Page 55 of Bones

We all burst out laughing.

“I know, but he’s so hot!” Atiana sighs.

Ora nudges her with her elbow.

“I always thought the twins were hot,” Lu admits, and glances between Isla and me. “Don’t kill me, please.”

We laugh.

Xanthe glances around the room. “Do you think Ghost can hear us? What if he can lip-read?”

“Cover your mouth and whisper it to me,” Lu says, and Xanthe tells her. Lu’s green eyes widen, and then she whispers it to Ora, who passes it to Atiana, who tells me.

“Suit.”

“My answer is the same as Xanthe’s,” I announce, and she nods at me with approval.

I look over at Isla. “I mean, obviously, Skull looks the same as Nate. So he’s probably the second hottest, but I feel like that’s cheating.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Isla replies, tapping her red fingernail on her cheek. “I was going to say Bones, but maybe I should choose someone else.”

“I wonder what it would be like to be with two hot brothers.” Atiana sighs, and everyone looks at Isla before glancing away. There’s suddenly an awkward tension between us, and my brow furrows as I try to figure out why.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my head a little blurry, but I go over what they just said. “Why did everyone look at you?” I ask Isla. I think I already know, but I want to hear her say it.

The women all share another look amongst themselves, while Isla looks down.

“You’ve slept with Nate?”

“Oh fuck,” Lu comments, reaching her hand out to touch my arm. “Bones didn’t tell you?”

Oh my God.

Nate slept with Isla.

The way I saw him looking at her wasn’t just because she’s Skull’s woman. It’s because he’s also been with her. Does he have feelings for her? Is that why he was struggling so much?

We told each other so much, and he didn’t think he should tell me that?

He’s made me look like a goddamn idiot.

When someone cups my face and says my name, I realize it’s not the first time Isla has tried to get my attention. “It happened once. Only once. Bones doesn’t see me like that.” She’s trying to make me understand their side of it, but right now, all I can feel is hurt.

Standing up, I walk to the bathroom.

Lu comes up behind me. “Meredith, I’m sorry it came out like this. You shouldn’t have found out like this.”

“I need to be alone right now.”

“Bones will explain to you…”

I glance up at her, willing myself not to cry. She must see the tears pooling in my eyes because she pulls me into a hug. “Bones loves you. We all see it. Please, let him explain.”

“I’m going home. I’ll talk to him later.”

“I’ll get one of the prospects to drive you home,” she says, pulling out her phone and sending a message.

But I don’t want to be around any of them right now.