Page 72 of Out of Bounds

“Huh?” Felicity asked, walking to the sink and washing her hands, trying to be nonchalant. She really had no idea what could have happened in the sixty seconds she was in there, but something had definitely changed. And what did Cruz have to do with anything. Talia barely knew who he was. “Nothing. Why would Cullen—”

Felicity heard her phone buzz, bringing her attention back to Talia, and watched as the color drained from Talia’s face. Oh shit, what was happening? What was on her phone?

“You’re…you’re sleeping with Gunnar?” Talia asked, her voice unsteady.

It was as if all the air had been sucked from the room. Felicity felt her whole body tighten as she searched for a response that would make sense. She couldn’t lie to Talia, right?

“What…I mean…” she stuttered.

Talia held out Felicity’s phone, her face still scrunched in that same pissed-off look, screen lit up with texts.

Gunnar: Don’t worry Cullen doesn’t know anything…

Gunnar: But that doesn’t mean I’m not still thinking about all the things I’m going to do to you tonight to make you feel better…with my tongue

Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. This wasn’t happening…

“You’re sleeping with Gunnar,” Talia said, and this time it wasn’t a question. The confusion was gone from her face, replaced with even more anger, and now hurt. “That’s my…dad.”

“It’s not what you think,” Felicity started. Her stomach clenched as she said those words. But she didn’t know what else to say.

“I think you’re sleeping with my dad!” Talia shrieked. “He just sent you a text about making you feel better with his tongue…oh God, ewwww…”

Talia shivered in horror, tossing Felicity’s phone on the stone counter. The sound of it skittering echoed through the empty bathroom, making Felicity recoil. Her heart pounded in her chest—she needed to make this right. She needed to make Talia understand.

“Oh my God, is that what all this has been about? Did you help me to get to him?”

“What? No! I helped you because I saw myself in you. I wanted to help! Things between Gunnar and me just…just happened…”

“Just happened,” Talia repeated. “And were you going to tell me? Because I somehow thought we were friends here.”

“We are!” Felicity insisted, although she knew how insincere she sounded. Fuck, how did she explain this? “We haven’t told anyone. It was our secret. That’s why he was saying that Cullen didn’t know anything. Nobody can know.”

“Because you’re fucking the staff? Just like your father did?”

“I am not fucking the staff! This isn’t anything like what my father did.”

“No, you’re right. This is more like what your stepmother did,” Talia snarked. “She befriended you, was nice to you, helped you, all to get to your dad. Just like you’ve been doing to me.”

Talia’s words were like a knife to the gut. Felicity didn’t know whether to cry or throw up, repeating them in her head. Is that what she’d done? Had she really done to Talia exactly what BobbiJo had done to her? No, there was no way. BobbiJo had done it on purpose—she’d all but admitted that over the years. What had happened between Felicity and Gunnar was different. It had just happened. She hadn’t sought him out. If anything, it was Gunnar who had been the one to initiate things.

“That is not what happened here. I was not using you to get to him. We are friends, and I should have told you. I’m sorry.”

“A little fucking late for that. I can't believe you betrayed me like this.”

“Talia,” she pleaded. “I didn’t betray you. I just—”

“But you did! You have been sleeping with my dad and didn’t tell me, all while pretending to be my friend! I realize that I’m a new addition to his life, but you didn’t have to use me to get into his pants!”

Talia turned on her heel and shoved the door open, causing it to make a full one-eighty turn and bang against the wall as it did so. She stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Felicity there, stunned by what had just happened. She still wanted to puke but knew that she needed to go after Talia. She needed to explain, needed to make this okay. She didn’t want to lose her as a friend.

“Talia!” she shouted, scurrying out of the bathroom and up the stairs. “Talia, wait!”

“I don’t have anything left to say to you!” the young brunette called back, continuing to hurry up the spiral staircase. When she reached the top, she blew right past Dalton, who was standing there talking to the guy he’d introduced earlier as Kyle.

“Whoa, everything okay?” Dalton asked as Felicity reached the top step.

“Seriously?” she snapped at him, turning to see which way Talia had gone.