Typhon

Chapter 26

Rylee~

Kincaid had been kind enough to drive me back to my apartment, and I didn't know if I'd ever be able to repay her for the kindness that she'd shown me tonight, especially since we weren't friends. Before last Friday night, we'd never spoken as friends or even casual acquaintances. Still, she had welcomed me into her home tonight, and now she was helping me get my shit and find a place where I could finally breathe.

With two suitcases packed and two duffle bags, it was amazing how my entire life fit into four pieces of luggage and a few trash bags that we'd already hauled down to my car. Glancing around my bedroom, there really wasn't anything to come back for unless I wanted the bedding and crap like that, and I didn't. I had my clothes, my electronics, and all my personal keepsakes all packed up, and I didn't care if I had to buy new shampoo and conditioner, even if I couldn't afford it.

I wanted out of this fucking place and away from Laney Spinner.

"Is that really all of it?" Kincaid asked, and I didn't blame her for sounding surprised.

"The apartment was already pre-furnished when we rented it," I told her. "Except for the curtains, bedding, and stuff like that, there really isn't much left."

Kincaid grabbed one suitcase and a duffle bag while I grabbed the other duffle bag, suitcase, and my purse. "Alright," she replied. "Let's get out of here and find you some place to stay, though my offer still stands."

"I appreciate it, Kincaid," I told her honestly. "More than you know. But I...I don't want to be anywhere that Stone can find me."

"I understand," she whispered sympathetically.

Just then, sounds of the apartment door opening had me dropping my bags, then rushing out into the living room, leaving Kincaid behind in my bedroom. As much as I hated Stone for what he'd done to me, Laney's betrayal ran deeper. She set me up to be humiliated and discarded, and all for some guy that had never looked at her once.

Laney was walking towards the kitchen with a huge smile on her face, and she looked like she just crawled out of someone's bed. Her hair was mused, her clothes wrinkled, and her makeup was worn.

When she finally noticed me, she nearly had me going for her throat. "Oh, hey," she grinned. "Wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Why, Laney?" I asked. "Just tell me why."

She blinked, her face a mask of deceit. "Why, what? What are you talking about, Rylee?"

"The text messages!" I yelled across the room. "Why would you send those messages to Stone?!"

I had expected her to deny it.

I had expected her to play dumb.

I hadn't expected the nastiness that she'd convinced me was a fluke to make an appearance again.

"Oh, what?" she mocked. "The hubby can't take a joke?"

Anger threatened to choke me. "A joke?"

Laney slapped her hands on her hips as she cocked them to the side. "Oh, c'mon, Rylee," she rushed out condescendingly. "It was just a joke."

"You think it's a joke to send someone's fiancé texts that they're going to fuck other people at some party?"

Was she serious?

"Of course, it was a joke," she insisted. "Anyone who knows you knows that you're not like that. Christ, it's been decades since the last time you got laid." The bitch had the nerve to roll her eyes. "It was a joke."

"Stone didn't see it that way," I finally told her.

She arched a brow, and I knew this point was going to go to her. "Well, then, I guess that's what you get for getting engaged to someone you don't know," she replied snidely. "If he did know you-know anything about you-he would have known that there's no way those texts could have come from you."