Chapter 14
WHEN YOUR GIRLS’ NIGHT TURNS INTO A MASTERCLASS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE. #REVENGESERVEDHOT
DAKOTA
“Challenge accepted?” A soft chuckle escaped Faith’s lips. “You said, ‘Challenge accepted’? What exactly did you mean by that?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted, already feeling the pleasant buzz from the wine spreading through my veins.
“But it was either say something to get under his skin or flat-out punch him in the throat, and I decided physical assault would probably violate the terms and conditions of this ridiculous charade.”
God, I was so glad she came early to our girls’ night so I could confide all of this to her: Mathew, our breakup, and how he’d come back fighting for me, only to have Axel act like a complete ass.
Blake’s sister, Faith, didn’t know me like Scarlett and Tessa did, so I felt less pressure to be … well, a decent human being.
I didn’t want to be decent right now. After what Axel did last night, I wanted to be petty. With a capital P. Maybe all caps: PETTY.
While we waited for Tessa and Scarlett to arrive, Faith and I sat at Axel’s obscenely expensive dining room table, some wood monstrosity that probably required seven men to assemble up here.
Floor-to-ceiling windows stretched behind us, showcasing a view of the city most people only saw from rooftops, and the chandelier overhead was all geometric crystal and brushed bronze, the kind of fixture you’d see in a design magazine. Beautiful and cold.
He had everything. The classic elegance, the space, the view. He didn’t need to try and control my life too.
Faith poured us both more wine, and I took a sip, grateful I’d invited them over to commiserate.
Okay, fine, I invited the girls over to talk me out of doing something stupid. Because after Rebecca and Axel left, I’d paced by the elevator door, beyond tempted to run to Mathew and tell him what was going on.
“Why do you hate the idea of doing the whole get-to-know-you talk?” Faith cocked her head.
“Axel already knows enough about me,” I argued.
“He was there to witness my family’s downfall firsthand and saw me at my most broken in the courthouse.
” Something I hated more than the smell of rotten eggs.
“Plus, he already holds the key to my most painful secret: that my brother is a convicted killer.” I’d mentioned that little tidbit to Faith, too, and I could tell Faith was just waiting to press me on that for information.
“That secret could destroy my brand if anyone found out. The last thing I want to do is pretend to love someone who has the power to ruin everything.”
“Maybe what you hate isn’t Axel,” Faith said quietly. “Maybe what you hate is how he makes you feel when you’re around him.”
“Which is?”
“Like you can’t hide.”
This time, I glared, but it was to pretend her words didn’t bounce around in my head.
She smirked. “Okay, but answer me this.” She swirled the ruby liquid in her glass thoughtfully. “Why does he seem so angry at you?”
“The photo.”
“No, it’s more than that.” She examined me like I was a puzzle missing pieces. “Trust me, after growing up in the foster care system, you become really good at reading people. It’s a survival skill.”
There was something behind those words that I wanted to explore, a shadow that darkened her eyes momentarily, making me wonder, What had made reading people a matter of survival for her? But I didn’t know her well enough to push on that particular door.
“What’s the history of you two?” Faith asked. “Because the sexual tension between you guys could power a small city.”
“Sexual tension?” I feigned shock. “We hate each other.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.” Faith’s smirk said she wasn’t buying it. “Spill. Because my imagination is running wild right now.”
I sighed, regretting this conversation. “When my brother, Knox, was in college, I used to visit him all the time. Enter tall, dark, and absolutely impossible.”
“Mysterious backstory. I’m here for it.”
“I felt something between us right away. All those stolen glances, finding excuses to bump into each other. You know, the usual I’m totally not staring at you dance.”
Faith leaned forward. “Classic lovers setup. Continue.”
“But then one weekend, like someone flipped a switch, Axel didn’t just push me away; he shoved.
Hard.” The memory still stung, even buzzed on wine.
“At first, I kept asking myself, what happened? I replayed everything, looking for clues. Had I said something? Done something? We’d had the best time together just days before.
When I couldn’t figure it out, I mustered the courage to ask him. ”
“What did Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding say when you confronted him?”
“And I quote, ‘Nothing happened, Sunshine. Whatever you thought was going on between us, you thought wrong.’ ”
Faith winced. “Ouch. That’s some premium-grade rejection right there.”
“Right? And that was the first time he used that stupid nickname, which made it ten times worse. Like, thanks for the emotional whiplash, wrapped in fake affection.” I took another sip.
“When my eyes welled up, his whole body deflated like he wanted to take it back. But I left before he had the chance to apologize because … screw him, you know?”
“So, he basically led you on and then slammed the door in your face.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I imagined the whole thing.” I shrugged, hating how uncertain I still sounded. “Either way, I decided if he was going to be a complete ass, I’d be one right back. I’d never been mean to anyone before, but with him, I would literally rehearse my insults in the shower.”
Faith snorted. “Please tell me you didn’t use index cards.”
I grinned despite myself. “I’d deliver these carefully crafted verbal daggers with total fake confidence, and he’d just—”
“What?”
“Smirk. Then get right in my space, close enough that I had to crane my neck to glare at his ridiculously sexy face, and he’d say something like, ‘Did you practice that in the mirror, Sunshine?’ ” My cheeks heated at the memory of how he knew me so well, even back then.
“The infuriating part was how he’d get this look in his eyes, like he was enjoying every second of our little battles. ”
“Girl.” Faith set down her glass. “He was definitely into you fighting back.”
“That’s what made it worse! Every time I’d launch into one of my prepared attacks, he’d stalk across the room like he owned the place, invade my personal space, and then do that thing where he’d run his thumb across his bottom lip while smirking down at me.
It was like he was weaponizing his own mouth. ”
Faith bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Sounds to me like he looked forward to your jabs as much as you liked rehearsing them.”
“Yeah, well, then Knox got arrested, and everything changed.” The lightness in my voice dimmed. “My whole world imploded. One day at the courthouse, Axel saw me shaking and tried to comfort me. But I was so raw, so angry at everything, I told him he was the last person I’d ever want comfort from.”
“Ouch.”
“I know. I was a mess. Before Knox’s arrest, my biggest problem was decoding mixed signals from my brother’s hot friend.
After? I just wanted to get through each day without completely falling apart.
” I twisted my wineglass. “Axel tried reaching out after Knox went to prison, but I shut him down every time. Instead of spending those last free months really being with my brother, I’d wasted all my mental energy obsessing over someone who apparently didn’t want anything to do with me. ”
Faith reached over and squeezed my hand. “You were young and had no idea your brother was about to go to prison. Cut yourself some slack.”
“I guess. But now here we are, years later, and I still don’t know if what I felt back then from Axel was real or just wishful thinking.” I laughed, but it came out hollow. “And somehow, that’s still the story of my life with Axel Pierce. Never knowing what’s real and what’s fake.”
Faith’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Well, fake engagement or not, one thing’s crystal clear: that man is still very much affected by you.”
“Did you not hear the part about how rude he was?” I challenged.
“You want my opinion? The guy likes you. With a capital L. Maybe he was jealous when he saw your ex.”
Something unwelcome settled into my chest. Something that felt like a pang.
I knew Axel’s reputation with women. He never stayed with anyone, never committed, which was a fact Knox once warned me about when he saw us eye-flirting.
Opening the idea that he might like me risked not only professional devastation—because, hello, he’d probably find some way to use it against me and it’d ruin my brand—but also, I wouldn’t survive that kind of personal destruction of his rejection.
My heart had already been through too much.
I took another long sip of my wine, welcoming the increasing fuzziness to my muscles.
“It doesn’t matter why he’s being this rude,” I decided.
“I guess I could’ve handled that. But him sabotaging my chance with Mathew?
” I hadn’t told Faith about my confusing feelings for Mathew because here was the headline: Axel’s behavior probably burned a real bridge for a fake relationship.
“I want to hit him back where it hurts.”
My eyes went wide at my own words.
“Sorry,” I said quickly. “I assure you, I’m not normally a vindictive person. I’m usually the one telling people to turn the other cheek and be the bigger person. I’m basically a walking Hallmark card most days.”
Faith waved her hand dismissively. “I’m big on revenge. People say to take the high road and all that, but that is totally overrated. It feels so much better to just get revenge.”
The casual way she said it made me laugh. There was something so refreshingly straightforward about her philosophy. “I’ve never really thought to do that. My revenge game is tragically underdeveloped.”