Page 106 of Such a Good Girl

“Oh, my god, what a bitch!” I wanted to jump through the screen and strangle her.

Kaylee stared intently at the television, her eyes wide.

“The thing is, West is having the wool pulled over his eyes. His new squeeze isn’t who he thinks it is.”

“What do you mean?”

“The woman he’s been seen with works at the club he co-owns. But that’s not the secret. She’s actually,” she paused for dramatic effect, always putting on a show, “an undercover cop.”

My mouth gaped open. The words didn’t register at first. As if they were out of sequence, or said backwards, or out of context.

“What?” I whispered.

“A cop?” Madewell asked, his own eyes wide. “Wow, that’s crazy.”

“West doesn’t know. Now he does. Anyway, about my movie…”

Her voice faded away and I slowly looked over at Kaylee. She was pale as a ghost and watched me carefully.

“Why did she say that?” I asked her carefully.

“West…”

“I don’t understand?”

“West…”

“Kaylee? Why would she say something like that?”

“I was going to tell you, babe. I’m so sorry.”

“Huh?”

“It’s true, West. She’s right. I’ve been wanting to tell you and I’m so glad it’s out now. I didn’t know how. I know it’s a shock, but you need to know —.”

“— Wait, you’re really a fucking cop? What the fuck?” I jumped out of bed, staring down at her. “This can’t be real. What the fuck is going on?”

“I work in homicide. I’m investigating the murders.”

“What? What the fuck does that have to do with me?”

“It’s the club. I’m investigating the club. They sent me in undercover to try to find a connection between the victims.”

My mind reeled. This whole fucking thing was a lie?

We stood in front of each other now, both of us fully nude, all the walls we’d torn down between us now back in place once again.

I shook my head slowly, trying to make sense through the fog of this immense betrayal.

“I was so sure of you,” I muttered, half to myself. “So sure of what we were building together.”

“West, please listen to me,” she pleaded. “Yes, I kept this from you. But I promise you, what I feel for you is real. This? You and me? That’s very real. I don’t know how we can fix this, but can we just talk through it? I know if you just listen, you’ll understand.”

I searched her eyes, the pain visible there as she looked up at me.

How could she have lied to me for so long? How could she have made love to me so intimately? How could she have laid in my bed and let me wrap myself up in her so thoroughly, and let me think she was doing the same?

“This was all just a job to you,” I said, shaking my head.

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