Page 103 of My Irresistible Enemy

“I can’t believe they called that meeting at all,” Em said. He and Tate were sitting behind me in Adirondack chairs that ringed a firepit Tate had built. I looked over my shoulder and saw Em lean forward in his chair. “They actually filmed it when they confronted him?”

Disgust roiled in my stomach. Filming it had been uncalled for. The whole meeting had been uncalled for, honestly. It was bullshit to spring that news on Aiden publicly, when they could have just as easily dealt with it in private. I hated that they’d put him through that.

But I hated the conclusion he’d jumped to about me, too.

I shrugged bitterly. “I’m sure they were just trying to get more drama for the final couple of episodes.”

“They didn’t tell me it was happening,” Em said with a frown. “I had no idea. They told me to take today off, like I usually do.”

“Maybe they know you’re friends with Nolan and Aiden,” Tate said, “and they didn’t want word to leak out ahead of time.”

I nodded. It made sense, in a twisted way. “I didn’t see Nora there either. I think they really were trying to keep it under wraps.”

“It’s gross, though,” Tate said. “Not just the camera thing. The whole deal. Why is it anyone’s business if Aiden has a CamFans account?”

“It’s not,” I agreed. “But we all signed a paper saying we wouldn’t use social media or do anything to bring harm to the brand while we were on the show.” Tate’s face darkened, and I held up my hands. “I’m not saying it was right for them to turn it into some kind ofgotcha. I’m just…not surprised. God, I’m really not. Especially if Tanner was involved. That guy’s a vulture.”

“Did you try telling Aiden all that?” Em asked.

“How could I?” I whirled all the way around to face them. The sea roared at my back. “He accused me of being the one to tell Tanner—to my face. He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Well, sure, not while he still thinks that. But if you talked to him and explained—”

“Why would he believe me? There’s no evidence that I didn’t tell Tanner. Of course, there’s no evidence that Idideither, but that didn’t stop Aiden from jumping to the worst conclusion possible about me.”

“Can’t imagine what that’s like,” Tate said mildly.

I glared at him. He just looked back silently, arching an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes and stomped over to an empty chair on the far side of the firepit.

“It was different with you,” I said, slumping down into my seat. “With you, I had good reason to think you were an asshole. Prior behavior and all. I mean, no offense, but you were kind of a dick to me there for a while.”

“No offense taken. You had every right not to trust me. I was a shithead. But you’re telling me you’ve never given Aiden any reason to doubt your feelings or intentions?”

“Intentions,” I repeated irritably. “You don’t have to make it sound like the nineteenth century.”

“You know what I mean,” Tate said, refusing to take the bait.

“It’s different.” I kicked at the charred remains of a log. “Things with Aiden and I were never—that is, we weren’t—it’s not—”

“Take your time,” Tate said. He sounded way too amused.

“We weren’t anything serious,” I muttered. “We were clear from the beginning that everything between us was just for show.”

“So then why should he trust you?”

“Because I thought things were changing!” I said, kicking the log again. The tip of my shoe was smudged now. “Clearly, I was wrong.”

“Changing how?” Em asked.

I was quiet for a while before answering. Things had felt like they were changing in so many ways. Ways I didn’t want to say aloud. Ways that felt too big to acknowledge, even just to myself.

“I thought we were becoming friends, I guess,” I said finally.

“Just friends?” Em’s expression was so skeptical, and so similar to Tate’s, that I felt like I was looking at twins.

“None of that stuff we were doing for the cameras was real. It was just an act.”

“Maybe that’s the case for you,” Em said. “All I know is what I’ve seen. And the way Aiden looks at you, even when the cameras aren’t on him? That’s not the kind of look you give a friend.”

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