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“Oh, it makes sense,” he says. “It all makes sense. It’s been in my face, but I didn’t dig deep.”
“No!” I rush to my feet and stand in front of Riley. “He’s a liar and a manipulator, and this is what he would want. For you to blame yourself for his deceit, please don’t fall for it. It is his responsibility to tell you the truth as his best friend, not for you to find out.”
Riley shakes his head. “Alec is not a liar,” he says. “Nor is he a manipulator. I think that’s one of the reasons I trust him so much. I’m sure he has an explanation for this.”
I stumble backward in disbelief, my gaze roaming my brother’s face. “I cannot believe you are defending him.”
“I am not defending him; he’s my best friend. I’ve known him for years. I’m sure he has an explanation for this.”
“He’s not your best friend,” I snap. “What is wrong with you, Riley? Look at Ana; she’s my best friend, and I know everything about her, down to the hospital where she was born.”
Riley sighs. “You cannot compare your relationship with your best friend to my relationship with mine. It’s different.”
“He deceived me, too,” I say softly, fighting back tears. I wonder why Riley is backing him up so much when I’m hurting terribly inside. “He told me he loves me, that he wants to be with me and spend the rest of his life with me.”
I’m shocked at the lack of reaction on Riley’s face. I always envisioned that when Riley found out about Alec and me, he would flip. But he doesn’t. Instead, he watches me with extremely sharp eyes, and I wilt under his stare.
“Say something.”
“I know,” he says. “I know you and Alec have been seeing each other. I enjoy seeing you both sneak around; that’s why I didn’t say anything.”
“What?” I blanch. “You knew?”
“Yes. I’ve known for a while. Since the day you asked about him lying about the book, I suspected, and then I found out.” He reaches for my left hand. “And this promise ring, I know he gave it to you.”
“What?” I had lied to Riley that I bought the ring myself, and he didn’t argue.
“What were the promises he made to you, Jas?”
“That he loves me,” I answer. “And that he’ll always remain loyal and committed to me.”
“Then ignore the woman you saw on TV,” Riley says, shocking me. “You should hear from Alec himself.”
“I cannot believe you're on his side,” I cry.
“Jasmine, the only reason I didn’t say a word when I found out you were sneaking around with Alec is because he is an honorable man,” Riley says. “His word is his bond, and he never breaks his promises. If he made these promises to you, then I urge you to trust him and wait to hear what he has to say. I’ll beat him up myself if he hurts you.”
Tears slip down my face, and Riley draws me into his arms. “I may not know much about Alec’s family, but they are very complicated. You can only build a solid relationship on trust, Jas.”
“But seeing him with that woman,” I sob. “I cannot deal with this, Riley. Her father is a billionaire.”
“So is Alec. He doesn’t care.”
“But I do,” I insist. “How do I compete with that, Riley? How?” I wipe the tears from my face. “It’s all too much for me.”
Riley holds me in his arms as I break down in tears, and it surpasses my expectations to see how well he’s handling this. He has remained levelheaded despite expressing his disappointment in Alec. I hope I can have Ana’s back like this when the time comes because this shows extreme trust between the two friends.
“I’m so sorry, Riley.” I try to pull away, but my brother doesn’t let me.
“It’s okay.” He pats my back. “It’s okay to cry.”
I nod, leaning into his arms and letting him comfort me. My head races with thoughts of Alec and Eve, and I wonder what they are doing right now. Riley believes Alec is a man of his word, and he did promise to stay loyal to me, but I can’t help but think of him as a mere man. Eve is a beauty; can he resist her? Especially when she seems to be so into him.
I can think of a thousand reasons why this relationship cannot work, starting with the fact that we’re in two different financial castes. There’s nothing I can offer Alec.
“Do you know when Alec will be back?” Riley asks.
“He said Sunday,” I respond. “But right now, I don’t know if that still stands.”
