anymore.”
“Oh, really? Then why did you come? Stop fighting this, Zach. We’ll always be in each other’s lives. You’ll always be my lover.”
How had I never noticed her stalker tendencies? The woman was losing it.
I should have left right then, but I’d come this far. “What happened the night my mom fell? What were you two arguing about?”
Alexis’s eyes darted to the side. “What are you talking about?”
“My dad said you and Mom were in some kind of fight, and that’s why she drank so much. Did you have something to do with her accident?” I moved toward her. “And don’t even think about lying. I’ll know if you are.”
Alexis might be a miserable person, but she isn’t a good liar. Her fingers are her tell. She’d twist a loose string, the hem of her top—whatever was at hand. It’s why she never played poker. She couldn’t bluff.
Her eyes widened. “No. I swear. I had nothing to do with her fall.”
“Then why was my mom upset that night?”
Her gaze darted to the side again, as if she was nervous. “She didn’t like how close you and I had become. She didn’t understand us, Zach.”
My shoulders suddenly felt like cement blocks. “So it’s my fault my mom got hurt.”
Alexis grabbed my arm. “It’s not your fault. It was no one’s fault. Your mother tripped at the top of the stairs. She fell and landed wrong. We were arguing that night, but she was my friend. I never wanted anything to happen to her. I didn’t push her, if that’s what you’re worried about. I was at the bottom of the landing.”
I shook off Alexis’s hand and walked to the picture window overlooking the lake that held some of the clearest water in the world. Amazing that I could look at something so beautiful and be surrounded by such ugliness. Alexis might not have pushed my mom down the stairs, but what she and I were doing had caused my mom pain—and those had been her last coherent thoughts.
I sensed Alexis approach from behind. “What we have is special. Your mom didn’t get it.”
“What we had was filthy,” I said over my shoulder, then turned to face her. “I want nothing to do with you. So help me, Alexis, if you come anywhere near me again—my place of business, my home—I’ll go to the police and tell them you raped me when I was sixteen.”
“Ridiculous. You wanted it.”
“Did I? I was a kid mourning the loss of my mother. I was vulnerable and you took advantage. The only reason I haven’t gone to the police before now is because I felt partially responsible, but I won’t let that stop me anymore. And if you think you’re going to turn around and try your hand at another underage kid, think again. If you come near me or my girlfriend, or if I hear even a whisper about you and some kid, I’ll press charges and show proof. Consider this your warning.”
“What proof?”
I gave her a look.
“Those emails? If you still have them, that just proves how much you wanted what we shared. And there have never been any other young men—as young as you were,” she clarified. “You were special. You are special.”
“You’re sick, Alexis. Get help. And don’t forget my warning. You know I don’t gamble. I’m not bluffing.”
“Zach!” Alexis called as I strode to the door. I shot her a glare, and her expression fell. She cradled her chest, her lips pressed together. “You’ll come back to me, and I’ll be waiting.”
“No, Alexis, I won’t.” I left and never looked back.
As soon as I was out of the hotel elevator, I attempted to track down Nessa on the casino floor. No one had seen her for over an hour. I waited a little longer, then called—and discovered Nessa knew all about Alexis and the kiss in the hallway.
She fucking knew . How did she know?
Didn’t matter. I’d just ruined the best thing that’d ever happened to me.
*
Nessa
I scrub at the dried tears on my face. It’s been almost half an hour since I got off the phone with Zach, and Mira
“Oh, really? Then why did you come? Stop fighting this, Zach. We’ll always be in each other’s lives. You’ll always be my lover.”
How had I never noticed her stalker tendencies? The woman was losing it.
I should have left right then, but I’d come this far. “What happened the night my mom fell? What were you two arguing about?”
Alexis’s eyes darted to the side. “What are you talking about?”
“My dad said you and Mom were in some kind of fight, and that’s why she drank so much. Did you have something to do with her accident?” I moved toward her. “And don’t even think about lying. I’ll know if you are.”
Alexis might be a miserable person, but she isn’t a good liar. Her fingers are her tell. She’d twist a loose string, the hem of her top—whatever was at hand. It’s why she never played poker. She couldn’t bluff.
Her eyes widened. “No. I swear. I had nothing to do with her fall.”
“Then why was my mom upset that night?”
Her gaze darted to the side again, as if she was nervous. “She didn’t like how close you and I had become. She didn’t understand us, Zach.”
My shoulders suddenly felt like cement blocks. “So it’s my fault my mom got hurt.”
Alexis grabbed my arm. “It’s not your fault. It was no one’s fault. Your mother tripped at the top of the stairs. She fell and landed wrong. We were arguing that night, but she was my friend. I never wanted anything to happen to her. I didn’t push her, if that’s what you’re worried about. I was at the bottom of the landing.”
I shook off Alexis’s hand and walked to the picture window overlooking the lake that held some of the clearest water in the world. Amazing that I could look at something so beautiful and be surrounded by such ugliness. Alexis might not have pushed my mom down the stairs, but what she and I were doing had caused my mom pain—and those had been her last coherent thoughts.
I sensed Alexis approach from behind. “What we have is special. Your mom didn’t get it.”
“What we had was filthy,” I said over my shoulder, then turned to face her. “I want nothing to do with you. So help me, Alexis, if you come anywhere near me again—my place of business, my home—I’ll go to the police and tell them you raped me when I was sixteen.”
“Ridiculous. You wanted it.”
“Did I? I was a kid mourning the loss of my mother. I was vulnerable and you took advantage. The only reason I haven’t gone to the police before now is because I felt partially responsible, but I won’t let that stop me anymore. And if you think you’re going to turn around and try your hand at another underage kid, think again. If you come near me or my girlfriend, or if I hear even a whisper about you and some kid, I’ll press charges and show proof. Consider this your warning.”
“What proof?”
I gave her a look.
“Those emails? If you still have them, that just proves how much you wanted what we shared. And there have never been any other young men—as young as you were,” she clarified. “You were special. You are special.”
“You’re sick, Alexis. Get help. And don’t forget my warning. You know I don’t gamble. I’m not bluffing.”
“Zach!” Alexis called as I strode to the door. I shot her a glare, and her expression fell. She cradled her chest, her lips pressed together. “You’ll come back to me, and I’ll be waiting.”
“No, Alexis, I won’t.” I left and never looked back.
As soon as I was out of the hotel elevator, I attempted to track down Nessa on the casino floor. No one had seen her for over an hour. I waited a little longer, then called—and discovered Nessa knew all about Alexis and the kiss in the hallway.
She fucking knew . How did she know?
Didn’t matter. I’d just ruined the best thing that’d ever happened to me.
*
Nessa
I scrub at the dried tears on my face. It’s been almost half an hour since I got off the phone with Zach, and Mira
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