paintbrush. Trust is a big fucking deal to me."
"I understand." He paused again, and I thought I might have a cardiac arrest. Nothing good was going to come from the conversation. "She was with Mitch as his date last night, Matt. He had his hands all over her. They danced like lovers and held hands when they weren't dancing."
"No. You must have misunderstood." I opened the door and got out. I was going to vomit the minute we got off the phone. All I needed was for Damon to split my head open over barfing in his beautiful new toy.
"No. I didn't." He sighed. "I pulled her aside and reprimanded her."
"She knew you saw her and Mitch acting like they were together?"
"Yes, Matt. Every-fucking-body who was there saw them as a couple. I told her that she had to come clean with you today."
Her text. She wanted to talk. Fuck.
"Alright. Thanks, man. I'll touch base with you later this week."
"Matt-"
I dropped the call and ran for the trashcan, flinging the top off of it and losing everything I'd eaten over the last few hours.
How could she? How could I have trusted her?
Who the fuck fakes love the way she did?
"Matthew?" Damon's voice caused me to spin around.
A sob broke through me as I wrapped my arms around myself and closed my eyes tightly. This shit couldn't be happening to me. My father had been an adulterer, and so was my mother. She had a reason to strike back, but what was Erica's.
"Hey, buddy. Talk to me." Damon wrapped me in a tight hug and pressed his cheek to the top of my head as I let myself go. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, man. "
“Did you know that dad cheated first?” I glanced up at him.
“Yeah, buddy. He told me a few days ago. Forget about that shit, okay? It’s in the past now. Just let out everything that’s fucking you up, and then we'll deal with it together.”
But there was nothing to deal with. I was a sucker.
All of my hopes and dreams disintegrated as I stood in the parking lot with my brother clinging to me. I shouldn't have fallen in love, and I would never make that same mistake again.
It hurt too goddamn bad to lose it.
No wonder she wanted to make Mitch into a villain to me.
It kept me from seeing the truth of her indiscretion and instead focused on him.
Fuck her. Fuck all of them.
I didn't need love, and I didn't need her.
It was stupid of me to think I did.