Chapter 36.

Verity and Pogue moved apart, nerves and adrenaline rushing through their bodies and an overwhelming tide of guilt crashing over the pair of them.

"You want to wait in the living room?" Verity mumbled, trying to compose herself. Pogue thought for a moment; if he hid then he was a coward. But if he were by her side then he was a traitor. Either way, he was the bad one in this. He had to choose his moves very carefully. Son instead, he pulled out a chair from under the dining table and sat down.

"I'm staying with you. No matter where I am I'm going to look like a shit. I am a shit." He stated. Verity went to him and placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"We both do." She placed a kiss on his cheek and leant in close to him to whisper. "I love you Pogue Parry." He turned to look at her.

"I-" There was a knock at the door that interrupted them. Verity and Pogue both stiffened with fear and guilty. She stood upright and went to the door and began to open it slowly.

"Tyler." She gave him a small and weak smile. How could she have gotten herself in to this mess?

"Hey. Are you okay? I've been worried about you all day!" He exclaimed and puller her in to his arms and held her tightly. She stiffened further under his touch and he nudged the door open. He looked past her head and saw Pogue. Verity pulled away as Tyler walked in, his face hardening.

"Hey man, what are you doing here?" He asked sternly as Verity closed the door behind him. He felt like he knew there was something coming, but he hoped with his entire body that he was wrong.

"Tyler, sit down?" Verity asked as she walked to the table and pulled out the two remaining chairs. Tyler shook his head in disbelief; realisation had just hit him like a wrecking ball to the stomach and sledgehammer to the chest.

"Something tells me I don't need to." He voice was quiet, chocked even. A struggle to get the words out against the staining lump in his throat. Pogue stood up and Verity stood between the two of them.

"I'm sorry Tyler, but I can't do this to you. I've hurt you so badly, but I can't-" Verity began, but Tyler stopped her.

"You two? You want him?" He asked, looking between the two. His eyes were full of hurt and anger.

"I'm sorry man, it's not right that we keep anything from you." Pogue took control of the conversation. "We shouldn't have agreed to forget about what happened at the pool, but we didn't know it was anything more until after. We didn't want to hurt you Ty." Pogue wanted to place his hand on Tyler's shoulder and give him some sort of reassurance, but this was not yet the time.

"I don't know what to say." Tyler whispered, unable to find any energy to speak loudly.

"I'm so sorry Tyler. We didn't want you to get hurt, but we couldn't avoid each other, and it wouldn't be fair to hide things from you." Verity had tears in her eyes; she was fond of Tyler, and he would be an amazing boyfriend, but it was his friend who had her heart, and she couldn't hurt him or string him along like she would have done in the past in New York; that wasn't who she was anymore. Tyler shook his head.

"I can't believe this. You're meant to be my friend. My best friend." Tyler looked at Pogue. "I-" Tyler didn't even know where his sentence was going so he stopped talking and walked out the house, slamming the door behind him and raced down the stairs and got in to his truck and drove off in whirlwind of anger, hatred, disappointment and hurt. Leaving Pogue and Verity alone.

He knew there was more to it. He knew it. Deep down, there was something between the two of them. He didn't know when exactly it started, but it was happening now and it had torn him apart from the inside out. Anger fuelled him forwards toward Caleb's house; Tyler just wanted someone to tell him it was a bad dream or a joke, that it really wasn't happening. But he knew and understood that it was, he just didn't know what to do next or how to process it all.

Driving through the Danvers' gates and along the drive he pulled up to a stop, not bothering to park properly, and got out the car. He slammed the door behind him and stomped his way up the front door and rang the bell, repeatedly, until a dishevelled Caleb eventually came to the door.

"Tyler? What's happening man?" The darker boy looked at his broken friend and moved aside to let him in.

"It's Verity- She's been seeing Pogue. She's with him at her house." Tyler spoke quickly and ran his hand through his hair. "What did I do wrong Caleb?" His blue eyes watered up, Caleb pulled him close and embraced him in a brotherly hug. A few moments later, he patted Tyler on the back and closed the front door. He ushered Tyler in to his father's old study and fumbled around the drinks cabinet while Tyler collapsed in to a heap on one of the arm chairs.

A few moments later, Caleb swirled a crystal cut tumbler of Scotch in front of his friend and watched the younger boy take it and swallow the contents down in one.

Tell me everything Tyler." Caleb's voice was soothing and calm, but full of concern. He took the tumbler and re-filled it then handed it back to his friend.

"Remember how we were over here playing fooseball on the weekend and you were going to get Verity to swim?" Tyler began. Caleb nodded.

"I remember."

"Well I felt bad I hadn't paid her much attention, so I went down to the pool and she was there with Pogue. They were kissing and it was pretty heated. I caught up with her later and she said it didn't mean anything, I made them both promise they would forget about it. I thought they would. But I went over there tonight and they were there. Together. They said they shouldn't have agreed to forget about it and they couldn't hide it from me. I feel so stupid!" Tyler looked down at the Scotch and Caleb sat in the chair opposite him.

"I'm sorry Ty, I really am. I can't believe either of them would do that." Caleb seemed lost for words; it was such a betrayal. Where was the loyalty in all of this?

"You know Reid said something to me a while back; he asked if I had seen how he would look at her. How Pogue would watch her. Do you think something had been going on this whole time?"

It took Caleb a few minutes to process the information he had been given and decide the best way to deal with it and sighed.

"I'm going to be honest here with you man, that day me and Pogue took verity to the hospital, something happened. They were close and they had a moment. I asked him about Kate and he brushed it off; whatever was between him and Kate is clearly over and he said he liked Verity; I thought it was just a reaction to the way him and Kate left things, But I guess not."

"What do I do now?" Tyler looked so lost and hurt. Bewildered even, as if he still couldn't believe his friend and girlfriend had betrayed him.

"I guess you let them do what they've got to do. It's hard, and it's going to hurt. He's your best friend and he shouldn't have gotten involved but-"

"But he saw her first. Yeah, I'm picking up on that a lot."

"I think all you can ask is that they don't rub your face in it. At least they told you and didn't keep it from you. Drink up, you can sleep in the guest room." Caleb got up and went to get himself a drink. He text Pogue straightaway; "That was a real low blow and a shitty thing to do. DO the boy favour and don't parade Verity around in front of him. Keep it quiet."He didn't owe any long term loyalty to Verity, but felt he should say something to her all the same, so he text her as well; "You hurt Tyler really badly. Keep a lid on things with Pogue ok? I don't want to lose you as a friend, but we've got to put Tyler first here. Talk to you soon." And finally he text Reid, him and Tyler were closer friends, it was only fair Reid knew what was happening and didn't accidentally put his foot in it, which he was very prone to doing; "Verity and Tyler aren't tighter any more. Long story, but she and Pogue have something. Explain tomorrow. Do not bug him about it. I mean it."

Caleb sat down with his drink, and watched as his friend drank deeply, lost in his own thoughts.