Page 129 of The Pact

Cassie nods. “Yeah, that probably would have been better than holding it in all this time.”

It’s my turn. “I should have told you what was going on with me sooner. You’ve always been who I turn to and this shouldn’t have been any different. I should have filed a report on Gavin the first time he put his hands on me, so that maybe this could have been avoided. I can have Damian uninstall the cameras. I should have never put them up without talking to you. You had every right to be upset.” Guilt gnaws at me. I should tell her everything…yet I can’t. I’m too scared.

“God no. Please leave them. With that psycho running around, who knows, they might be useful.” I can’t disagree with her. “How are the guys?” She broaches cautiously.

While it seems we’ve made up, her accusatory words regarding them still sit heavy on my heart, making me wary to share too much.

“They’re good,” I say simply. But I can tell it’s not the answer she wants to hear.

“Thea, I’m sorry I implied they were responsible for all the stuff Gavin’s been doing. I know I’ve been less than accepting of your arrangement with—”

“Relationship,” I cut her off. Although we’ve made up, the new me hasn’t retreated. I’m standing up for myself, even if it makes others uncomfortable.

Her eyes widen a little. “Of course, I’m sorry. I should have been supportive of your relationship with them from the beginning.” She takes my hand in hers. “If you’re happy, so am I.”

“Thank you,” I say sincerely. All the tension I’ve been feeling over the last couple of weeks fades.

“Anthony’s planning a birthday party for me. It’s next Friday and I would love for you to come. It’s going to be over the top and I need my bestie there.” She’s beaming and of course I won’t say no. She adds, “And I want you to bring Cole, Damian, Sutton, and Wesley…as your dates.” She says it so assuredly that the idea of four men taking me out doesn’t sound strange at all.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

I’m practically vibrating with excitement when I bounce through the front door. Reconciling with Cassie and potentially attending her party with four gorgeous men has me smiling ear to ear—until I hear the yelling coming from Damian’s room.

I creep through the kitchen and down the hall that leads to where the sounds are coming from. My ears strain, trying to figure out who’s yelling and why.

Wesley’s is the first voice I can make out. “It doesn’t even make sense. I would never do something like that.”

“We know that. This is a troll,” Sutton says, trying to soothe an agitated Wes.

I slow my pace, hugging the wall. I can’t see anyone from where I am. However, it sounds like they’re near Damian’s computer.

“That’s great, but no one else knows that. Potential customers don’t know that. Anyone who looks up Wolfe Creek Adventures will see this. Who’s going to hire me now?”

The wall ends and I peek around it to find the three of them standing around Damian, who’s sitting at his desk. Their eyes are trained on the screen. I’m too curious to keep eavesdropping and step into the room.

“Hey.” I keep my voice low and calm. Their heads turn nearly simultaneously to stare at me. “What’s going on?”

Sutton speaks up. “Someone left malicious reviews for Wesley’s business on a bunch of sites. Completely untrue, but harmful still.”

I walk over to Damian and peer over his shoulder at the massive computer screen. Dozens of windows are open, yet the same words jump out on each one. Handsy. Aggressive. Unprofessional. Assault. All posted by User93kad3293vamkse20 on any site where Wolfe Creek Adventures has a presence.

“This is bullshit,” I spat, looking over at Wes. “You’d never do anything like this. They don’t even have the decency to upload a profile picture or their name. How are you even supposed to know if they’re real? This could be a competitor or something.”

“Exactly,” Sutton mutters.

Cole states flatly, “Those scratches on your face don’t help matters. Looks like someone tried to fight back.”

We all turn to look at him. What would possess him to say such a thing?

“These are from my hike with Thea the other day.” Wes glances at me for confirmation.

“They are,” I vouch. “Not like it matters. We all know that Wesley wouldn’t hurt anyone, especially a client.” I shoot Cole a look, warning him to say something else. I’m still not happy about his attitude this morning.

Wesley isn’t capable of what this person is describing. So why? Why would they post false reviews?

None of that matters right now because Wes is hurting. All the talk of unfairness and disbelief isn’t helping him. I turn to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, squeezing tightly. “I’m so sorry Wes. Tell me if there’s anything you need.”

Wesley’s arms come around my back and I feel his body relax a little. He doesn’t deserve this, he’s unbelievably kind and his business is everything to him—he’d never jeopardize that.

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