Page 45 of Scoring Grey

“It would break his heart if he saw that.”

“I know. Luckily for us, he’s young and not into electronics. He’d rather be helping your dad on the boats or playing in Iverson’s lighthouse.”

“Heating pad and oil,” Dash announces, rejoining us. “Anything else?”

“No, I think we’re good,” I say, taking the items. He looks between us, and I know he’s reading the room. I want him to leave, and she’s not asking him to stay, but I can tell he’s torn about leaving her.

“I’ll just be across the hall if you need anything. I slept in my rental last night when I drove up to Spencer Gorge. I’m going to order some food and fall asleep in a real bed.”

“Dash, thank you for helping me. I don’t know what I would have done had you not been there.”

“You’re too pretty for someone to just leave you to lie on the ground. You don’t remember because you were knocked out for a minute, but some kind pedestrians stopped to help. I just happened to swoop you up before they could.”

Eloise shakes her head, and he smiles.

“I’m going to go. I’ll see you tomorrow if I don’t hear from you tonight.”

“Okay,” Eloise says as he retreats.

When the door closes, I sit beside her. “Are you still cold? Do you want another blanket?”

“Can you cover my feet?”

I look down and see her red toes peeking out. I was so focused on covering her breasts I didn’t pay attention to the rest of her body.

I tug the blanket over her feet, tucking it under to ensure the warmth is trapped. “Is that better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good. Now tell me. Tell me why you don’t want me to go after Blair.”

“When I saw the picture, I was hurt. You weren’t the only one in the cafeteria that day who got their heart ripped out. I had a PTSD moment. It felt like the past repeating itself…” Her brow furrows, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think she’s choosing her next words carefully. “Fine, I’ll just say it. I don’t want you to go after Blair because I’m not convinced she’s not here for someone else’s gain.”

Out of all the things I thought she’d say, that was not one of them. I pinch the bridge of my nose as I try to follow where she’s going, but the stress of the last few hours and finding out she got hurt has me unable to connect any dots. “You think she’s doing someone else’s bidding?”

“I do.”

“Who?” I ask, wholly confused.

Blair Wyndham was a mean girl, but Eloise had no true enemies. Even Blair knew her place to an extent. She wanted to be on my arm to take something from Eloise. I was a trophy to someone like her, as pompous as that may sound, but that’s because Eloise comes from one of the most prominent families in the US. Her family’s wealth rivaled no one we knew, and Blair hated it. It’s why she wanted me. Having me took something from Eloise.

“Your father,” she says flatly.

My eyes stay locked on hers as I process what she said and what that means. I’ve stewed over my plans to make Blair pay all afternoon. Her mother’s company is in the red, which leads me to believe she likely name-dropped to earn the contract. Using my name to get the job also explained why she’d be so bold as to risk posting that photo. She needed it to save face. But I don’t see the connection between her and my father.

“Think about it, Cal. Your father never liked us together. The few times I was forced to endure his company, he’d always make some barbed comment about how Blair was better suited for you. Now, here we are, trying to make things work, and she’s suddenly here, too. You can believe it’s all a coincidence, but I don’t.”

My eyes widen as pieces start to fall into place. “You might be onto something,” I say as I stand and pace the side of the bed. Her insinuation is not far-fetched. I wouldn’t put it past my father to make me miserable; after all, he never wanted me to have anything he didn’t have, but to what end? What does he have to gain?

“That’s why I wanted you to wait. Does that picture piss me off? Hell yes, but I also want answers. If we leave it alone and you play nice, we can find out the truth.”

“So you’re fine with the whole world believing she’s my girlfriend on the off chance she’s a pawn? Eloise, you might be okay with that, but I’m not. If I’m going public with anyone, it’s you.”

She closes her eyes and pinches her lips as she pulls the ice pad out. “It’s too cold. I want heat, and no, I’m not okay with it either, but right now, we’re overreacting because we have a history with Blair. We want to make it disappear because the scars of our past feel new again. However, tomorrow, that picture will be yesterday’s news, and we may have gained the upper hand in finding out why and or who she’s scheming for.”

“I don’t know?—”

“I knew you’d be harder to convince, but aren’t you the least curious to know who the mole is?”

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