Page 34 of The Jealous Girl

A flicker of suspicion crossed his face. ‘How would you see Charlotte’s photos?’

I swallowed. ‘They’re old,’ I continued, avoiding his question.

‘So?’

‘The ones of the two of you, she’s pretending they are from now, but they aren’t.’

‘How would you know that?’

I hesitated.

‘You’re stalking her.’ The accusation landed like a stone. ‘Snooping around on her social media,’ Ryan continued.

A breath escaped my lungs. ‘I just⁠—’

‘That’s not healthy, Kirsty.’

I felt myself shrink back. He was avoiding the issue. Turning things back on me.

‘I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.’

‘It’s not your concern.’

‘You still matter to me.’

‘I shouldn’t. Not any more.’

I stilled as his words tore into me.

‘I left, Kirsty.’

‘Without an explanation. Without a reason.’

‘Just like you did, two years ago.’

I flinched, his accusation cutting into me. ‘That was different. You said it yourself, you knew why I did that. But this…’ I shook my head. ‘Something’s going on, and I want to know what it is.’

‘Nothing’s going on,’ Ryan said, rolling his eyes. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

Don’t be ridiculous.

Janine’s voice echoed Ryan’s.

‘You need to let it go,’ Ryan said coldly.

Let it go.

Like it was nothing.

Like we were nothing.

‘Ryan?’ Charlotte’s voice cut through the silence, tight and expectant.

My head jerked to the right, my body bracing at her intrusion. I’d known they both went to the same gym, but it hadn’t occurred to me she would be here with him.

I watched as she drew closer, dread seeping in. Had she seen me yesterday? Was she about to expose me? Was Ryan about to discover that not only had I been stalking her online, but in real life too?

I glanced back at him. His expression had shifted into something dark and unreadable.