way she avoided my gaze, concern hit me. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes flew to me. She studied me a moment. “Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“Jack handed over his company to Ray English. Just handed it over.” She threw her hands in the air, frustration furrowing her brow. “Who does that? And what’s worse … he’s gone to work for his old man. Ian Devlin. Jack hates Ian!”
Despite my lack of friends in town, Iris had filled me in on the social dynamics of everyone as the years passed. And I people watched. A lot. I felt like I knew everyone, even though we rarely talked.
I turned away to make Iris’s and Ira’s coffees.
“And he won’t talk to me about why. He won’t even tell Cooper! And moody! That boy has never been ill-tempered with me in his life and he actually told me to back off. And he used the F-word. I thought Cooper would swing at him for that one. No, something not good is happening with Jack. Something very not good.”
My breath caught.
Was this “something not good” the reason he’d stood me up?
Ugh.
That’s incredibly self-involved, Em.
“What do you think is going on?”
“Don’t know.” Iris sighed heavily. “But I’m worried about him.”
I slid the coffees across the counter and waved off her attempt to pay me. “Free coffee for life, remember?”
She gave me a sad, soft smile. “You’re a good girl.” She shook her head. “You know, I once had hopes for you and Jack. Stupid thought. Even more stupid now that he’s acting like a jackass.”
I blushed at the notion of Iris attempting to match me and Jack and changed the subject. “I’m sure there’s a reason for his behavior.”
“I’m sure you’re right. I’ll just need to keep pushing. Ivy always said, the worst thing about having me as a mom is that I’m like a dog with a bone when I think something’s going on I should know about.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s a bad way to parent.”
Iris patted me on the arm. “Thanks, sweetheart. Okay, I’m off. We’re still on for dinner Sunday night, right?”
“I’ll be there,” I promised.
Once Iris left the store, I let my mind reel.
What on earth was going on with Jack? If something was wrong … should I be brave? Perhaps approach him to see if I could be of help?
By the time I gathered enough courage to approach Jack, it was too late.
One Friday, a month after my talk with Iris, the news was all over town.
Cooper Lawson had caught Jack and Dana having sex on his couch. I couldn’t process how the man who’d come to me for advice could then cheat on his best friend with his wife!
None of it made sense.
Cooper was devastated, and my heart hurt for him.
Everyone shunned Jack and Dana.
Iris was heartbroken and sure that something had happened to Jack to make him do this.
I wanted to believe that. I did.
For a while, both Iris and I did.
She suspected that even Cooper hoped for an explanation. However, more months passed, and more …
And Jack got further away from who he used to be until we all started to forget.
Now he was just another one of the Devlins.
Not to be trusted.
And I couldn’t understand why that hurt so much more than it should, considering we’d never even had that first date.
7
Jack
Four and a half years ago
Life for Jack was a daily exercise in going through the motions, compartmentalizing the shit he knew about Ian’s dodgy business dealings, and the sour attitude of people who’d known him his whole life. Everyone hated him for betraying Cooper.
Jack despised himself.
Some nights he closed his eyes and all he could see was the look on Cooper’s face when he walked into the house and caught Jack thrusting into Dana.
He hadn’t even wanted her.
But he’d taken what she offered and poured all his frustrations into hate sex.
Rationally, he knew it was for the best.
But it didn’t mean it didn’t fucking hurt. It was like grief. Every day was moving through the weighted fog of mourning.
Jack grieved for the guy he used to be. However, he mourned Cooper more.
His cell was connected to his car and it rang, jerking Jack out of his heavy thoughts. Ian’s name showed on the screen and he sighed, hitting the answer button on the steering wheel. “What is it?”
“Good morning to you too.”
Jack didn’t respond.
Ian sighed. “I’m just checking you’re on your way to Bill Succoth’s place in Millton.”
“Yup. I’m on my way to drop off