“He’s still after a ticket into high society.”
“Who?” I urge.
“Liam Stone.”
Chapter 19
Roxy
Imarch out of the elevator and collide with Cal.
“Are you okay?” he frowns. “You look pissed.”
“Just spent the lunch break with my family. Always a delight.” I chuckle, the sound brittle, wrong. I sound deranged even to my own ears.
“Fuck,” he grunts. While he might not know what’s going on, and he doesn’t even know my family, his parents are horrible enough to understand. “Do you want to talk?”
I laugh. “You really want to listen to me raging?”
“Not at all.” Panic flickers across his face. “But I would if you wanted to.”
His offer brings tears to my eyes. Stupid, traitorous pressure behind my lids. Fucking emotions. Why do I have such a tough time controlling them lately?
My misty eyes shock Cal more than my wrath.
I attempt another weak smile. “Thank you, but I’m just going to fume in my office, and then I’ll be as good as new.”
“For sure?”
To his credit, he isn’t trying to escape the conversation. I almost feel obliged to share with him. But it’s not like I can do that. To tell him about my family. Or about sleeping with the enemy.
Jesus.
“I’m good.” I try to move past him, but he doesn’t let go.
“You look… upset. Is this about Stone?” he asks carefully.
I try not to react, pretending to look at someone passing by. Do I need to tell him in a different language that I don’t want to share?
“Because you two have been”—he makes a vague circling gesture—“less hostile lately.”
Less hostile? That ended a few minutes ago when I discovered he’s planning to marry my sister. But Cal doesn’t know that.
Cal is just being concerned about me, and I wish I could appreciate it.
“It’s not about him,” I lie.
Cal eyes me skeptically. “Look, I know this whole setup has been… rough.”
Setup?“You mean the competition?”
He winces. Just slightly. Enough. “Corm’s idea,” he says quickly. “He wanted Stone close. Under his eyes. I argued against dragging you into it.”
“Dragging me into what?” I was upset before; now I’m furious… and confused.
“The hoops. The pressure. You were never the variable here.”
Something cold settles in my stomach. “So I was… what? Collateral?”
