Page 75 of Tumbling Hearts

“Ray, that sounds like a fucking lie. You have never made our bed. I’m always the one to do it.”

“Oh, uh…” Fuck. She’s right. There’s no way to get out of this one. But maybe he can still twist it to not sound as bad, like he did the night he slipped up about his feelings for Gene… He sighs. “Okay. You got me. I hung out with Gene last night again in his room, since I didn’t feel like being alone. And I ended up sleeping in there. That’s all.”

Carol tsks, moving her hands to her hips. “If all you did was hang out, why lie about it? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Ray gulps.

“Unless… you did more than hang out,” she accuses. “I know you’re fucking attracted to him. You told me yourself.”

“But just because I’m attracted to him, that doesn’t mean he’d want to do anything with me…”

“Why are you wearing a scarf?”

Ray’s breath hitches. Like on instinct, he reaches up to pet it around his neck. “Because I like scarves? You know I wear them all the time⁠—”

“You’re not wearing it to hide something, are you?”

“What? Of course not! I just told you⁠—”

“If you have nothing to hide, then take it off. Show me.”

That makes him stop. He clenches onto his scarf tighter. “Oh, no, it’s fine⁠—”

“Show me!” She steps forward, grabbing onto his hand, attempting to pry it away. “If you were honest, you wouldn’t hesitate. Show me!”

He tries to hold onto the scarf, but her grip is too strong. He doesn’t want a struggle, doesn’t want to hurt her wrists from the pressure, so he lets go. With both hands, she tugs the scarf off of him, it fanning out as it falls slowly to the floor, finally exposing his neck.

“Are you fucking serious…”

She reaches up, touching the crook of his neck. She rubs the area with her fingers, then pulls them away, a thick powder now coating the tips.

“What the hell is this, Ray?!” she yells in his face. “Gene gave you a hickey?!”

He doesn’t have anything to say. He simply stares at her, eyes wide open, his pulse hammering away.

She’s witnessing Gene’s claim on him.

“You were in Gene’s room last night doing more than just ‘hanging out’, and this is the proof I needed. Fuck, Ray! What the fuck!” She rubs her fingers together, smearing the powder over them.

“Carrie, I—I can explain⁠—”

“Explain what?” She throws her hand to her side. “Explain another excuse to me? Lie to me again? My fucking god. I was worried about what would happen if I wasn’t here. Looks like I was right. You guys fucked. You weren’t just fantasizing about it—you actually fucking did it. You must’ve done it that night earlier in the month, too. What the fuck, Ray? You cheated on me with Gene!”

Hearing it said so plainly drives a knife through his heart.

The cat’s out of the bag.

“I… I mean… Yeah. I did.” He lifts his hand, covering his mouth. There’s no point in lying anymore.

“How long has this been going on?” Her gaze is like another dagger, assaulting him with eye contact. “Fourth of July? Before then, too? Hell, were you doing things with him before me and you had even met?!”

“No, no, I hadn’t done anything with him before we met!” Ray shakes his head. “It’s a… more recent thing than that.”

“So you got with me first, got bored with me after a while, and decided fuck her feelings and thought you’d mess around with Gene instead? Behind my back?”

“N-no, there’s… there’s more to it… I can’t explain!” He takes both hands and runs them through his hair, pulling his bangs away from his face. “I’m sorry! I’m fucking sorry! I fucked things up so bad.”

“You’re damn right, you did!” She huffs out a breath through her nose. “I trusted you when you said that you hadn’t done anything with him. That it was all just a fantasy. Since I have fantasies, too. But I haven’t actually gone out and slept with any of those other girls. My fucking god, Ray.”