Dragon's Fake Wedding Date - Riley Storm Page 0,57

that they would finally get their clan back on the right path.

Instead, he felt like he’d been stabbed in the guts. Something bad had happened, and Gayle no longer wanted anything to do with him. The emptiness inside him at the way things had so rapidly deteriorated was unfamiliar. He wasn’t used to emotions like this. He didn’t like it.

But for Gayle, he knew he would put up with anything.

Now, if I could only figure out what it was I did to set her off, then I could fix it.

Assuming things between them were fixable that was.

Chapter Thirty

Gayle

She was already half a bottle of wine deep when there was a knock on her door.

Dabbing roughly at her face with a tissue, she wiped away the tears and got up from her couch to answer it.

“Hey,” she said dully. “Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” Claire said, pushing inside, not waiting for Gayle to move. “What’s going on? What the heck happened?”

“I’ve been a fool,” Gayle said, spinning a half-circle and trudging her way back to the little nest of cushions she’d built on the couch around her position. “That’s what happened, Claire. I’ve been a big old fool. There’s no such thing as fairytales after all.”

Claire remained silent, but she did quietly go into the kitchen and help herself to a glass of wine.

“How long have you been home?” she asked while she poured.

“Half an hour?” Gayle said. “I don’t know, something like that. It’s kind of been a blur and then a lot of crying. You know how it goes.”

“Yeah,” Claire said quietly. “Half a bottle in half an hour? Sounds real bad.”

“Ugh, you have no idea. It’s worse because it’s twice in like a week now I’ve done it, over two different reasons. I’m just so stupid. Should have gone with the usual hermit mode after a breakup instead of this shit.”

Gayle flopped down onto the couch, picking up her glass from the side table and taking a sip. “It’s just so embarrassing, you know? Like, how could I be so dumb to fall for it all? I was even warned by someone, and I just ignored it all. That’s what burns the most. It’s all on me.”

“Right,” Claire said, sitting down on the recliner nearby. “Just what did happen? I take it from your call and what you’re saying right now that this has to do with Rann?”

“Yes. Of course it does. It’s always about stupid boys. Stupid men. I hate them all,” she grumped, staring morosely into the wine glass.

There was another knock at the door.

“Come in!” Claire hollered, putting up a hand to stop Gayle from getting up. “It’s probably Lilly.”

The raven-haired Lilly came in.

“Hey, sorry I’m the last one here. What did I miss? How bad is it?” She paused, her big brown eyes sweeping over the pile of pillows, tissues, and wine glass. “Oh. That bad.”

“We were just about to get to that,” Claire said. “I still haven’t heard what happened. I even asked ‘Ro if he’d heard about anything. But so far, the rumor is that Gayle here just shouted at him and wanted to go home. So, I’m ready for the rest of the story.”

Gayle blinked, wondering why Claire would ask Pietro, her man, but then her brain kicked in belatedly as she recalled Rann telling her how they were all clanmates. Her best friends were dating dragon shifters, just like her.

Just like I was, she corrected numbly. Gayle definitely wasn’t dating anyone right now, and she wouldn’t be for a while yet. If ever. It just wasn’t worth it. She hated drama and everything that came with it and was done with it.

Lilly went over to the counter, poured herself a drink as well, and then sat on the opposite end of the couch from Gayle.

“Spill,” she said bluntly. “What the deuce happened up there today?”

“Fuck Rann,” Gayle said hotly. “That’s what happened up there. I’m done with that asshole.”

“What?” Claire yelped. “Oh damn, Gayle, I’m sorry. I know I sort of pushed you two together a bit. I didn’t realize it would go badly!”

Lilly frowned. “What happened?” she asked softly, reaching out with one hand to lay it on Gayle’s leg. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to though.”

“No, I’ll tell you,” Gayle said. “It’s always better to talk to someone about it.”

The other two women just nodded, waiting for Gayle to start speaking when she was ready.

“I found out the truth,” Gayle said at last, eventually