Page 104 of Fake

“You’ll pick yourself up and dust yourself off. You’re not really built for relationships anyway.”

The woman in the mirror doesn’t look convinced.

FORTY-FIVE

Nathan

When Dom sent me Fallon’s address, I didn’t think I’d do anything with it. I’m not the guy that shows up at a stranger’s house to…what? Tell her off? Make sure she knows how much I hate her? Who does that? I’m so not that guy, I can’t even come up with an action plan.

But the more I think about what Mina said, the more I want to believe she wasn’t conspiring with Fallon to bring me down. Sharing secrets with a woman who so clearly has it out for me was a bad call on Mina’s part, but it’s easy to give a friend more credit than they’re due. I did it with Blossom, then again with Dom. Mina could have fallen into the same trap, which means there’s a chance everything she did was totally innocent.

It’s that chance that has me standing on Fallon Mae’s front porch. The house is small, tucked into a quaint neighborhood with kids rolling down the sidewalks on bikes and neighbors strolling by, waving as they pass. Despite all that, Fallon’s home still manages to appear grandiose. Luxurious planters line the steps with tropical plants waving in the breeze. The landscaping is meticulous and expensive, every tree, bush, shrub, and flower trimmed into submission. It's bigger, bolder, brighter than every other house on the block, like it’s screaming for attention. It doesn’t help my opinion of the woman.

I knock.

Fallon answers.

We stare in mutual loathing, her brow slowly arching in disbelief, my jaw setting tighter and tighter.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, in a voice that would make polar bears shiver.

“I need to talk to you,” I reply, with enough heat to melt the ice caps.

“I’m not inviting you in.” Fallon steps outside and pulls the door closed to make her point, then glances over my shoulder. Her face transforms into the friendliest of smiles as she waves at a woman walking her dog, only for her features to harden again when she refocuses on me.

“I’m happy to have this conversation out here.” I retreat a few steps to lean against the porch rail and Fallon lifts her chin.

“Just so we’re clear, I have my phone and won’t hesitate to call for emergency services.” She waves the device in question. She doesn’t look at all concerned that I might have something nefarious in mind, but seems like she’s dying to make that call anyway.

I shake my head in disgust. “You don’t actually think I’m here to hurt you.”

“I wouldn’t put anything past Nathan ‘Villain Era’ West. Plus, my subscribers would eat that headline up.” Fallon’s lips twitch into a cruel smile. It’s nearly identical to the way Blossom looked when she told me she was using me for my money. Like she takes pride in being nasty. How was Mina ever friends with this person? Though, my family said the same of me and Dom. Sometimes good people get caught up with bad people and don’t realize until too late.

“What did I do to you, Fallon?”

She recoils. Scoffs. Takes a few steps in my direction only to shrug off my question with disdain. “You didn’t do anything to me,” she replies, picking her fingernails with practiced nonchalance.

“Then why did you post all those terrible things about me?”

“I was holding up a mirror.” Fallon extends her hands like a priest to his flock. “Showing you how much you changed. It’s not always comfortable to look our bad choices in the face and admit to our faults, but it’s an important part of being human.”

I’ve never disliked a person as much as I dislike the woman in front of me. It’s taking every ounce of restraint not to loosen the leash on my anger, but I’m playing the long game. Blowing up now won’t do me any good. Patience, grace, and a little vulnerability on my part will reveal everything I need to know about Fallon fucking Mae.

“They weren’t my bad choices though,” I say as a little girl rolls by on a scooter. “You were publishing lies.”

Fallon looks unimpressed. “Was I though? Are you sure?”

“A hundred percent you were.” I cross my arms over my chest, and she wobbles her head back and forth like she’s conceding my point.

“Maybe some of my early stuff was conjecture…”

“That you stated as fact.” I swallow a smile. She doesn’t know it yet, but I have her dead to rights with that admission.

Fallon brushes off the statement. “But most of my latest articles are true.”

“Because Mina started feeding you information.” The statement grinds past a clenched jaw.

Easy now, Nathan. Don’t lose control now.

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