Chapter 22
Still Indy
An evil smile curved James’ lips.
It was like he was talking at the end of a long tunnel as he droned on. Dylan’s arms went lax and he dropped them to his sides. And then his whole body went rigid.
As if he was bracing himself for a blow.
Like hell.
I turned to James and cocked my head. “Fuck you.”
“What?” James blinked and his head went back like I slapped him. Honestly, I might’ve been fantasizing about it just then. “What did you say?”
“You heard me. Fuck. You.”
“Indy,” Dylan murmured before his arms came around me again. “You don’t want to—”
“No, I really do. Fuck you, James. I’m not going to be your dancing monkey. I’m a real person with real feelings, and you are an asshole.”
“Hey, now. There’s no need to lash out at the messenger. I just—”
Messenger? “I find the timeline of this whole thing suspicious. You just find out about my father last week and then a few days later he’s suddenly stabbed?”
“Whoa, now.” James raised his hands. “That’s a dangerous accusation, Indy.”
“Wait.” Dylan frowned down at me. “He knows about your dad?”
I flicked a look at Dylan. “While you were in the wind, James here overheard a conversation I had with my dad, who finally called me. Thanks for the attorney, by the way. You really didn’t have to do that.
” I turned to face James. “Did you make a little trip downtown and have a little chat with George Burns? Maybe tell him all about my dad and how his son was helping me out and hooking my dad up with a lawyer?”
James shook his head. “This isn’t about me. I’m not the story here. It’s your screwed up Romeo and Juliet romance we’re talking about right now.”
“I’d like to know that myself.” Dylan stepped in front of me, keeping me behind him with one hand. “Where exactly were you this weekend? If we were to call the jail and ask, would they say you visited my sperm donor?”
James’ face went white. “I’m not, that’s not… I don’t think…”
“That’s not a no.” I squinted and gestured at the other guys flanking him. “Did you two have a hand in this? Maybe ride along and record it for the show?”
“Hell no.” Liam dropped his arms and held the boom mic at his side. “That’s fucked up. I didn’t even know what he was going to say coming in here.”
Will shook his head, still pointing the camera at us. “I spent the weekend with my kids, not this asshole.”
“What’s going on in here?” Austin asked from the doorway.
I hadn’t even heard the chime.
Dylan jabbed a finger in James’ direction. “Not sure, but we think this one here set up dear ol’ dad to put a hit on Indy’s father.”
“What the fuck?” Ryan asked as he and Nathan tromped into the room behind Austin.
“Indy?” Ryan asked with a frown. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “I’m not talking about this on camera.”
“What the fuck!” Nathan roared. “You fuckers are filming her right now?”
“Not anymore.” Will dropped the camera to point at the floor. He tapped a few things on the side of the instrument. “I signed up to film reality tv, not become a fucking accessory. You’re seriously whacked in the head, James.”
James’ face was as red as the Badass Builds logo behind him as he sputtered and failed to come up with a denial.
Will shook his head, his disgust plain to see. “If this is what’s required to work for this network, I quit. But believe me, you’re gonna hear from my union rep.”
“Ditto,” Liam snapped before walking toward the door. “Sorry, Indy. I hope your dad is okay. “
Nathan and Ryan stepped further into the room so the crew could leave.
“This is bullshit!” James shouted. “You don’t have any proof, only accusations. And that doesn’t matter for shit!”
“Hey, if we’re wrong, I’ll admit it.” Dylan stepped up to James and put his fists on his hips, no doubt to keep them off the asshole producer. “But first, I want our lawyer to talk to the jail and see who exactly our sperm donor has talked to in the last week—on the phone and in person.”
James sputtered some more before stomping out of the building red-faced and looking totally guilty.
I gave a huge, shuddering sigh. “Holy shit.”
“Indy.” Dylan spun around and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. “I am so fucking sorry. I never meant—”
“Whoa. You stop right there. None of this—I mean not a single part of it—is your fault. You are not to blame, okay? Whatever happened is on George, maybe my dad—he’s not exactly innocent—and most likely it’s on James too. None of it is your fault.”
He closed his eyes with a wince. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it about me. I just—”
“Am used to taking the blame?” I smiled at him. “Whatever happened, we’re going to get through it together, okay? But fair warning, I might just need to lean on you a little bit. Or a lotta bit.”
“Shit,” Austin whispered from behind Dylan.
Dylan’s arms went lax from around me before falling to his sides. “Uh, about that…”
My heart froze. A tingling sensation swept over my scalp.
No.
No.
“What about that?” My voice came out shrill as my heartbeat thundered in my ears. “What’s going on?”
“You haven’t told her?” Nathan’s voice came from somewhere in the room.
I took a step backward as a heaving sob left my lips. “Just say it!”
“Indy, I don’t know what you think you—”
“That you’re breaking up with me? Kicking me out to live on my own now that I got a paycheck? Is that what I’m thinking, Dylan?” I swiped at the tears running down my face, but they just kept coming. “Am I wrong? Tell me that I’m wrong!”
“You are wrong. I’m not kicking you out. It’s just—”
“So I can keep staying with you?”
He sighed and dropped his head. After a long beat, he shook his head. “No. No, you can’t.”
I gave a harsh barking laugh. “You’re unreal. We finally sleep together after all this time, and you break up with me the next day. Literally a minute after I find out that your father stabbed mine. I don’t even know how he’s doing, if he’s alive or not. You’re a fucking pig, Dylan Burns.”
I stomped across the room and pushed past Austin and Ryan.
“Indy!” Austin called. “Wait. You don’t understand.”
“What’s to understand? We’re done. He said it himself!” I walked to my desk and grabbed my phone to shove it into my backpack. I’d been so stupid. I should’ve known better. Pulling on my backpack, I turned to go.
“Indy, could you just listen for a second?” Dylan asked from the other side of the desk.
“Fuck. Off.” I couldn’t even look at him. But I also didn’t know where to go. I didn’t have a car. Everything I owned was in Dylan’s condo, and I had no way to get there. Call for an Uber, I guess?
I was pawing through my backpack to get my phone back out when Dylan spoke again.
“Aunt Wendy cornered me and pointed out the power discrepancy in our relationship—mine and yours.”
I rolled my eyes and opened a zipper on my bag. That was bullshit, and he knew it.
“You rely on me for everything—shelter, employment, food, everything you can think of. And it’s not healthy.
You need, we should—” He broke off in a muffled groan.
“I’m not explaining it right. But essentially I’m holding all the power here and eventually you’re going to resent it.
You’re missing out on all those wonderful new adult experiences—being a college student, staying out late, making bad choices. You deserve to live your life.”
“No, what I deserve is to make my own choices.” I gave up on finding my phone and shoved my backpack around onto my back again.
Squaring my shoulders, I faced him, and my heart almost broke again at the naked pain on his face.
But then I remembered that he was breaking up with me when I was at my lowest. What an asshole.
“You think me living with you wasn’t a choice I made?
I could’ve stayed with Anne. I could’ve found a shelter or program or whatever to help me out.
But I didn’t. Sure at first I might not have had the best of intentions, but once I got to know you, that changed.
And I stayed here with you because I was falling—”
Nope. I wasn’t going to finish that sentence.
“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “The point is that I made the decision to stay with you. I had options. But you’re taking the one option I like best away.”
Dylan’s expression crumpled. “I don’t…I wish you could see that I’m trying to do this for you. I want you to have everything you want, but I am standing in your way. I’m holding you back.”
“Oh, you’re definitely standing in my way now.” I shifted my backpack up higher on my shoulder then came around the desk, but Dylan countered, stepping into my path. “Move.”
“Indy…”
“Nope. You’re done with me, and I’m definitely done with you now. Hurt me once, shame on you. I won’t be sticking around for round two. Now get the fuck out of my way.”
Dylan dropped his head then took a large step backward away from the desk.
As I stepped past him he whispered, “I already fell for you, Indy. All the way. I’m doing this because I love you.”
The rest of my exit was a haze of tears, sympathetic murmurs from Ryan and Austin, and a burning in my chest I was almost certain was my heart breaking.
It hurt so much.
And he was such a liar.