Page 114 of Brutal Obsession

“You’ve got a point. Not even a defamatory article could bring him down.”

Yeah. That. I think of my list, of the weird things that have been happening since I got back. Maybe it has less to do with Greyson and more to do with me. I’m the vulnerable one.

Either way, I’m not going to solve this mystery tonight.

I settle in and let Jack pick a movie. He orders us food, too, and jumps up to get the door when it arrives. I’m not going to lie… it’s nice to have company. I feel better not being alone in the apartment.

Still, the fact that Jack dropped me so fast after that video went out still stings.

And the worry that he might’ve seen Greyson take the video…

“What’s been up with you since…?” I bite my lip and set down my drink. The pizza is mostly gone, the movie is half over. I didn’t mean to bring up the video, but here we are. He acted so cold outside the dining hall. Hateful, even. And here I am, sitting on my couch with him like everything is fine. It’s not. It’s far from fine. “Actually, Jack, I think you owe me an apology.”

Regret flashes across his face.

We talked briefly after he lashed out at me. But he pretended the whole thing didn’t happen—and now he’s sitting on my couch doing the same thing. It’s not how I want tonight to go. Especially if he’s going to pretend we’re okay.

He twists to face me and takes my hands. “You’re right. I am truly sorry for how I acted after that video was posted. I knew you didn’t have anything to do with it, but Devereux got in my head about it.”

I pause. “What does that mean?”

“Just that he was joking about it to his buddies. He had a good laugh at our expense and kind of blamed it on you…” He shifts.

Jack called me a slut. His apology shouldn’t erase my memory of it.

I pull my hands from his grip and stand. “I’ll be right back.”

What the fuck is happening to me? I lock myself in my bathroom and close my eyes. I shouldn’t do anything with Jack. I shouldn’t even have invited him in… wait, no, Ididn’tinvite him in. He just… came.

But he is right about one thing. I should hit Greyson where it hurts.

Strike back.

We can’t be together, him and I.

So we may as well be enemies.

The thing is, there’s not much Greyson cares about. Hockey, of course. His friends. Like Willow and me, I doubt they’d be easy to tear apart. But… there is something else.

I splash water on my face and step back into my room. A wave of dizziness washes over me, and I grab the doorjamb.

“You okay?”

My head snaps up. Jack sits on the edge of my bed, his gaze steady on me.

“Just dizzy.”

He hums. “Shame.”

“What is?”

He tilts his head. “The movie isn’t over. But maybe we should get you to bed.”

Goosebumps rise on the backs of my arms, and I head for the hall. “It’ll pass.”

“It’ll get worse.” He rises and grabs my forearms as I pass. He grips me just under my elbows, and my knees give out.

I blink, and it feels slow. Like they’re closed a lot longer than they should be.

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