Page 100 of Bright Dark Curses

“It’s not funny,” he snapped. “These people, there’s always a catch to their deals, not to mention the extra interest. You need to tell me what the heck she did, so I can fix it.”

That sobered me right into a hard glare. “Dru doesn’t need you to fix anything.”

“I have the means to help with her loan, whatever it is.”

“Assuming you’re right, you think she’ll let you help her like that?”

“No, but you will. Because you’re her friend.”

That did bring a smile back to my face. It felt so good to have a bestie who didn’t want to secretly kill me. “That’s true.”

“This is serious, Avery.”

My smile widened. “I think it’s very entertaining.”

His expression hardened. “Who loaned her the money?”

“Why did you two break up?” I asked. “I’ve heard part of her version, but what’s yours?”

“To repeat your own words: none of your business.”

“If you want me to help you with Dru’s business, I want to know why you’re so invested.” I shrugged and studied him closely. “Maybe you’re a controlling jerk who doesn’t want her to be successful without him.”

Preston’s gaze drifted to the windows, his mouth forming a tight line. “I broke up with her after I got the promotion at Tabbies.”

“Why?”

“We were fine until then. We’d been going out for several months and her parents encouraged the match. I thought we were going to last a while, to be honest.”

“Until you got her promotion?”

He scowled at that. “It was never her promotion. She had sights on the position, but I had a lot more experience. I was the obvious choice.”

“Not to her.”

“I can’t help what she thought.”

“So why break up with her after?” My heart hurt for Dru, and I felt the need to throw my mug at him again. “If you were in love, as you said?”

He met my accusatory words with open honesty in his. “Would you have stayed with someone who resented you for accepting a better job? One they wanted?”

“Dru doesn’t like disloyalty,” I conceded. “You could’ve passed on the promotion.” But even as I said the words, I knew that was awful advice. You couldn’t limit your opportunities for fear that your loved one would leave you.

“That’s not how relationships should work.”

“It’s not. So Dru was convinced you used her to get to know her parents and get the promotion.”

He winced. “The timing was not great.”

“And then you broke up with her, which solidified her beliefs.”

“In a nutshell.”

Of course, this only worked if he wasn’t lying. Who would admit to using Dru to her best friend? “Why did you come here to open Tabbies? It can’t be a coincidence…” I gaped, struck by a new thought. “Did you open Tabbies here to offer Dru a job?”

Preston snorted at my outrage. “Of course not. Dru would never accept.”

“But you wanted to help her anyway, right? That’s why you’re holding a charged jade hostage, isn’t it? To see if you can help Dru.”

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