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“I don’t need to explain to you why we’re over,” I say and walk to the door.
“You’re dumping me?” Rachel asks in a small voice.
“Do you think I’m going to reward you for this by saying it’s fine, you can say what you like no matter what I need?”
“Blake, don’t be like this.”
“No, Rachel,” I say firmly. “You don’t get to tell me how I should be. Not now, in the light of what you’ve just done. You just burned down everything I’ve worked my whole life to build.”
Her bottom lip trembles before her face crumples. But I won’t look at her. I turn my back on her and leave.
This is too much for me to handle. I have so many pieces to pick up now. I have a whole life to somehow piece back together again when I had everything under control. I thought meeting Rachel was a blessing. But it turns out she was nothing more than a hurricane ripping through my life.
I should have ended it much sooner, before she knew anything about who I am.
It’s too late now.
I can’t be with someone I can’t trust.
Chapter 26
Rachel
“You lied to me!” I cry out. I’m in Samantha and Alex’s kitchen, trying to keep it together.
“I never lied to you about anything,” Alex claps back.
“Rachel, maybe you should just—” Samantha tries, but I cut her off before she can finish that thought.
“Don’t defend him,” I snap at her, pointing my finger in her direction.
Samantha holds up her hands in defense. She keeps her mouth shut, and I turned my attention back to Alex.
“You told me you didn’t hear anything,” I say.
“I never said that.”
“Well, you let me believe it,” I countered. “You asked me if I just got here.”
“And you assumed it meant that I didn’t know you were here, meaning that I didn’t hear what you and Sam talked about. That’s not the same as lying.”
I shake my head, pressing my fingers against my temples. My head aches wildly and I’m so angry, I can barely keep it together.
“You were supposed to be my friend,” I say softly.
“I am,” Alex says. “I didn’t even mention you in the article.”
“But you wrote it!” I shake my head. “Why can’t you see how big a problem this is?”
Alex shrugs and leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s just business, Rach. It’s not personal.”
“It’s personal to me!” I cry out. “And it’s incredibly personal to Blake. What do you think this did to him? I can’t believe you went there.”
Alex shrugs again and I know there’s nothing I can say. No amount of fighting will change facts—everyone knows about Blake’s past. I can fight until I’m blue in the face, the article is out there, and we can’t change that.
“I’m going,” I declare and leave the kitchen.
Sam follows me to the door.
