Out of Bounds [h.s. au]

Chapter 24

I hadn't realized Justine was still talking until I heard the words Harry and Halloween party.

"I'm sorry, say that again," I requested.

"I said that when you asked me to go with you to that Halloween party, I had to say no. But not for the reason I gave."

"What?" I furrowed my brows. "It wasn't a hot date?"

"Well," she swallowed, "it sort of was. But not with Drew."

Justine bowed her head, avoiding eye contact just as realization hit me. I felt my blood run cold. This couldn't be happening.

"You...and James?" I muttered.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, Tisa," she cried into her hands, her voice muffled. "But we started spending so much time together."

I shook my head again, unable to fathom the possibility that my husband and my friend had been having an affair. The very friend to whom I had confessed my own affair. I felt the bile rise in my throat. I wanted to take my hot coffee and toss it in her face.

"It didn't start out that way, please understand," Justine coaxed. "I was just someone for him to lean on, perhaps get some information from. He was really hurt."

"You've said that," I mentioned through clenched teeth.

Justine exhaled slowly. "He wanted to hire a private investigator."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"I don't exactly what all was going through his head. But I think he wanted to try to catch you in act. And find out as much as possible about Harry."

"You told him that was ridiculous, right?"

"I did," Justine nodded. "But he insisted. The next time we met for lunch, he brought a man with him. His name was Nick Trevino and he was a P.I. Apparently he had been to Mikado's the evening before to check out Harry."

"Oh Jesus," I remarked.

"I wondered at first why he even wanted me there, knowing it was awkward for me since I'm your friend. But I figured maybe he just wanted the moral support, even though I told him this wasn't a good idea."

"What did he say to that?" I asked.

"He didn't listen to me. He was stubborn and determined." Justine took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "Anyway, he hired Nick to check up on you and Harry, but he didn't know yet how to catch you. Nick said he had gotten a few photos of the two of you at school, but he had yet to find you kissing or doing anything together outside of school."

"Oh my God," I buried my face in my hands. Again, I wanted to throw up. This private investigator had taken photos of us? What else had he done?

"Nick convinced me to try to get any information from you that I could, anything that you and Harry might be doing together or have planned. The night you called me about the party..." Justine silenced herself for a moment, seeming to muster up the words to say.

"You made it up," I said. "The whole thing about your date with a guy from work. There is no Drew, is there?"

Justine shook her head. I should have known. What an idiot I was.

"I did actually have plans though," Justine confessed. "James wanted to meet for dinner. Up to then, it had only been lunch and drinks after work a couple of times."

I rolled my eyes trying to recall occurrences when James had said he'd had to work late. He hadn't been working late. He'd been out drinking with Justine.