Page 157 of F*ckboys

"But why?" Roxy demands. "You two were so happy together!"

"We weren't happy," I snap. "Not really. Our relationship was built on lies. I should have been honest with Fallon from the start. We're both just as guilty, it turns out she was keeping a whole lot from me. Important stuff, and when I found out I realized she's not even close to being the person I thought she was. The woman I thought I was in love with. Real love can't be built on a fake foundation, and fake love never lasts."

"Oh, Aksel." Roxy's eyes soften with sympathy. She reaches for my hand but I pull away.

"Don't. I don't deserve your pity." I glance at the abomination she's creating, jalapeños and pineapple and mushrooms and a ton of garlic. "Unlike your pizza." I try to joke my way out of the serious conversation.

"That's not pity," Raine says quietly. "That's love and support for our brother who's going through a difficult time." She giggles, "although I agree with you about Roxy's pizza!"

"Hey!" Roxy places her hands on her hips and juts out her bottom lip, giving me flashbacks of when she used to pull exactly the same expression back in elementary school.

I stare at my siblings, gratitude and sorrow twisting in my chest. They may drive me crazy, but they're here for me when I need them most.

"I'm beyond sorry for how I treated Fallon, just so you know," I say softly. "I'm not some kind of asshole, or monster, like others would have you believe. The truth is, she deserved so much better than that, both back in high school and more recently. I shouldn't have kept so many secrets from her. But then she was keeping some really dark things from me, too."

"Yeah, she did deserve better, for you to be transparent." Carson's gaze is stern. "You really screwed up, big bro. Back then, which is more forgivable because you were young, and then more recently you went and screwed up all over again, which is less easily explained. But the important thing is you've realized that. Now follow your own advice and, like you've always taught me, do what you need to do to make things right."

I nod. But a gnawing feeling in my gut tells me I think this time we're really done for good. That this time it's too late.

Fallon

Zara is waiting in the foyer when I arrive at the Dempsey estate, worry creasing her forehead.

"Fallon, I'm so sorry to hear about you and Aksel." Her eyes gleam with sympathy, not malice.

I gape at her, stunned. She's never missed an opportunity to get a dig in, yet here she is offering what appears to be genuine comfort.

"Thank you," I say cautiously. I was surprised when she invited me over, out of sync with our typical weekly family dinner cadence. I suspected she wanted me to spill the teaon the breakup so she can share the details with her gossipy friends. But from the way she's speaking, it sounds like authentic concern. Talk about disconcerting.

She smiles and squeezes my arm. "I know we've had our differences in the past, but I care about you, Fallon. You're family, and family supports each other through heartbreak and pain."

Tears prick my eyes at her unexpected kindness.

"Aksel made a huge mistake," she continues, "but this says more about him than it does about you. You're strong, smart, and caring. Any man would be lucky to have you."

I blink back tears, overwhelmed by her words. Maybe Zara and I can move past our differences. Maybe we can even become friends.

"I will warn you though… your father is a little heated right now. And he's expecting to see you in his study the moment you arrive."

Zara has never ever given me a heads up about my dad and his volatile temperament. In fact, at times I think she's enjoyed sending me, unwitting, into the lion's den with an ill-timed cup of coffee or tumbler of whiskey. But today, she's choosing to warn me. Interesting. I'll take it, any shred of potential kindness is both welcome and needed.

"Thank you," I whisper. "That means a lot."

She pulls me into a hug, and for the first time, despite the noxious fumes of her vanilla and apricot body spray that everyone else stopped wearing back in high school, I don't feel like pushing her away.

My father's study door is closed when I walk by, angry shouts filtering through the thick oak. I pause outside, dread curling in my gut. This won't be pleasant.

I knock softly and push the door open. "Dad?"

He whirls around, his face contorted with rage. "I have to go, my daughter is finally here." He clicks off his phone call and he lifts his gaze to meet mine. His eyes are flashing. "How dare you ruin this for our family? For the company? Do you have any idea how much damage you've caused?"

Anger and hurt swell inside me. "I didn't do anything wrong, Dad. Aksel broke up with me, not the other way around." Not entirely true, but he played a major part in it.

"Don't give me that bullshit," he growls. "Spin it however you want, but this is your fault, Fallon. If you weren't so goddamn selfish and irresponsible—andimpulsive, the Kings wouldn't have backed out of this deal I was trying to do with them. They're using you as an excuse to pull the escape hatch. Now get out of my sight before I say something I regret."

I stare at him, stunned into silence. He can't seriously blame me for this. I did everything he asked to secure this merger, compromising my values and aspirations in the process. It took time and effort and regret. And for what? To have him tear me down at every opportunity?

The hurt and anger curdle into something harder and colder. Something that tastes a lot like vengeance. Because I know, deep inside, that no matter what I do, it will never be enough for my father.

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