Chapter Thirty-Two
One Week Later
Zoe
Daisy flops down on my sofa and crosses her arms over her chest. “Okay, you’ve heard my crazy story from Julia’s wedding and know everything that’s happened since then with Alexander and calculus class. It’s time you spill your guts. What’s wrong with you?” Daisy met a stranger at her sister’s wedding, and they hooked up. And then we walked into calculus class to find the same man standing in front of the chalkboard.
“Nothing.” I stare out the window of my living room and try to block memories of Jace from my head, but they’re never far away. How did I fall for his bullshit? Am I that weak and pathetic that some guy looks at me and says I’m pretty, and I’ll take any kind of crap he dishes out? That’s humiliating.
“Zoe,” she growls, causing me to sigh. Apparently, I haven’t done as well as I assumed at keeping a happy smile slapped on my face.
“Fine.” I jump to my feet. “Zayden, Jace, and I shared a bungalow at the resort, and Jace and I were paired together at the marriage-enhancing events. My mom’s boss wanted her to go undercover to check out the place because he’s thinking about purchasing it.”
“Okay.” She unlaces her arms and runs her hands over her pants. “I’m following you.”
“Except, Zayden left after the first night, and eventually, one thing led to another, and Jace and I hooked up.” My shoulders slump inward as the memories rush in again.
“Really?” Her eyes widen as she leans forward. “I knew it. I told you he always had feelings for you. I could see it when he watched you.” She smiles and waggles her eyebrows. “As long as he didn’t think anyone else was watching.”
“Well….” I scrub my hands over my face. “It was all a lie.”
I pace the floor in front of the sofa, marching to one end, spinning on my heel, and stomping back to the other end where his stupid bag of clothes and everything else he left behind sits on my floor.
I’ve considered more than once burning everything in the front yard and smashing his phone into a million pieces, but I can’t get up the nerve to do it. Jesus. I’m worthless. I shake my head. I keep wishing that what my father and Jace said were lies during their fight and that Jace did care about me.
Why? Because I’m a naive, gullible idiot.
I spin around and flop back onto the sofa, tossing my legs onto the coffee table as tears well in my eyes. “My dad caught him in a lie. I guess his girlfriend was on the island, and they had everything plotted out for him to get close to me and convince me to push Dad to sign him.”
“What?” She stares like I have spinach stuck between my teeth, and I’m leaving it there as a fashion statement.
“I know.” I throw my hands into the air. “How could I be so stupid to believe he cared about me when it’s always been about fame and fortune? It always is. People get close to me all the time in hopes that I push my father to sign them. You’re the only true friend I’ve had who wasn’t trying to get tickets to a concert, get signed by a record label, or get close in hopes I’d invite them along to an event so they could meet and bed the next rising star. And I fell for it.”
“That is complete and utter hogwash.” Daisy launches off the sofa, grabs my shoulders, and shakes me. Hard. “Not everyone is like that, and you know it.” She rocks back onto her heels, leaving a trace of her perfume in her wake. Spice and vanilla. The scent makes me want to cry that much harder.
Fuck him for treating me like a queen and then smashing my heart into a million pieces. And fuck the world for keeping going. I don’t want to get out of bed and go to work every day. And listen to artists. And try to find new talent. Especially since none of them are as good as him.
But I’d burn in hell before I’d sign him on. My teeth grind together. Girl, get up and get your head out of your ass once and for all. It’s time to move on and forget him.
“This whole scenario of him bringing his girlfriend with him, getting into your pants, and then she knows that’s the plan? How does that even work?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug as concentrating is too much work. And I don’t want to think about him anymore.
After standing, I slap a smile on my face. “Forget everything I said. I’m fine. I’ve spent too much time over the years fantasizing about something stupid. Sometimes, you must realize there’s a reason what you want isn’t happening.”
Daisy places her hands on her hips and frowns. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“Whatever.” I shrug and walk to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. “I’m done moping over him. The next guy that asks me out, I’m going, and I’m not going to compare him to Jace.” I spin around and face her. “I take that back. I’m going to compare them because whoever this new guy is, he won’t have his girlfriend grading my performance.”
Anger flashes in her eyes. “If he did that to get a record deal, he’s a pig. I’m glad your dad figured it out.” Her eyes narrow until her pupils are barely visible. I take a sip of the water, letting the cool liquid soothe my anger. “He’s not signing him, is he?”
“Absolutely not. My father hates him. As he should.”
****
Twenty Minutes Later
I walk into work feeling somewhat better. My stomach is still queasy, and my brain hurts from trying not to cry all the time, but I’m passible for human. I should have told Daisy everything two weeks ago rather than holding it in and stewing.
After pressing the elevator button, I shift from foot to foot, getting used to heels again after our beach vacation was harder than I anticipated.
The second I step onto the elevator, my phone rings. “Hello?”
“Why are you avoiding my calls?” My mother’s voice is terse and strained. I haven’t had the heart to tell her that Jace is using drugs again, or that I’d stupidly fallen for his scheme. And as far as I know, my dad didn’t say a word either. We didn’t want to upset her and Landon. All we said was that Jace got a call and had to leave early.
“I’m not avoiding you.” I elevate my voice an octave to make it light and airy. But it comes off more like a screech.
“Yes, you are.” Her tone grows sharper. “Jace won’t return Landon’s calls. He left the island without a word, and you’re not speaking to me. What happened?”
I fall against the wall of the elevator as it climbs toward my floor. I guess this is confession day. Or partial confession day. She doesn’t need to know we were intimate. The less people who know what happened, the better.
“Dad found out that Jace was trying to get close to me, so I’d convince him to sign him to his label. When Dad confronted him, Jace came unglued, punching Dad, and ….” I trail off, not wanting to hurt them.
“And?”
“And he was drinking and doing drugs again.”
“That’s a lie.”
Tears spring to my eyes as the elevator shimmies to a stop. “It’s not a lie. I saw the drugs and smelled the whiskey on his breath. He was out of control over being caught. It was….” It was scary. I didn’t think for a second that he’d hurt me, but…. Seeing him hurting like that twisted my gut.
What’s wrong with you? You can’t feel something for him when he was the one using you.
“I’m sorry, Mom.” I blink hard to keep my emotions in check. “I know how much you and Landon want him to have his act together, but he doesn’t. He’s a liar and a schemer. And I’m glad Dad found out before it was too late.” Too late for what? I swallow over the dryness in my throat. The damage was already done. My childhood obsession had turned to love…. And now what?
Get yourself together. The doors slide open. You’re at work. I slap a smile on my face and wave at the receptionist. Rachelle returns my greeting as she speaks into the microphone in front of her mouth. Her blonde hair is pulled high on her head as she talks with whoever’s on the other side of the line. Rachelle is a jewel. She can charm the pants off anyone while keeping people at bay with the severity of a drill sergeant.
“I don’t believe it.”
My shoulders tense as I stop in the middle of the room. Rachelle’s head snaps toward me, so I spin on my heel and face the wall. The outer office is black, sleek, and modern. My dad does classy well.
“I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. He admitted he had….” I trail off the rest of the words in my head. I’m not ready to admit all my filthy mistakes at once. I clear my throat. “I was there.”
“Baby…. Honey….” My mom’s voice is soft and reassuring. “I believe you. I know you saw and heard what you witnessed but I believe there’s more to the story than you know. And I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”
There’s nothing more at the bottom. I’m already there. “I love you, Mom.” I click off and trudge to my office. I would’ve felt the same way until Jace looked me in the eye and stabbed me in the heart. I never meant anything to him. I was a hole to fuck. A means to an end.