My head was spinning, but he continued before I had a chance to catch up. Devon loves me?
“I sat back and watched you parade dumbass after dumbass around for three goddamn years, but I knew eventually you’d see me as more. I was always there for you. And you fall in love with some suicidal asshole you met while trying to jump off a bridge. What is wrong with you?”
The free fall didn’t just find me—it swallowed the entire room.
“Oh my God!” Sam’s mom cried, throwing her hand over her heart.
Sam’s face paled as he quickly said, “It’s not what you are thinking, Ma.” Rushing toward her, he folded her into his chest. “I swear to God it’s not what you are thinking.”
“Come on. Let’s go outside.” Meg took Morgan’s hand. “Ty. Ryan. Jen. Let’s go.”
Ryan eyed Sam carefully. “Swear to God you didn’t lie to me,” he pleaded, crossing his arms over his chest as the rest of them filed from the room.
Sam just tilted his head at him and impatiently flared his eyes.
Ryan nodded, throwing his hands up in surrender before backing away.
“He’s lying, Ma. None of that happened.” Sam looked up at me with wide eyes while holding his mother in his arms.
I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to tell her the truth and assure her that she wasn’t going to lose her only remaining child the same way she had her husband and her daughter. I could also see that he didn’t want to reveal my secret in the process.
“Bullshit,” Devon slurred.
And that’s when it hit me.
It really was bullshit.
All of it.
The fact that it had happened.
The fact that I was hiding it.
The fact that Devon was trying to use it as an excuse for why I had fallen in love with Sam.
It was all bullshit.
“Devon, you’re an idiot. Because I love you too.”
Sam’s head snapped to me. “Excuse me?”
I waved him off and kept talking. “Maybe not the way you want me to love you, but it was still love. You and Henry were the only two people I could depend on without question. I wish you would’ve been a man and said something instead of acting like a little boy pulling the pigtails of your crush. You know why I haven’t returned any of your phone calls or even confronted you about the crap you pulled in Maine? Because I was scared it would mean that I’d have to say goodbye. I was hoping I could cool off and discuss things with you on a personal level, but then, tonight, you come into my home…drunk… hurling lies and insults?” I shook my head in disgust. “Thank you. You embarrassed the hell out of me in front of some really amazing people, but you made my life so much easier. Devon, you’re fired.” I squared my shoulders and looked at Carter. “Get him out of here.”
“Levee, wait,” Devon pleaded as Carter pulled him to his feet.
“Henry, you want to press any charges?” I asked as he made his way over me.
“Nope,” he replied, draping his arm around my shoulders in a show of solidarity.
“Okay, then. Devon, if you ever show your face on my property again, I will call the police. I will have you arrested. And I will press charges.” I held his gaze for several seconds to reinforce how serious I really was.
My heart was still absolutely breaking, but I sucked it up, because I had to.
I wasn’t Spiderman.
I couldn’t fix the way Devon felt for me.
I couldn’t keep him employed just because I felt guilty.
I could, however, do what was best for me.
“You did good,” Henry whispered as Carter led Devon out of my front door.
My shoulders slacked, but my stomach rolled. I had so much more good to do.
“Mrs. Rivers, I’m sorry you had to witness that, but what he said was the truth…kinda.”