12. Jade
JADE
“So this is worth something then,” I say to Grandma Charlotte.
“It’s Flora Danica by Royal Copenhagen. It’s worth far more than anything you’ve shown me so far, dear.”
Normally, I avoid calls—especially video calls—from her during work hours.
But Grandma Charlotte decided my find was so important that we needed to talk on the phone so she could give me detailed instructions on how to properly clean the hand-painted Danish porcelain with raised twenty-four karat gold edges.
Which is why River catches me in the act.
“Hey, Grandma Charlotte, I have to go.”
“Is that him?” she coos.
“Bye Grandma Charlotte. Love you!”
I slowly stand, biting my bottom lip as I prepare myself to finally confess the truth I’ve been hiding. It’s easier to keep a steady course while our clothes are on, I’ll admit. But it’s still nerve-racking as hell.
I’ve gone and fallen all the way in love with this man. What if he’s livid with me for lying?
“I need to tell you something.” I wipe my sweaty palms against my leggings, nearly chickening out.
If I was really planning to get on that plane tomorrow and never come back, I’d just take the harmless secret with me.
But considering I submitted my application for the high school history teacher position here in Wildwood, I can no longer sit on this lie.
And River deserves the truth.
“I’m not an appraiser. I’m—”
“A history teacher. I know.”
I’m so startled I nearly tumble backward. I catch the back of a chair to keep me steady. “What do you mean you know?”
“I’ve known this whole time. I was an intelligence officer in the Marine Corps. I always do my research. I know you weren’t an appraiser.”
My world feels like it’s spinning too fast for me to keep my footing. I’m going to be sick. River knew this whole time and he was just…what? Just trying to make a fool out of me?
“Then why did you hire me?” The demand comes out as barely more than a whisper because mentally I’m back in my classroom after hours. I’m standing on a stepstool hanging a banner about the major events of the Civil War and a cold, clammy hand slides up my skirt, touching my inner thigh.
“Because I had to meet you.”
“So I was just some pretty face to you? Someone you could seduce?” I try to shake away the mental image of Collin Seymour reaching up my skirt, but I can’t escape it.
“What? No. Jade—”
I have to get out of this house before I pass out. The whole fucking room is spinning and starting to fade to black at the same time. Or is it turning red? Because I’m pretty fucking sure I see red.
“You’re an ass,” I shout, marching toward the door.
But to be honest, I’m not fully aware who I’m yelling at: Seymour or River.
I can’t stay here.
I can’t stay in a place where my fucking worst nightmare is going to repeat itself.
I hurry across the property, headed for the guest cabin.
The memories flood back: the meeting with the school board as they announced my suspension without pay for misconduct, the police begrudgingly taking my statement but telling me it wouldn’t go anywhere, and worst of all, the pitiful looks from my colleagues who knew this was bullshit but were too afraid to say anything.
“Jade, wait!” River calls, chasing after me.
But I don’t look back.
I burst into the cabin and lock myself in my room.