Page 170 of Rush of Jealousy

Tears fall into my hair that is draped over the front of my shoulders. I turn away from him and stare out at the water in the pool. Maybe the truth hurts more than the lies I tell myself to justify all of my actions.

“How did you even find out she was involved?”

His hands fly up in front of him, his anger sizzling through him. “I always find out, Angie. But that should not be the point. You have no room to talk about me holding back the truth. You have yet to tell me why you’re so compelled to involve yourself with Tanner. Between accepting dates with him, meeting up with him privately that ends with you in a hotel room, and now sending your roommate out to gather information for you. Why? Why are you so driven to push every single one of my buttons?”

I look down at my feet and then pivot toward him. He runs his fingers through his hair.

“I, um…” I hesitate. I know revealing the truth will make it even harder to gather the information I need to be able to write a compelling story. But being at a standstill is hurting our relationship.

“Tell me!” he snaps. “Why are you so involved?”

“Because I’m striving to be an investigative journalist.” There. I said it. And as much as people say the truth sets you free, I do not feel free at all. I feel like the truth is actually going to hinder everything about my freedom. This truth is going to get me bound with protective shackles to the man who cannot stop himself from trying to keep me safe.

Oil and vinegar. That’s what we are. Two people with goals in life that contradict each other.

Incompatible.

I watch him closely as his expression changes from shock, to disbelief, and then to understanding. I can tell he is trying to analyze my words and then go back in time to evaluate all the events leading up to this very moment. He opens his mouth and then closes it again. I can tell he is confused. I guess he only focused on my current class schedule and not what I have been pursuing the past four years. And for once I have rendered him speechless.

“Well, this is all finally starting to make sense,” he exhales. “All this time I thought you were walking into danger. And here I find out that you are not simply walking, but insteadrunningtoward it. I thought you were an English major. You have it on your profile for Entice that you are studying English. You aren’t even taking journalism classes right now. And I took what you were saying at face value. Because why would anyone lie about their degree? Fuck! How did I miss this key piece of information?”

“You aren’t the only one who can lie, Graham.”

“Dammit, Angela!”

“You have these double standards. You act like you have some kind of monopoly on lying or caring about issues like girls getting drugged. But you are wrong. I care too. This affects me too. My entire future is riding on figuring this all out and then being the one to report on it before anyone else has that chance. I failed last semester with a story falling right through my fingertips. I’ve been given a second chance. So, I need you to step aside while I do it. Otherwise, this entire repeat semester is for nothing. I’ll have wasted my money and my time trying to reach for something that was never there to grasp.”

He throws his head back and curses up at the sky. “You’re not continuing on with this!” He stares right into my eyes, and for a second, I think he penetrates my soul. “You get that, right? Find something else to write about. Anything else. You’re in way over your head. This is going to end horribly for you if you continue on. You won’t keep this up. This ends tonight.”

“No, it doesn’t. Telling you about it changes nothing about what I plan to do. I’m only being up front because I’m tired of hiding it from you. But I’ve already failed a semester last spring due to some asshole reporter hijacking my discovery and beating me to the printshop.” Why do I have to keep explaining myself? Why is he not understanding? “This is my one chance at a do-over. Myonlychance. I’m on the verge of figuring everything out. Which helps you too, because—”

“Helps me?” His words are cold. Harsh.

“Yeah,” I say with a frown. “This might help you figure out what happened to your sister. A win-win.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. This revelation does not help me out at all.”

“Why not?” What am I missing here?

“Because you’re going to get us all killed,” he sneers.

My breath gets stuck in my throat. “Wait, what? How—”

The sound of a throat clearing lets us know we are no longer alone out here. “Sorry to interrupt,” Dominic says, “but mom wants us all inside for dinner. She made chicken pot pie.”

Graham and I turn to glare at Dominic, who at least has the decency to look apologetic. His eyes avoid mine, as if he is afraid to see the pain reflected back at him. He deceived me too.

“I have a bone to pick with you as well, Dominic or Nic or Nicholas? But really, who the hell are you?”

“Angela,” Graham warns. “He didn’t have much choice.”

“Are you guys even brothers? Or is that some made-up lie or half-truth as well?”

Graham sighs in defeat. “We are brothers.”

“My name is Nic Xavier Hoffman. To everyone who is not family or privy to certain information, I am Dominic Crawford—CEO of Entice Escort Agency. As you already know, Graham is the real owner, operator, and decision maker for that company. He also runs and manages Hoffman Headquarters which houses his jewelry company, Jealousy. All of that is true.”

“Then why all the secr—” I start to say and get cut off by Donna yelling for us to get inside before everything gets cold. Ugh! I am afraid to move. As if delaying this conversation will somehow prevent me from learning more about the Hoffman brothers and all the lies they seem to tell.

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