Page 128 of The Jaded Notes

I shouldn’t tell him, but I can’t help myself. He’s always been able to get me to open up to him.

“Bren, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone?”

“You mean Cash?”

“Not just him. I mean everybody. Especially our parents and Callum. I don’t want them to know.”

Bren shifts closer to me, resting his arms on the table. “Sounds serious.”

“It might be, so I need you to give me your word that you won’t say anything.”

“It’ll be our secret. You know I’ve had your back ever since we were young, so you know you can trust me.”

My stomach tightens, but I ignore my fear. “The house I’m moving into is owned by a man I’m seeing.”

“Who? And give me all the details because this is the first time I’m hearing about any guy here in California, and you’re telling me you’re moving in with him. I’m not sure I’m gonna support you in this decision. It’s too?—”

“Stop it, Bren. I’m not going to be living with him. He owns another house and travels all the time. I barely see him.”

“But he’s letting you live in his place?” Bren’s brows come together. “You’re telling me half-truths again, Livianna, and I don’t like it. Spill it, or I leave and tell Mom and Dad everything.”

“For fuck’s sakes. Can’t I have this one thing without you needing every detail? I don’t ask you about your sex life.”

“True, but I don’t have some chick living with me.”

I clench my jaw tight. “I already said we’re not moving in together. His property is sitting empty, and I was near a mental breakdown. I think he offered it to me to keep me sane.”

Bren rests back and analyzes me for a moment while I sip on my coffee. I knew I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

After a moment, he takes a drink of his espresso and starts shifting around like he’s uncomfortable. His thumb taps the edge of the table in a constant nervous rhythm as he seems to be warring with himself about something.

I can’t take it anymore. “What? You’re acting strange, so just say what you need to say.”

He seems to consider something, then sits straight and swallows hard.

“There’s something I need to tell you about Cash.” Bren hesitates, running his hand through his messy hair. “Something I probably should have told you years ago.”

The mention of the past hits me like ice water in my veins.My fingers tighten around my cup until I’m sure it might crack.

“This sounds ominous.”

“That’s just it.” Bren gets more serious than he has been in ages. “That night… The night you walked in on him and Zara.”

The coffee shop around us fades to background noise. My pulse hammers against my throat as every carefully constructed wall I’ve built around that incident starts to crumble.

“Bren, don’t. I don’t want to rehash everything.”

“He didn’t cheat on you, Livianna.”

The words detonate in the space between us like a bomb made of possibility and regret. I can’t breathe or think. I can’t process what he’s saying because if it’s true, then everything I’ve believed for the past five years is a lie.

“That’s not possible.” I shake my head. “I saw them in bed together. She was naked and so was he. He didn’t even care?—”

“You saw what Leon and Zara wanted you to see.” Bren reaches across the table, his fingers brushing mine. “Cash was manipulated by Leon. Zara wanted retribution from you for getting her fired, and Leon helped her get it. The whole thing was staged.”

The world tilts sideways. Every memory I have of that night reshapes itself into something darker, more sinister than I ever imagined. The look in Callum’s eyes when the lights turned on. It wasn’t guilt, but horror and helplessness.

Why would he do that to me?