Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 119

Chapter 119: 119-The Argument

Helanie:

“Really? Who?” Lamar asked, either out of plain stupidity or ignorance.

“You!” She pointed her finger at Gavin instead, who shifted in his seat before smiling.

“Yeah, I’ve been here before. It was when I was getting ready for the backup tests,” he admitted. “Why don’t you surprise us with your best meal, like you did last time too,” he said while holding the menu.

“Sure, I would! Oh, I see you brought your mate here too,” Benita smiled as she started taking orders.

“He talks about me, and I’m—cheating on him?” I noticed the shift in Lucy’s demeanor. I didn’t want her to take the lady’s comment too seriously because I didn’t want Lucy to do something irrational in the heat of the moment.

I just wanted her to take some time and ask Gavin if he had actually cheated on her or not. Because, like Lamar said, if she confronts him directly, he might never confess.

Thankfully, she left without causing more trouble, but Lucy had gone utterly silent the whole time.

Penn was busy on his phone, so I assumed he only tagged along because he knew his sister would be alone if he didn’t join.

As for Jenny, she sat with her shoulders slouched sadly. Lamar was the only one talking, and Gavin was engaging with him.

“I can’t hide it anymore,” Lucy whispered in my ear as she stood up, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.

“Lucy—” I grabbed her hand, trying to pull her back down, but she shook her head.

“Can we talk, Gavin?” she asked, interrupting his conversation. Lamar’s eyes darted to mine, and I gave him a look. He understood what I meant.

“Umm, the food is about to be here. Why do you need to talk right now? And in front of everyone? Rude!” Lamar tried to play it off, but Lucy seemed determined, and, surprisingly, Gavin seemed intrigued by what she had to say.

“Sure, what is it?” Gavin asked, folding his arms on the table.

“Can we go outside and talk?” Ignoring everyone, Lucy directed her attention solely to Gavin, and he focused only on her.

“Lucy, maybe let everyone eat first,” I urged her, still holding her hand. I really didn’t like the idea of her speaking to him here. There were so many people around.

Why would she do that?

“I need to do this. I can’t live with this guilt. He deserves to know,” she said aloud, not even trying to whisper. Everyone heard her and stared in confusion.

But Gavin, of all people, just nodded, his jaw clenching as if he already knew what she was guilty of. Of course, the pain he felt that night was a reminder of something Lucy had done wrong.

“Let’s go outside. You guys enjoy the feast,” Gavin said, standing up and walking away, with Lucy following closely behind him.

The awkward silence lingered for only a few seconds before I hastily got up to follow them. This was news that Gavin wouldn’t take lightly, and he would clearly need someone by his side to calm him down.

I was also worried about how he might react to Lucy admitting she had cheated on him.

I needed to be there to ensure they both stayed safe and kept their hands to themselves during such a big conversation.

“Helanie, you shouldn’t—” Lamar immediately got up and grabbed my hand. I could see in his eyes that he didn’t want me to go after them, and I understood why.

“Too much stress,” he mouthed silently.

“All worth it for friends,” I replied. I knew I was already weak and hadn’t been eating properly, given my current state. But being there for my friends was important to me. I had never had friends before, so now that I finally did, I was willing to do whatever it took to support them.

“Then I’ll come too,” Lamar insisted.

It was odd how Penn remained seated, watching the situation unfold without interfering. He didn’t seem shocked, interested, or concerned about what was happening.

Jenny, on the other hand, looked puzzled and worried for all of us.

“No, I don’t think Gavin would appreciate seeing you right now,” I said, shaking my head at Lamar. “If you go outside while Lucy is telling Gavin she cheated on him with you, he’ll take it very hard. And honestly, nobody would blame him.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” I added, seeing the concern in Lamar’s eyes. I had to reassure him so he wouldn’t follow me.

After he reluctantly backed down, I quickly made my way outside, where Lucy and Gavin were standing face to face.

“What is it? Are you finally going to confess to what you did to me?” Gavin asked her, his tone harsh and his eyes blazing with rage.

“Are you ready to tell me why I felt pain that night?” Lucy confronted him.

I didn’t immediately step beside them but stayed back, keeping my eyes on them in case they lost control of their emotions.

“I told you, I was upset about not being accepted into the academy. When I was with the others in a shelter, I started feeling like I could never compete with them. I was frustrated and down. I tried to transition in the woods, but due to the stress, my wolf couldn’t come out. I was failing at everything, and that might have been why you felt something strange in your heart,” Gavin yelled, his voice rising with frustration.

Lucy hugged herself, her arms wrapping tightly around her body. I could see the regret on her face now that he had answered her question honestly.

“So, tell me, Lucy—” Gavin started, but before he could finish, her mouth fell open, and a gasp escaped her lips.

That reaction seemed to throw Gavin into an uneasy state.

“I thought you cheated on me,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.

It took Gavin a few moments to process her words before he finally spoke. “Is that why—did you cheat on me?”

This was what I had been afraid of, and now it was finally happening.