Page 55 of As You Crave It

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

AFTERWHATFELT like the longest day she’d ever worked, Celia arrived at Quin’s house. She wasn’t sure what to think of the video she’d seen. She didn’t think Quin was a cheater. But she’d seen the video with her own eyes. She rang the doorbell, and when Quin answered, he smiled, happy to see her.

She didn’t say anything outright. She wanted to see if he had anything to tell her.

In his bedroom, she walked by the hamper that held his dirty clothes. There was a small, black rectangle of paper next to it. She turned it around. The picture was that of the woman shown on video with Quin. He had been with her.

“What the fuck is this?” she asked.

“Let me explain.”

“Go ahead and spare me the lies. I saw the video.”

“I’m not going to let Jared release that video of us. I’ve already been on the phone with my lawyer.”

“Wait. The video of us?”

“What video are you talking about?” he asked.

“The one where you’re fucking that woman in the conference room at my workplace.”

“There can’t be a video of that,” he said. “I didn’t touch her.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Was he sure? “Of course, I am,” he told her. Quin knew exactly what Celia was going to show him, and he wasn’t surprised to see himself on the screen, while sitting in the conference room. He watched as the woman came in. He wasn’t worried, though—he knew nothing had happened between them. But it surprised him as he watched the tape deviate from the reality of what had actually happened. The camera point-of-view changed and that was when he knew. Someone else was sitting in that chair. The video showed someone having sex with the woman, but it wasn’t him.

“Jesus Christ, Celia, you have to know that’s not me. It’s not real,” Quin explained. “It was edited. I didn’t touch the woman. Jared hired her to come on to me. For blackmail, I guess. Or just to play with me, drive us apart. I don’t know.”

“Maybe.”

“Do you believe me?”

“I know I don’t trust anything Jared says.”

She looked so sad and vulnerable, so Quin went to her.

“Why did you keep her card?” she asked him. “I just want to know the answer to that.”

“It was in my pocket, and I forgot about it.”

She sighed, and it was shaky. She shook her head. “I don’t know why I let this happen again.”

“Again?”

“I knew if I let my guard down around you, I would fall in love with you again.” She shrugged. “I guess I was right.”

“Celia, I did nothing wrong. I didn’t even touch her.”

“That’s true. I know that Jared’s setting you up, to pull us apart or whatever. But I’m more disappointed in myself. I let myself get too close to you, and it was a mistake. You make me too vulnerable. We should end this. Before either of us ends up more hurt.” She paused. “I’m going to leave.”

“I can’t make you stay. But before you go, though, did you see the other video?”

She froze. “What other video?”

“The one taken of us together on the sky deck of Jared’s yacht.”

The realization dawned on her. “That’s why he invited you. To set you up.”

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