Page 58 of Level Up

No matter how perfect tonight had been, I realized that I needed to make a choice. Risk ruining it by telling him, or risk ruining us by not.

I knew I couldn’t chance the latter, so I had to do the former. It felt like the only option I had.

My pulse quickened, and suddenly, the room started to feel a little tight. I was never good at coming out with things, mainly because I wasn’t the kind of guy who hid things in the first place.

“Jay…” I sat up, propping my back against the wall. Jay looked up at me and immediately picked up on the worry in my gaze. He sat on the bed, cross-legged, still naked and looking like a beautiful angel sent directly down from heaven.

Please don’t fuck this up.

“I have to talk to you about something.”

“Oh Lordy, now?” His gaze narrowed. “You don’t have an STI or something, do you, because?—”

“No, no, absolutely not.”

He dramatically wiped at his forehead in a sign of fake relief. “Okay, good, because I really didn’t want a shot in my ass. At least not unless you’re the one giving it to me.” He gave me a wink, his smile easy and relaxed.

Shit, shit, shit.

Maybe I shouldn’t say anything?

He cocked his head, his expression turning more serious. “So? What is it?”

I could wave it off. I could say I was joking. I could kiss him and have him forget all about what I said.

“It’s about the Beacon Bay project.”

He blinked a couple of times and seemed to try to process my words. “Ooookay… what about it?”

“I’ve been holding something back from you. Please, don’t get upset. But, well, my dad is involved. He told me today that news will be public in twenty-four hours. I’m so sorry, Jay. I seriously am.”

His head dropped forward, his brows furrowed together. “Hold up, seriously? Because I think maybe an STI would have been more preferable. At least there’s antibiotics for that. But this? Seriously?”

“I’m sorry, Jay.”

“When did you know?”

“A few weeks ago.”

He put a hand on his face and laughed. “So you’ve been lying to me, then?”

“No, no, I never lied. I would never lie to you, Jay.”

“But you asked me out, knowing your dad was involved in one of the most environmentally destructive projects to hit the West Coast in decades? You manipulated me.”

“That’s not it at all. I fell for you before my dad was ever in the project. I fell for you that night I saw you at the party. You lit up my world. Made me see color when it was all just shades of gray.”

There was a spark in his gaze that was quickly doused with a glossy sheen. “I feel… I feel betrayed.”

“I’d never betray you. On my life. You know that.”

“I want to know that.”

“Then trust me.”

Jay swallowed. He shook his head. “This is a lot. This is really a lot right now.”

I could see this beginning to spiral. It’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen.

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