Chapter 20
THE DILEMMA
MAGGIE
Sheriff Hillsborough knew I was lying to him, that much was obvious.
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, and given how much the old bastard hated me because of my friendship with Wesley and Celeste back in the day, I doubted it would be the last. That rock came through the window because of Spencer, I’d bet my life on it.
I recognized the sounds of his suped up Camaro that he used for illegal races down on the Florida state line.
Spencer would continue to torment me until I either paid up or gave him what he wanted—only I doubted what he wanted was anything I would be willing to give.
I still hadn’t told Zeke the truth about sleeping with Spencer.
I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, letting the betrayal fester in my gut like an ulcer.
Whatever this thing was between Zeke and me… I wanted it to grow.
I couldn’t sleep after I went upstairs. Marla fretted to herself about the window, how soon it could be repaired, and what insurance would say to her filing a claim less than a week after leasing the space.
Her pacing footsteps echoed into my room for hours before she finally went to bed herself.
Guilt, nasty and bitter, twisted its way through my heart.
I had done this to her. Spencer only threw that rock through the window because of me. Marla deserved better than that.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?
I finally texted Spencer. Until I knew how to get rid of him, he would only up the ante. Hillsborough didn’t scare him.
WHAT I’M OWED
came Spencer’s terse response.
Wincing, I typed back,
WHICH IS WHAT?
$5000 AND YOU AT MY BECK AND CALL
came his sleazy reply.
An involuntary shudder worked down my spine. I would rather chug gasoline than give Spencer Church a hold over me. There was no way the little bit of powder I spilled was worth five grand, but it wasn’t like Spencer would give up an opportunity to make a quick buck.
There was no way for me to come up with five thousand dollars. I didn’t even have a job to cover my own living expenses. Spencer knew that, though, which probably contributed to the high amount. Anything to make me squirm.
My lungs started to seize when I considered what Spencer might do to Zeke if he found out how important Zeke had become to me.
Obviously, that was why he targeted Marla’s place; everyone in River’s Run knew she was basically family to me.
Blood drained from my face as I considered whether or not he would target Celeste next. What if he went after Iris?
Different scenarios played through my mind, each one more devastating than the last. Paranoia spiraled out of control as I imagined the worst possible outcomes for all the people I cared about.
Spencer could do whatever he wanted to me, and he knew that.
But I would be damned if anyone I loved paid for my mistakes.
Right as the panic started to set in while I considered different ways to come up with his goddamn money, another text came through.
HEY, TROUBLE.
It was Zeke. A warm, fuzzy feeling spread through my chest. His presence, even through messages, soothed the stress coursing through my veins. Like even my body recognized that he would have some kind of solution.
Not that I wanted to admit anything about Spencer to him.
I was too chicken shit to face the heartbroken look in Zeke’s eyes when I told him not only had I slept with Spencer after our romantic day at the beach, but Spencer was now extorting me into paying an obscene amount of money for the drugs I spilled at his house.
Given how much Zeke scolded me when he caught me drinking alcohol underage, I very much doubted he would be understanding to paying back a drug dealer’s wasted cocaine.
WHATCHA DOIN UP?
The warm, fuzzy feeling skyrocketed when I read his response.
CAN’T SLEEP. KEEP THINKING ABOUT YOU.
God, I didn’t deserve this man! It used to annoy the piss out of me to hear and see how loving and doting Wesley acted around Celeste.
If he could move the sun to make her happy, Wes would have found a way to make it happen.
Zeke reminded me so much of him, of that sweet ache in my chest as a young teenager desperate to know what true love felt like.
Not that I believed Zeke loved me. How could he? Underneath all the makeup, eyelashes, and hair extensions, I was a train wreck. And now I had Spencer frickin’ Church as baggage.
But I couldn’t help replying,
I MISS YOU TOO.
Zeke made me feel special, probably for the first time in my life, in a way that I fiercely wanted to keep.
I HAVE TO SEE YOU TOMORROW. OR TODAY, I GUESS.
His awkward wording only made my smile grow.
Over the past few days I’d picked up on how stilted Zeke’s social interactions could be.
He often looked like his brain flipped through a rolodex of responses before settling on one and opening his mouth to speak.
I noticed, too, that he didn’t know what to do when Harry clapped him on the shoulder and complimented his work.
Any kind of flattery made Zeke visibly uncomfortable.
Maybe it would be better for both of us if I cut things off now.
Zeke and I couldn’t have a future—even if he hadn’t caught on yet to how hunky and gorgeous he was, soon enough some simpering goddess with a body to die for would catch his eye, and he would leave me in the dust. Hell, if Spencer continued terrorizing me, Zeke might even leave before then.
It was better to end things on my terms, with some of my dignity still intact.
Remain aloof. Mysterious, even. Didn’t Diana swear by that rule when first meeting men?
Yet the thought of turning Zeke away, of never feeling the way his gaze burned into me from anywhere in the room, never hearing his rough laugh at my corny jokes…I couldn’t do it. I guess I really was a chicken shit.
GOOD THING YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME
I sent back.
Scientists needed to study how it was physiologically possible for me to be so damn giddy, yet so damn sad at the same time.