7. Cameron #2
This was dipping past “odd” and into “worrying.” What could possibly have her so rattled? Whatever it was, I didn’t like the way it made her hunch in on herself, like she was hurt or scared. “You’re acting strange. Talk to me, Fagin.”
“Let’s walk,” she said, jutting her chin forward. “I don’t like standing here.”
We continued with Felicity staring ahead and me staring at her. She finally glanced at me and made an exasperated noise.
“Fine! I’ll tell you,” she said. Felicity took a deep breath. “Steven Brudny is my ex. Unhinged Heart is about me.”
Her voice cracked at the confession.
I couldn’t have come up with a more off-the-wall theory about what was wrong with her.
She was the crazy ex in the story everyone was talking about?
I didn’t know Felicity well, but she didn’t strike me as the scary ex-girlfriend type.
I mean, sure she could get intense, but her reactions weren’t unbalanced or dangerous.
And what was it Glen had said about the author trading up with his current girlfriend?
What could possibly be up from Felicity?
“How is that even possible?” I asked, still incredulous. “Did he talk to you about it? Ask your permission?”
She let out a harsh laugh and shook her head. “He absolutely did not. I never would’ve signed off on the garbage he put in that book. But I don’t have a leg to stand on lawsuit-wise, since he changed details about me. His girlfriend in the book is called ‘Felicia Raines.’”
I frowned. “And what sort of stuff does he accuse you of in the book? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
Felicity stared at the sidewalk, like she was trying to find the courage to talk about it.
“You don’t have to—” I began.
“He said I was obsessed with him,” Felicity said through gritted teeth.
“He claims that I pursued him, almost like a stalker, until I wore him down. That’s not even close to the truth!
He totally pursued me. He kept showing up at the coffee shop where I used to hang out, and he’d always find a reason to stop at my table and talk.
Or should I say, he’d stop by and monologue, because I could never get a word in edgewise. ”
“I hate people like that,” I muttered.
“I do too, so I have no idea why I agreed to go out with him. I mean, yeah, he’s a decent-looking guy I guess, but holy shit he’s boring! All he talks about is himself. I have no clue how I put up with it for so long.”
I chuckled at her intensity.
“There are so many lies in that book,” she continued.
“He actually has a line in it where Felicia says, ‘You’re the best lover I’ve ever had.
I wish you could fuck me every day for the rest of my life.
’” Felicity made a gagging noise. “First of all, ew, and second, it’s not even true!
He was selfish as hell in bed. He’s not even on the list of my top five lovers. ”
Why did I like hearing that the handsome bestselling author didn’t thrill her in bed? Of course, my next thought was who held the number one slot.
“And then,” Felicity’s voice went up an octave, “he made me sound all soppy and sentimental, like something from those super trashy bodice rippers my grandma used to read. Do you think I would ever say, ‘My king, tonight our souls kissed as you made love to me’?”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the ridiculousness. “That’s the kind of writing that qualifies as a bestseller these days?”
“Right?” she shrieked. “It’d almost be funny if it wasn’t so damn sad.
But I guess he had to make all that crap up so he can pretend he was totally justified in dumping me out of the blue with no explanation.
That whole chunk of the book where I was supposedly chasing after him, begging him to take me back?
I did reach out to him a few times, but it wasn’t because I wanted to get back together.
It was because I wanted closure and an explanation.
I thought he owed me that.” She grimaced.
“I didn’t expect him to share the explanation with the whole world, though.
Or for it to be forty percent bullshit and fifty-five percent outright lies. ”
I realized we were making jokes about something that was pretty devastating. I couldn’t imagine what Felicity was going through, watching her reputation get trampled.
“You’re staying away from the reviews and comments about the book, right?” I asked.
She shrugged and refused to look at me.
“Felicity…that’s not healthy.”
“I know, but I couldn’t help it! At first, I thought maybe reviewers would be trashing his writing or realizing he was talking out of his ass and that no woman would ever act like the one he described, but it turned out they were saying terrible things about me!
Like how he dodged a bullet, and that I was an obsessed nutcase… and worse.”
We’d reached our building, but I wasn’t ready to end the conversation.
“Hey, hold on.” I reached out to gently grasp her elbow. “I’m going to make you an offer—do you want me to have him taken care of?”
“Cameron, are you serious?” Felicity’s eyes went wide. She glanced around nervously, then leaned closer to me. “You’re asking if I want to have him killed?”
I stared at her in shock for a beat, then doubled over with laughter.
“Murdered? You think I’m offering to do a mob hit on your ex-boyfriend?
” I wheezed a bit longer while her cheeks went pink.
“I mean taken care of professionally. I know people in publishing and in the media. I can’t stop the book from being published, obviously, but I bet I could turn the heat on it way down, if you want. ”
A tiny giggle bubbled out of her. “Okay, phew. I mean, I sort of like the idea of you taking him out, but I’d never agree to it.” She paused to consider my real offer. “And you don’t have to kill the book either.”
I raised an eyebrow at her.
“I hate him, I hate Unhinged Heart, but I’d rather direct my energy to something positive, you know?
Like my new job.” The corner of her mouth turned up at the mention of it.
“The more time I spend thinking about him, the more he wins. I don’t want to give him any more real estate in my brain.
I mean…I do kind of like the thought of the irony—half of the book is about how all of the problems he faced were always my fault, because he loves blaming things on me, so it would be pretty cool if I actually did have the power to rain on his parade a little…
but then would that mean he was right about me?
” She shrugged. “I think the best way forward is to never, ever speak of him again.”
So, Felicity Rhodes wanted to take the high road. Yet another surprise from the person who kept me in a constant state of puzzlement.
“If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do,” I reassured her. “Strike Steven Brudny from the records!”
I juggled the grocery bag so I could hold the door open for her and saw who was waiting for us in the lobby.
“Uh, Felicity?” I said quickly. “You better brace for impact.”