Chapter 22 #2
“He’s forceful, but not violent. He’s only ever hit me that once.
I think he knows I’d hit him back.” Or at least, I’d like to think I would.
It was so unexpected that night that I froze.
“But it’s not violence you have to worry about with my father.
He’s a very powerful man with a lot of contacts.
He doesn’t need to worry about getting his hands dirty. ”
My stomach clenches. This is why being involved with me is dangerous. I can’t risk ruining Zac’s life.
“I’m not scared of him, Noah. If you want to do this, I’m all in. We’ll figure it out.”
I shake my head. “It’s not that easy. Remember you asked me about Nathan?”
He nods.
“Nathan wasn’t just a friend. He was my boyfriend.
We started hooking up in high school, and it heated up even more when we went backpacking around Europe together in our gap year.
It continued into our time at Perth University, even though we knew what might happen if we were found out.
We kept it secret for three and a half years, but we slipped up.
” My voice breaks as the memory of what happened almost two years ago hits me in the chest.
Zac’s hand finds mine, and he squeezes.
“To the world, we were best mates. We did everything together. He came on family holidays with us. Dad treated him like a second son. He had no idea what we were getting up to behind his back, right under his nose.”
My throat clogs with emotion, and I swallow, trying to clear it.
“Nathan was studying law. Dad loved that. He had plans for both of us in the family business. We knew what we were doing was risky, because he’d never approve if he found out about us, but with all Dad’s plans for our future, we figured we could just keep our relationship behind closed doors and everything would be fine. ”
It had all seemed so simple in our minds. We didn’t need to go public. No one needed to know.
“What happened?”
“I had an away game. Dad was on a business trip, so Nathan drove down to surprise me. I paid the teammate I was rooming with two hundred dollars to find somewhere else to sleep for the night. It backfired. He saw an opportunity and ran with it. The next day, he waited outside my room and took photos of Nathan leaving. It was early, and we didn’t think anyone would be awake, so I let him kiss me.
My teammate struck gold. He blackmailed me for months, but eventually, his demands were too great for me to meet without raising suspicion. I refused to pay.”
“He went to your dad?”
I nod. “Dad plays golf with the Chief Justice of Western Australia. All it took was a few phone calls, and he’d shut down any chances of Nathan getting a law job in Perth. He dropped out of university and moved away from his family and friends. Because of me, his whole life was ruined.”
Zac mutters a curse. “You know it’s not your fault, right? Your dad did that. Not you.”
“It doesn’t matter. It happened because of me.”
He doesn’t say anything, but there’s nothing he can say. I’ll never have a normal relationship. My father will never allow it. I don’t know why I let Hannah convince me we could work it out. Rehashing what happened has reminded me how ruthless Dad can be.
“That wasn’t the end of it,” I say. “Dad threatened that if I didn’t fall into line and do what he expects of me, he’ll not only ruin any chance of Nathan practising law in the country, but he’ll extend it to Nathan’s family as well.
I don’t know how far my father’s reach carries, but I don’t want to find out. ”
Pain stabs into my chest, and I rub at it. If he even catches wind of me being with another guy… I hate to think what he’ll do.
Zac stares at me for a beat, then shakes his head. “I refuse to believe your dad is that powerful. He may have had the right contacts in WA, but I doubt he’ll cause any further damage to Nathan or his family. What about your grandad? Have you spoken to him about all of this?”
I let out a humourless laugh. “Dad would kill me if I told Grandad. I told you, Zac, this is hopeless. Euphoria was perfect for me. No faces, no names. It’s all I’ve got. Walk away now while you can.”
“So, what’s the plan? Pretend to date Hannah for the rest of your life? That’s not fair on her.”
I shrug. “It’s my grandfather’s birthday next month.
She agreed to come with me to keep Dad off my back and give me some breathing space.
After that, I don’t know. Once I finish school, I’ll move back to Perth to take up my role in the family business and figure it out when Dad starts riding me about marriage and kids. ”
“Sounds pretty lonely.”
“Better than him ruining anyone else.”
“Do you have to be involved in the business? Is that even what you want?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Everyone has a choice,” he argues.
It’s what Hannah said. But it’s not that easy. Other people might have a choice, but this is what I was born into. My whole life, I’ve been groomed to take over the family business, to keep the Bentley legacy going.
“My only choice is to hide in the shadows or live a lie. There’s no in-between for me. I’m not a very appealing prospect. If I were you, I’d walk away now.”
His fingers grip my chin, and he turns me to face him, a playful smirk lighting up his face. “What if I don’t want to walk away?”
I need to tell him it’s over. We can’t be together. It’ll only end in heartache for both of us. My words catch in my throat. Something inside me tells me to be selfish.
It’s not like Perth. We’re out of my father’s reach here. If we’re careful, we can make this work. Dad will never find out. We have Hannah running interference for now. As long as she’s in my life, he won’t ask questions. He won’t look any deeper.
“I can’t ask you to hide away with me.”
“You’re not asking.” He leans in and brushes his lips over mine. “I’m not scared of your dad.”
“You should be.”
I’m terrified of him.