Page 74 of Look What You Made Me Do

He was in serious trouble with them both here, ganging up on him. Trish and their history. Ella and all their stuff – modern and ancient. There wasn’t enough Corona in all of Mexico to help him navigate this situation.

“When this all blew up two years ago, there was a lot of pressure on me to name the mystery woman, which was not then, nor is it now, an option. She’s been through enough without the media beaming her nightmare into every living room across the country.”

Jake watched as realization dawned over her face. “So you’re protecting her?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t say anything for a beat or two just nodded, her ponytail bobbing as she obviously absorbed the information.

“Pete will manage,” Jake added.

“Yes.” Ella’s brows beetled. “Of course.”

Trish plonked her glass down so hard on the glass top the wine sloshed precariously close to the rim. It was a wonder the fancy AF stem hadn’t snapped in two.

“No. Not of course.” She glared at him. “This is utterly ridiculous, Jake. It’s time.”

Jake shook his head despite Trish’s fierce face. “No.”

“Yes. If John Wilmott figures it out, then so be it.”

Ella looked from one to the other. “Who is John Wilmott?”

“A journalist,” Jake muttered. “He does features on issues in sports. He’s very persistent and he almost connected the dots. He just doesn’t realize it.”

“If it happens, it happens,” Trish dismissed. “Miranda’s older now and I’m not the same scared little mouse I was back then. And maybe it’s time I got to tell my side of the story and hang the confidentiality agreement.” She turned to Ella. “Jake is protecting me. I’m the one who Tony tried to rape.”

Ella’s eyes widened at the admission and she was momentarily speechless before recovering. “Oh, Trish… I’m so, so sorry. That’s awful, just… terrible.” Then her eyes widened again. “Oh God.” She put her glass down on the table with a light tap, sitting forward in the chair. “You were in the background of that picture. I’m so sorry.” Glancing at Jake, she said, “Will this John Wilmott guy see it?”

“Yep.” There was no doubt in his mind.

Ella shook her head, shooting an apologetic look at Trish. “I’m so, so sorry. I made a complete mess of everything.”

“No,” Trish denied. “You haven’t.”

But Ella was not going to be so easily assuaged of her guilt, turning her gaze to him. “After everything you went through to protect Trish?—”

Jake cut her off with a harsh laugh. “Don’t put me on a pedestal, Ella. Eighteen years ago, Tony Winchester tried to rape Trish while I stood by and did nothing.”

His words fell into the space between them like boulders into a shallow pond. Ella’s lips parted, shocked by his admission.

“No.” Trish shook her head vehemently. “That’s not what happened,” she said to Ella before looking at him again. “By the time you heard me screaming, I’d already gotten away. You need to stop blaming yourself. I’m the aggrieved person here. Not you. Let it go. I have.”

Jake picked up his empty bottle and absently rolled it between his palms, staring at the lime wedge. “If I’d been sober I might have realized what was going on.”

“He was my boyfriend, Jake. How could you have known?”

He shook his head. “I should have pushed past those goons at the door sooner.”

“You pushed past at the right moment. If you hadn’t busted through the door when you did he’d have caught up with me and I’m not sure I could have fought him off a second time.”

Trish switched her attention to Ella. “Jake was amazing. My dress was all torn and he wrapped me up in his jacket. He punched Tony in the face. He took me home.”

“Not to the police station?”

Jake could feel Ella staring at him but couldn’t bear the thought of what he might see in her eyes.

Anger? Distaste? Reproach?

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