Playing the Game (Providence University #6) - Ali Parker Page 0,65

closed her eyes. By the time I was ready for round two, she was snoring as softly as a kitten purred beside me.

Chapter 23

Avery

I woke the next morning alone in bed, achy and feeling as if my pain meds were about to wear off. “Seth?” I called out, looking to the empty place beside me. I put my hand over in the spot, but it had gone cold.

When I didn’t get a response, I listened for the shower, but the house was quiet. There was no smell of breakfast cooking like when I woke up at his place, and no television in the background either. It was still early in the morning but past time for my next dose, and the ache in my side was worse when I tried to get up.

“Seth,” I called again. I finally managed to get to my feet and went to the kitchen. I found his phone, but no Seth, and when I looked outside, there was no Jeep in the lot. I raked my hand through my hair and wondered when he had left. I hadn’t even stirred.

I couldn’t remember any place he had to be.

His phone flashed, making a strange sound, so I went over to pick it up. There was a notification at the top, but the screen was open, and pulled up was a photo of him and Britany kissing. “Party is great! Come out and play, lover.” My voice invaded the quiet as I read it. It hadn’t been a missed message. Seth had seen it and left it open.

Had he gone to meet her? Is that why he wasn’t there?

I went to my phone to call Abi and see if she had been to the party. Surely, Seth wouldn’t be dumb enough to try and cheat while my best friend was at Omega House. But when I picked up my phone from the coffee table where I’d left it, something crossed my mind. Seth had definitely seen his phone. He had left it on the coffee table the night before right beside mine. He must have seen it, left it on the kitchen counter, and went out to see her.

I hit the button to light up my phone and found that he wasn’t the only one to have a message. Britany somehow had gotten my number. A different photo showed up this time, of Seth kissing her breasts. She was looking at the camera with a big smile on her face.

“Looks like some things never change,” it read. I checked the time, and the message came first thing in the morning. This had happened during the night.

My heart sank, and I found myself on my knees. “How could he do that to me?” And how long had he been cheating? The whole time? Did he go to Britany while I was in the hospital? Was that why he was so hesitant to mess around? God knew nothing had stopped him before.

I managed to pick myself up, but my stomach recoiled. I hurried to the bathroom and dry heaved on my way to the toilet. I fell to my knees and lifted the lid, but nothing came up.

I sank back down against the counter on the fuzzy rug that was in front of it and wrapped my arms around my middle. Fat tears rolled down my cheeks, and the pain in my side was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

I heard the door open and shut. I got to my feet and crept out into the small hallway and peeked around to find him in the kitchen with a coffee turned up at his lips.

“What the hell are you doing?” I barked, causing him to jump and spill coffee on his chin and shirt.

He wiped his mouth and breathed a sigh of relief. “Damn, Avery, you scared me. I just went out for breakfast. I didn’t expect you to be awake yet.”

“Yeah, I bet.” He thought he could sneak back in with coffee and pretend like nothing happened. “Is this why you wanted me to take the stronger dose of meds?”

“What? No. I knew that the next dose was getting close and brought you something to eat.” He moved closer, looking me up and down. “Are you okay?”

I couldn’t believe he was trying to play it off. “No! I’m not fine. And you’re so full of shit. I believed you. I trusted you!”

Seth looked confused, but I knew he was probably just confused about how I found