Page 521 of Not Over You

“Tell me, Willow. How is our daughter?” He takes a casual sip of his coffee as he keeps his glare on me, monitoring my reaction.

I instantly feel sick.

He knows.

“She—she’s well.”

I decide against continuing the conversation and push my chair back to rise.

“I wouldn’t do that.” He shifts in his seat, bringing a gun into view from under the table and sets it down, pointing it at me.

My fear overrides my survival instinct and I settle into my seat.

“What do you want?” I don’t want Dale in here any longer than he needs to be so getting to the point is my only way out.

“I want another hundred and fifty grand. Then you’ll never see me again.”

“I don’t have that kind of money just laying around, Dale. You cleaned me out.” My eyes flit between his and the gun, and I hold back my anger as much as I can, trying to make my answer sound more like a plea so I don’t upset him.

“Your friends have money.” He speaks the word friends like it’s making him sick.

Has Dale been here longer than a day?

“What friends?” Cautiously, I ask the question.

I flinch as he barks a sick laugh at my question.

“The ones you’re fucking, Willow. And the ones who fucked me over.”

Is this about Shane and Alex?

They didn’t really know Dale.

My confusion must be plastered on my face because Dale continues explaining himself.

“Oh you didn’t know? The two guys you spread your legs for are the reason you caught me in bed with another woman. They set me up. Or didn’t they tell you? She was a dancer at their club. I ran into her sister on my way out of town and she told me everything.”

I have no words.

The fact that Dale cheated on me is still on him, but if Shane and Alex had a part in it too, then they kept it from me.

They set me up for everything that happened after as well.

“I can tell by the look on your face, you didn’t know. You’re too gullible for this town. I’ll tell you what. After you get me my money, I’ll leave. I have no other reason to stay, unless you give me one.” My skin crawls at his sickening voice as his eyes lower lewdly down my body.

“But I still can’t get that money.”

He laughs at my answer and it makes me feel stupid. Is everyone lying to me? I’m I really that naive?

“Of course you can. Just get another”—he air quotes with his hands—”angel investment from your fuck buddies.” Then, chuckling to himself, he drinks his coffee.

“That was from an anonymous group.” A small piece of my heart already knows that has to be a lie.

Of course it was from them.

They didn’t think I could do it on my own either.

The truth is, I guess I couldn’t.

---