Page 32 of The Invitation
He puts his hands on his hips and faces me. “You need to go out there and tell Sutton you’re pulling out of the project.”
I blink in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“As much as I’d love to back out of this, I can’t. I gave my word to Jonah and …” He rolls his head around his neck. “Let’s just say there’s more to this for me than just doing a favor for a friend.”
“So you thinkIcan just bail onmyfriend because that’s what’s easier for you?”
“Frankly, yes.”
I scoff, glaring at him. “You’re such an arrogant asshole.”
“Why? We cannot pull this off without killing each other, and I can’t back out, so I’m an asshole for expecting you to be the one to exit quietly?”
“Frankly, yes,” I say, mocking him. “Sutton is my best friend, Ripley, not just an acquaintance like Jonah is to you. She needs this job. That means you should be the one to walk away.”
He growls, looking at the ceiling. “What did I do to deserve this?”
I move to the other side of the room to evade his cologne.
What the actual hell?
My face is flushed, and I ball my hands at my sides. The tips of my pale pink fingernails dig into my palms. The chill snaking down my spine starkly contrasts the heat of my blood.
“I’d say this is karma, but I think karma will come for you a little stronger than this,” I say.
He barks a laugh. “As if you know a damn thing about me.”
“I know all I need to know about you.”
“Great.” He shrugs. “If you know so much, then walk away.” He motions toward the door. “Trust me, if there were any possible way for me to do it, I would without hesitation.But I can’t.”
“I can’t either.I’m not going to leave Sutton hanging out to dry. She’s like a sister to me. If this show fails, it won’t be because I tanked it.”
Ripley moves through the room with purpose. “Then what do we do? We’re at an impasse.”
I groan loudly, letting my frustration get the best of me.
“One of us has to quit,” he says. “And it’s not going to be me.”
“One of us does have to quit, and it’s not going to be me.”
Ripley stops in front of me, his eyes drilling into mine. The intensity steals my breath, and my vulnerability to him makes me even madder.
We stare at each other, neither of us backing down. We’ve done this many times because we’re both too hardheaded to give in. There’s no way I’m breaking for this jerk. Not ever.
Finally, a slow, calculated grin slides over his lips and paints him like a villain. I shiver in response.
“Okay,” he says with a casual shrug. “I’m telling you right now that I’m not walking away. Are you going to change your mind?”
I shake my head.
“Then it looks like we’re doing it together,” he says.
“That’s impossible.”
“Well, apparently, it’s not. You are more than welcome to change your mind, but I’m certain where I stand. But let me tell you one more thing, Miss Hayes.” He leans closer, his minty breath filling the air between us. “I plan on fulfilling my end of the bargain for Jonah. I’m going to pretend to fall in love with whomever they put in front of me, whether that’s a random woman off the street … or you.”
It's a warning—a threat. An attempt to get his way like he always does.
