Page 58 of Her Filthy Mistake

Bang. Bang. Bang. My heart stops in my chest as the door rattles on the hinges.

“Jace!” My brother’s voice is muffled but loud in the hallway. “Open up!”

Shit. What’s he doing here? Bang. Bang. Bang. I rush to the door. The condo I live in is filled with families and singles who work all different hours of the day. I don’t want anyone complaining about me to management.

I yank the door open. “Get inside.” I glare at him and step out of the way.

The second he’s inside, I shut the door as he crosses his arms over his chest and glares. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Yes, I’m stalling. It’s stupid. But when I was a kid, and he lectured me, I would do whatever it took to deflect his attention in hopes that his irritation would die down.

“Don’t start with that bullshit.” He drops his arms to his sides. “I’ve been trying to call you for weeks. And all I get is placating text messages in return. I’m fine. Sorry, I missed you. I’m busy.” He alters his voice to sound more like me, but it’s a little too falsetto. For some reason, I don’t think he’d appreciate my critique. “What in the fuck is going on?”

“There’s nothing going on.”

He spins in a circle, taking in the room. The curtains are drawn, leaving the space in semi-darkness, but the light above the dining room table is bright and the curtains from the kitchen window are open to bathe the table in more light.

But the floor…. The floor is covered in paper balls and empty food containers. I walk around the room, snatching up the trash. The containers. Not the music. I might need one of those pieces back later.

“Jace, you need help.” His eyes meet mine, and I shake my head. Of course, he thinks I’m using again.

Stop. You’re the one that went along with Fletcher. What else is everyone supposed to believe?

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve said that before, but you weren’t. You may not see it, but you’re hurting yourself. The people who love you.” He grasps my shoulders. “You have so much you can give the world.”

“Landon.” The corners of my mouth rise upward. “Thank you. I appreciate the validation.” I give him a quick bro hug which he reciprocates. “It’s good to see you.”

I pat his back and rock back onto my heels, putting distance between us again. And I’m not lying. I thought I didn’t want to see him, but I do. I miss him, Carly and Zorya. And Zoe.

My heart catches in my chest. I would give anything to tell her everything I said was a lie, but she’s not going to believe me. I straighten my shoulders. At least not yet. Maybe when she hears my new music, and I get a record deal, I’ll be able to convince her. It’s the only thing keeping me going. “But I’m fine. I don’t need an intervention.”

“Yes, you do.” He waves his hand at the mess. “You’re living like a pig. Are you even taking care of yourself?” He snaps his head around. “Did you lose your job?”

“Stop.” I half chuckle and grasp his upper arms. “Listen. Thank you for caring. I love you for it. But I’m not using or drinking. I’m writing. And I still have my job. This is my day off. I’m doing fine. Yes, I did have one drink back on the island, but it was an isolated incident. I’m back in counseling, and I’m feeling great.” Well, that might be an overstatement of things. I miss Zoe too much to be great.

I step back, giving him room to survey the room. Moments later, his shoulders relax, and he pins me with a stare. It’s not hostile, but it leaves little to the imagination. He’s not leaving without answers. “What happened?”

I inhale and let out a whoosh of air. “You’re not going to believe me.”

“Try me.”

And the story comes out. The allegations. The set up. Everything but Zoe and I being intimate. The story works fine without that detail.

His eyes narrow as anger swipes over his face. “The cocksucker.” His jaw flexes as his teeth gnash together. “I’m going to tell–”

“Don’t.” I grab his biceps and hold him in place. “It won’t do any good. He’s too powerful and has too much money. Besides, Zoe isn’t going to believe me over her father, especially when I agreed to it at the time.”

Heat covers my cheeks. Jesus. He didn’t say anything about her, so why would I bring her up. He was likely referring to Carly or the police. And I automatically went to the person I want to believe me. And there’s no logical reason I’d want that. Besides, she doesn’t want me telling my brother and her mother that I love her. Hell, I didn’t even tell her.

He snatches his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m calling Carly. She needs to know what happened. When Zoe told her you were using again, Carly told her she was wrong, despite what she saw.” The pulse point at his temple pushes against his skin. “And Carly was right. We both should have believed her. We all know how manipulative Fletcher is.”

My shoulders ache as he calls Carly and fills her in. The quickness with which both accepted my story makes it hard to breathe. If Zoe believed me as easily, maybe it’s not too late for us.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Zoe

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