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I think of the exhausting thirty-plus minutes of CPR I tried to perform—to no avail. I would have done anything, of course. Would I have let someone I didn’t love use me? Yeah, without hesitation. I also took Bethany to bed way after it was too late to save my dad. Does that make me worse? No. By then I was falling for her...
What, if anything, does she feel for me?
Nope. I’m not asking myself any more questions where she’s concerned. Every time I do, I just give myself mental wiggle room to let her fuck me over again, and she’s way too good at covering her ass. I can’t let myself believe a word she says anymore.
It’s over. We’re done.
“When all else fails, spread your legs and dazzle the poor schmuck, huh? You got that act down, sweetheart.”
“Are you serious right now? I paid Braden for his silence with my body. I made love to you with my heart. But since you lied to me from day one, I don’t expect you to understand how genuine my feelings were. And for your information, I had no idea my father filmed my encounter with Braden. When he told me later he had so he would have an ‘insurance policy,’ I was horrified. Oh, and he gave me pointers on how to improve my performance. You know, for the next time he needed my ‘help.’ I still didn’t find out for months after that my own father was both lying to me and ready to let me take the fall for his crimes.”
“Why did you lie to me about what was on the video and whether you had it?”
“I didn’t tell you the contents because I was ashamed,” she says as if it’s obvious. “I whored myself out to help a man who will never know the meaning of love and never gave two shits about me except for the money I could make him and the favors I could do for him. And I didn’t lie about the location of the video. I thought it was gone. How did you find it?”
“Why would I give you any clues to help you talk your way out of this one?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not trying to talk my way out of anything. I’m genuinely trying to understand how you got your hands on it. I found the video on my dad’s laptop. I saved a copy on a flash drive in case I ever had to explain myself, then did my best to erase it from his machine. But Dad was paranoid at that point. He was having security monitor all emails and searching everyone’s purses and briefcases before they exited the building. He told me it was because there was a corporate spy in our midst selling our secrets. I know now that he wanted to make sure no one could help the feds build a case against him. So I physically mailed the flash drive to myself. As far as I knew, no one was checking the mail room. But the flash drive never came to my apartment, so I assumed it was lost. Barclay destroyed his computer as the feds were rushing in to raid our offices. I’d mailed myself the only remaining copy—that I knew of. How did you find it?”
Bret didn’t mention where in Bethany’s apartment he found the video or how he located it. But he did mention an envelope… Coincidence? Shit, if there’s any chance Bethany is telling the truth…
No, I can’t let myself hope that. It screws me every time.
“It’s irrelevant. I’ve seen the footage. And from my viewpoint, it sure looks like you took Braden to bed to avoid being charged with a crime.”
“Well, you’d be wrong. And how do you think for one minute that you have any moral superiority? Everything you ever said or did with me was a lie.” She huffs. “You know, I shouldn’t be surprised that the first time I let myself fall in love, you turn out to be no different than most every other man. You used me. You never cared about me. You just wanted revenge. Well, you got it. I hope you’re happy.” She turns to Stephen, who stepped back and silently watched our exchange. “Can you take me somewhere? Anywhere.” She sends another glare at me. “Away from him.”
That shouldn’t cut me to the quick. It does.
“Sure, shorty.” He eases forward and moves to wrap a protective arm around her.
I step between them and clutch her arm. “It wasn’t an act. Oh, it should have been. I wanted it to be. But if anyone is the idiot here, it’s me. I loved you, and I have no reason to lie about that now. I was going to fucking propose to you.” I grind out the words in fury. “I had the ring in my pocket last night when I found out about the incriminating video.”
