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“Maybe it is, maybe it actually isn’t. But the fact that I have these pictures should be the least of your worries. What you should be more concerned about is what I intend to do with them.”
I swallowed the lump of spit that had formed in my mouth. Fear had gripped me, but I made sure not to sound like it. “Don’t do anything silly, Dylan. I’m warning you.”
“I really don’t want to, I promise. I hate to have to leak these photos on the Internet. Imagine what headlines it would make. How will he feel about it? Your new guy, I mean. He’s quite the figure in the business world. This would affect him in some ways, too.”
“Dylan, I’m warning you. Don’t do this.”
“Truth is, I can do whatever it is that I want to do. You do not have it in you to try to stop me. You can’t, even if you tried. So, instead of acting tough and being all heady, let’s talk things out. I believe we can come to a compromise. I’m not entirely unreasonable.”
I heaved a deep sigh, a feeling of helplessness overwhelming me. “What do you want?”
“Now you’re asking the right questions. If you had done this from the very beginning, I’m sure we would have reached a conclusion by now. You already know what I want. Let me have it, and your secret is safe with me.”
“So, all of this is just because you want to have sex with me?”
“You make it sound like it’s going to be a one-time thing. One night could never be enough to fully explore all that we said we were going to. What I want is for you to leave that sorry ass and bring all of you to me. It’s really that simple.”
“I love him, Dylan. I love Hudson. I can’t leave him.”
“I don’t give a fuck about how you feel toward him. You’ll learn to love me, too. It’ll be just like the old times.”
“We were never in love, Dylan. You know this.”
“I think we’ve both said enough. You have only three days to think about my offer. If after three days you still won’t leave him, I’ll make you popular. Then, he will be forced to leave you, and I’ll still get to make you mine. It’s a win-win for me.”
“Dylan, please listen to me—” The call dropped before I could say another word. “Shit!” I screamed in frustration and threw my phone without caution on the counter. I dug my hands into my hair and scurried through it in frustration.
“Are you all right?” I was taken aback by the sound of Hudson’s voice. I jerked in fright.
“Huh? Did you say something?”
“I was asking if you were all right.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. How long have you been standing there?”
“I just got here now. We heard you yelling over the phone. Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing, babe. It was just something I applied for that didn’t click. I really had high hopes.”
“Ouch, I’m sorry, babe. Do you want to talk about it?” He had drawn closer to where I was standing and squeezed me into his arms.
“I would rather not, babe. Let’s just have breakfast, yeah?”
“All right. Let me give you a hand in here.” He released his grip on me and took out some plates from the cupboard. “These toasts smell really lovely, by the way—the second reason I snuck in here. I’m really hungry.” He suddenly leaned toward my ear and said in a hushed tone, “I think you zapped all of my energy last night.”
I found myself laughing again, smacking him on the hip at the same time. Hudson made me happy in ways that no one had ever done. He and June had become the family I never had; the thought of walking away from them was just too painful.
He led the way to the dining table, carrying a plate of toasted bread in each hand. I held the last plate in one hand and the large jar of milk in another.
I watched Hudson and June fool around at the table and tried my best to force a smile, although my mind was entirely absent. There was no bargaining with Dylan. There was nothing I could possibly even give. I felt too embarrassed to tell Hudson what was going on.
I had to figure this one out all on my own. There had to be something I could do to get Dylan off my trail. I just had to think about it carefully. Everyone has a price, after all. Perhaps if I had something on him, too, he would protect my secret at the expense of his.
I was uninterested in anything else for the rest of the day. I pretended not to feel too well and went up to the room.
Amy had visited the house, too, at about 2:00 p.m. She had come up to my room to tease me, insisting that my recent behavior was peculiar to pregnant women.
“Are you kidding me right now?” I managed to laugh. The laughter didn’t sound real, even to me.
