She wouldn’t.
The first one pulls up the account on her phone and flashes her screen at us, and I see the video of Millie walking around the other side of the pool as she talks. We’re totally visible in the background right here in this cabana we’re currently occupying. It’s possible it was a coincidence, but my gut is telling me something else.
Shesaidshe wouldn’t…but she did.
She fucking did.
She did the exact thing she said she wouldn’t do.
“Excuse me,” I say to my friends, and I practically run from the pool area to my tower. I punch the elevator button with more force than is necessary, and I do the same once I’m inside the elevator.
When I get to my room, I draw in a shaky breath before I go inside.
She’s sitting at the table, and she’s crying.
“What did you do?” I whisper.
“I’m sorry,” she whimpers as she rises to a stand. “I didn’t know what to do. It happened so fast. Diedrick was yelling at me, telling me he was going to blackball me in the industry if I didn’t get something moving, and he told me that I should feature you, but I told him no. I couldn’t do that to you.”
“But you did!” I roar.
“Everyone had their phones out at the pool! They were all taking pictures of you. It was just a matter oftime,” she says, and that’s her defense? That someone elsemighthave posted us anyway, so she did it first?
“Fuck!” I yell, slamming a fist onto the counter by the door. “You’re just like everyone else, Millie. Everyone who uses me just to get whatever it is they fucking want. My father, Tatum, everyone close to me. This happens every goddamn time.”
“I’m so sorry. I care about you so much.” Her tone is filled with desperate regret.
I press my lips together and nod. “Nowyou care. Now that you see what I can do for you. Now that you used me and did the exact thing I specifically asked younotto do. Convenient timing. We can’t even fucking sit by the pool and have a conversation because of what you did. Because you let the world know exactly where we are.”
“Someone else would have if I didn’t,” she says, her voice trembling.
“Don’t minimize what you did,” I hiss. “You intentionally went live right in that specific place because you knew it would go viral.”
“I didn’tknowit would,” she says weakly. “It’s never guaranteed.”
“Then youhopedthat. I thought we had a real chance, but it turns out I can't be with someone who only cares about likes and views and going viral. That doesn’t entitle you to violate my privacy.”
“You never gave any indication that you’d give this a real chance outside of here. In fact, if anything, you were clear that there wasn’t a way to make this work outside of here. What was I supposed to do? This is my entire career, Archer. It's everything I've worked for, and the manager blackmailed me into featuring you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask. Before she can answer, I say, “I offered you a job working with my foundation. That was my way of telling you that I wanted to see you outside of here.”
“I’m not a mind reader, Archer. How was I supposed to know that?”
“Because I didn’t know how we’d make it work outside of here! I’m returning to the game I love in a few weeks. I won’t be around. I won’t have time to put into a relationship.” I blow out a breath. “But it doesn’t matter. You chose your career over what we could've had. I’d like you to get your stuff and leave my room now.”
“Don’t do this, Archer. Just give me a chance to explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain. You made your choice, and now you’re just like the rest of them to me.” I press my lips together, and I pull my phone out of my pocket. I dial Clive’s number, and he answers right away.
“Yes, sir?”
“Clive, can you come to my room and pack up Millie’s belongings and escort her back to her room?” I ask.
“Of course, sir.”
I don’t say another word to Millie.
Instead, I walk out of the room to the sound of her muffled crying, and I make my way straight for the bar, the crack of my heart the only sound I hear over the rush of pain.
