Page 24 of Reckless Temptation

Even today, when I practically dumped her shit into the fountain, she stood up to me stone-faced and unaffected, refusing to act like I’d ruined her day.

Then again, Tiffany told me to ruinher, not ruin her day.

While the idea of going further and harder to get a rise out of Sabrina excited me, I had to be careful that I kept my goals in sight.

I wasn’t pursuing her as a hot girl who was playing hard to get.

She was my assignment. She was the object of this ultimatum.

I had to ruin her and weaken her chances of getting that internship in order to keep Tiffany from telling George about my mother’s infidelity.

Reaching the mansion, I decided to confront her about that matter right the fuck now. I wouldn’t be a “coward” and avoid talking about hard things with my mom. On his deathbed, my dad asked me to look out for her, and I would. I wouldn’t be a coward and stay away from meddling in the complicated and confusing issue of mental health with my mom.

I ran inside and sought her in the library she preferred in the afternoons. It was either here or the gym. And as luck would have it, she was exiting the huge room full of books as I got to it.

“Nick? What’s the rush?” She raised her brows, then frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“Yeah. You.” I tried to urge her back into the room, but she wouldn’t budge from the hallway.

“Me?”

I nodded, not reacting to her surprise. “You’ve been acting weird lately.”

I didn’t want to come right out and accuse her of cheating on George. At least, not in the hallway where the housekeepers could hear. Besides, if Tiffany found out that I was trying to solve this at the source, instead of ruining Sabrina for her, she might tell George anyway.

“I’m not actingweird,” she said, frowning as she dismissed me.

“Mom, you’re?—”

“No, Nick. I’m not in the mood to get a third degree from you about how I live my life.” She furrowed her brow, pausing in walking away. “I don’t get on your case for how you live yours, partying and acting like you’ll be young and without responsibilities forever.”

“I’m not—” I growled, advancing after her.

“You’re scared to move on in any way. You want to keep your life on hold and screw around.” She shrugged. “So go ahead. I’m not stopping you if that’s what you want.”

“Mom!”

She shook her head, striding away and leaving me more pissed than ever. She’d always been so difficult to approach about her tendency to get stuck in depressive streaks like this. For so long, my dad had to stay firm and encourage her to try the medication her doctors suggested. I had yet to figure out how to be that support system in his absence.

How dare she act like I was being ridiculous?

She’d always had a tendency to stay in denial about her depression, but to project her issues on me? That wasn’t cool. Not at all.

I headed to my room, too full of fury to chase after her again. She had the gall to cheat on George—she would bite the hand that feeds—and it would ruinmylife alongside hers. Without George, we’d have nothing. We’dbenothing. Just two grieving, lost souls after the loss of the person who had been the glue to our family.

Too scared to move on.

I gritted my teeth, pushing my door open until it slammed and hit the wall.

Fuck that.

I wasn’t too scared to move on after Dad’s death.

I just had no goddamn clue what to move on to. Where to go. What to do. Losing Dad had somehow warped and twisted my whole identity, and I’d be damned if she tried to call me a coward too.

The next night, when I got out of the pool from an evening swim by myself, I dreaded that George wanted to talk to me about the same damn thing.

He seldom approached me directly like this. But when he had that serious expression on his face, I knew he was expecting a conversation with me.

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