The Truest Thing (Hart's Boardwalk 4)

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 the contract.”