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Lighting everything in its path.
Angry and vicious.
“You were the hit and run who wrecked my car, who wrecked my life,” I start, trying to control my breathing. “You hit me, and then you just took off? You left me out in the cold? I could have died. And you-” I take in a hard, cold breath. “You had your dad bribe me to keep quiet? As if money is just the solution to everything, huh?”
It’s all making sense to me now, as I pull all of the details together in my mind.
“He planted the idea of me using the money to buy a new car, which led me here, to you. You thought that this was the way to shut me up. You two came up with this little plan together?” My eyes dart feverishly between Callan and the man I remember in my hospital room that night, handing me a thick envelope of hundred-dollar bills, theinconvenience fee.
“You both knew? You gave me a job. You paid my rent, so you’d have something to hold over my head. You asked me to move in so you could keep tabs on me, and you told me-” The gears in my head are spinning, it feels like everything is spinning. “So, this was your plan? To string me along so you could continue to protect yourself? To keep me from telling your secret?” I’m disgusted. Every moment I’ve spent with Callan reruns in my head.
“Sterling...” Callan’s words are quiet and small, barely a whisper, in the roaring chaos that fills the room. “I had absolutely no idea that was you.” Callan finally speaks. His words hit me like hail. How can he continue to lie like this? He had to have known.
“Dad?” He looks over to his father.
“Wow, Callan. Run to daddy, why don’t you? See how far that’s gotten you?” I can’t help it, the hatred I feel in this moment. The sob story he fed me about his family, was that a lie too? Was everything a lie?
“Callan, you should have known she was going to find out at some point.” His dad speaks, coughing loudly after every few words.
“You really bribed her?” Callan’s eyes turn from anger to sadness to confusion and then all three at once. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I never should have listened to you!” Callan fires back at his dad, but it feels insincere to me.
“Sterling, baby. You have to believe me.” Callan reaches for my hand as I try to press my back against the wall, wanting to melt right into the paint.I need to get out of here.
“You! Stay the fuck away from me!” I demand as I hold my hands up between us.
“Maybe you should go, Sterling.” Callan’s dad addresses me.
“Don’t talk to me. Either of you. I’ll call the police,” I threaten, not really knowing what the police could even do at this point. I’m crying so hard, shaking even worse, I didn’t even realize it at first, but I feel like I’m drowning.
“Sterling, please.” Callan doesn’t move any closer as he speaks. He just stands in the middle of his office looking at me with pleading eyes. The ones I used to love getting lost in, but now I can’t trust them.
“There’s no fucking way this is a coincidence,” I hiss at him, trying to keep my composure. “I don’t want to be a pawn in your fucked up little father-son game anymore. Just stay away from me.” I throw my words at Callan, and I can tell they strike, as his eyes glaze over and tears begin to fall.
I can’t take this anymore. I sidestep Callan and his dad, keeping my head down as I speed walk out of the building. I need to put as much distance between me and them as possible. My feet finally hit the pavement outside, and I stop in my tracks, staring at the clouded sky above. Nothing feels real.
Was he telling the truth? Did he not know? Surely, he had to have known. Tears stream down my face as rain starts to pour from above. Perfect. Just fucking perfect.
Who do I call? What do I do? Where do I go? I can’t call Dakota. I can’t go to Sara’s. I still have a couple of days left in my apartment before the new tenants officially move in. And I certainly don’t want to go to his house. I can’t believe this is happening.
I look down, remembering the key from Callan is still in my palm. I release the grip, realizing I’ve been squeezing so tight that I left an imprint on my skin.
I click the unlock button frantically and hear the beep echo from afar. I walk toward the noise, still dizzy with anger. My feet drag as I weave through the cars, and the sound finally pulls me into a red BMW.Prick. I know nothing about cars, but I know that this will get me to where I need to go.
Far, far away from here.
thirty-one
Callan
“Itoldyounotto fuck this up,” My dad speaks to me, his tone controlling and demanding.
“None of this would have happened if it weren’t for you!” I shout. My head is pounding. The woman in the driver’s seat, the blood, and the smoke.That was Sterling?How have we gone all this time without her mentioning the car accident once? I could have explained everything to her sooner, avoided this whole situation. It doesn’t help that I had no idea about the bribe.
“Why the fuck did you have to ruin this?” I yell at my father.
“Ruin what? Who knew that the girl you hired was the one you almost killed with your reckless driving?” He finds this comical. “And it seems as though you’re involved with her, romantically? Bad call. Didn’t I teach you to not mix business with pleasure?”
“Fuck off!” I go to walk past him, but he blocks me.
